About Solar One

Solar One is a nonprofit organization that empowers communities in the New York City metro area to thrive in the face of the challenges brought on by climate change, and to embrace a world that is low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive. Solar One's mission is to design and deliver innovative education, training, and technical assistance that fosters sustainability and resiliency in diverse urban environments. We are seeking a dynamic individual passionate about sustainable and inclusive community development to join our team in a unique position that will be embedded full-time within NYC government to help the City aggressively reduce its carbon emissions. 

Position Background

Under the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority’s (NYSERDA) Clean Energy Communities Program (“CECP”), Solar One is seeking to hire a person for the position of Community Emissions Specialist. This person will be placed within New York City government, working with colleagues at the Mayor’s Office of Climate & Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) to advance programs and policies that reduce private sector (“community”) carbon emissions. The person also will coordinate closely with NYSERDA and other relevant NYC agencies. The person will be based out of MOCEJ’s offices near City Hall. The position will require local travel and occasional evening meetings. While MOCEJ is currently working in-person, this position is hybrid in accordance with Solar One’s current policies.

Job Summary

The Community Emissions Specialist will help reduce the City of New York’s carbon emissions and energy consumption. The Climate Mobilization Act’s Local Law 97 (2019) requires the city to curb its greenhouse gas emissions across the public and private sector. The Specialist will help MOC&S advance policies and programs that reduce private sector emissions.  Responsibilities may include:

• Building energy policy analysis: 

• Conduct quantitative and qualitative analysis to measure or forecast the impact of current and proposed policies. 

• Contribute to reports, spreadsheet analyses, and PowerPoint presentations that summarize findings and recommendations. 

• Program management:

• Support the NYC Accelerator program to implement an equitable, data-driven strategy to reduce carbon emissions from NYC buildings. 

• Work with MOCEJ, along with public and private partners, to advance the City’s climate initiatives in PlaNYC: Getting Sustainability Done (2023), specifically those related to buildings.

• Research and assist with developing new initiatives and programmatic offerings to reduce private sector carbon emissions and advance NYC’s climate goals. 

• Contributing to special projects: contribute to special projects by drawing on skills such as strategic planning, project management and data analysis. 

Qualifications and Skills 

Successful candidates for this role should be able to demonstrate the following:

Technical Skills

• Fluency in Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint, Outlook, and Excel

• Research

• Experience in the following a plus:

• Data cleaning and management

• statistical analysis

• geospatial analysis

• data visualization

• Python or R

Soft Skills

• Strong written and verbal communication

• Time management

• Attention to detail

• Problem solving

• Adaptability 

Experience and Subject Matter Expertise

• A master’s degree in a relevant field, such as business, climate science, engineering, energy management, sustainability, or urban planning and two years’ full-time professional experience working in energy or sustainability, or; 

• A bachelor’s degree in a relevant field and four years’ professional experience in energy or sustainability.

• Knowledge of NYC’s efforts to drive energy efficiency and beneficial electrification and to reduce GHG emissions, including relevant policy, legislation, and programs.

• Strong background in building energy efficiency

• Demonstrated experience analyzing relevant data such as building systems, energy consumption, greenhouse gas emissions, or local law compliance

• Project management and stakeholder engagement

• Capacity to operate as an independent self-starter who takes initiative and is highly productive. 

• Strong capacity to manage multiple responsibilities and deadlines simultaneously.

Pay and Benefits

This position is Full Time / Exempt

Paying up to $84,000 per year (salary based on experience)

Solar One’s full-time employment benefits include:

• Health care and well-being programs, including medical, dental, vision, EAP

• 3 weeks of paid time off that increases with tenure

• Life and disability insurance 

• Paid Holidays

• 401(k) retirement savings

Solar One is an equal opportunity employer. Solar One strives to increase diversity, equity, inclusion and justice in all elements of our work and with our partners to support the interdependent needs of renewable energy and resilience and people in a rapidly changing world. Solar One recruits and employs through a lens of equity and encourages people of all races, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, physical or mental disability, citizenship, genetic information, service in the uniformed services, or any other characteristic protected under applicable federal, state, or local law to apply.