Energy Equity & Justice Manager

Job Description:

Energy Equity and Justice Manager - Strategy Team

Do you love solving challenging problems, thinking about dynamic systems, and working in groups? Do you have the self-motivation, curiosity, creativity, and ability to guide others toward meaningful results? Do you have a passion for making the world a better place? If yes, then join our growing team!  

We highly encourage individuals of underrepresented groups to apply! 

Position Overview

RMI is seeking a Manager to support the Strategy Team’s Energy Equity and Justice (EEJ) team in implementing and enhancing strategic EEJ initiatives across RMI’s portfolio of programmatic work. This role is pivotal in creating and evaluating new strategies to advance EEJ impact, fostering collaboration with various RMI programs and departments, and driving stakeholder engagement efforts. The Manager will leverage their expertise to build capacity within the organization, facilitate trainings, and support engagement with critical stakeholders. Additionally, the Manager will develop internal and external communications to support EEJ’s objectives and ensure the alignment of equity principles within RMI’s broader strategic framework. This position reports to the Energy Equity & Justice Director.

Note that you would not primarily be focused on internal diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) issues for our organization, such as recruitment, creating internal cultures of inclusion, etc. RMI has other staff focused on these issues. This position is focused on the equitable execution of our mission, although internal DEI issues can certainly impact our ability to execute equitable work and can be adjusted in service of such impact.

You must embody RMI’s tradition of bringing deep insight, rigor, and practical tactics to create “applied hope” that real equitable solutions can be created, not as an add-on but as a key advocate of climate solutions.

Key Responsibilities

• Support Strategy Development and Evaluation:
  • Create and evaluate strategies for the EEJ program to enhance its impact and reach across RMI’s portfolio of programmatic work.
  • Collaborate with the Strategy Team’s Corporate Engagement and Collaborative Practices teams to develop an RMI-wide stakeholder strategy focused on risk management.
• Capacity Building:
  • Contribute to development of frameworks to support staff in applying core EEJ concepts.
  • Develop guidance, processes, and tools to help programs use these frameworks to effectively incorporate EEJ considerations into work toward shared 3-year outcomes.
  • Design and facilitate trainings and learning communities to upskill RMI staff on energy equity, justice, and community engagement. 
• Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Act as a coach and steward to drive strategic stakeholder engagement in support of programmatic outcomes, and in consideration of portfolio-level goals.
  • Conduct outreach to community-based organizations (CBOs) in areas where RMI has a presence, potentially including community surveys, needs assessments, research, and facilitation of discussions.
  • Identify and evaluate the stakeholder groups (coalitions, partnerships, etc.) that RMI is involved with, including stakeholder mapping, identification, and developing outreach strategies.
  • Help grow and maintain a network of CBOs and coordinate engagements to build and sustain relationships.
• Programmatic Alignment:
  • Support RMI’s leaders in decision-making and scoping specific opportunities with an equity component.
  • Coach and partner with programs to integrate equity into their strategic plans, impact measurement, and learning processes, including leading community engagement around clean industrial hubs in the US.
  • Collaborate with the Strategic Insights team to build equity considerations into RMI’s energy transition narrative.
• Communication and Collaboration:
  • Develop internal and external communications materials to support EEJ’s strategies.
  • Partner with programs and departments to apply strategic frameworks and develop thought leadership.
  • Collect and act on feedback to continually improve processes and frameworks.

Minimum Qualifications  

• 5+ years of professional work experience including at least 1+ year as a team manager 
• Experience managing external stakeholder relationships 
• Excellent interpersonal skills, writing and verbal communication and organizational skills 
• Knowledge in clean energy transition pathways and climate change   
• Ability to travel 10-20% (once public health conditions allow)    
• Excellent work references  

Preferred Qualifications  

• Experience engaging and working directly with local community-based organizations
• A graduate degree in a relevant field
• Network across the community-based and energy development advocacy organizations
• Prior work or volunteer experience with climate and environmental justice, racial justice, energy justice organizations, in the energy development space.  
• Knowledge in economic development factors for energy development   
• Experience working directly with policymakers and regulators 
• Experience managing complex and diverse stakeholder groups, paired with the ability to lead and navigate challenging conversations, particularly across multiple community groups 
• Ability to manage and understand the technical aspects of a variety of energy transition topics 

Location    

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby.   

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies.  

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process. 

Compensation    

RMI compensates based on the level and requirements of the role. Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. The salary range for this role is $105,230 - $129,696. You would also have an additional 10% bonus target!   

Benefits    

We offer a comprehensive benefits package adjusted to regional norms, including (for U.S. employment):  

• Medical, dental, vision insurance 
• 403b retirement options (up to 5% match immediately) 
• Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability 
• Professional and personal development (including LinkedIn Learning access) 
• Generous paid time off 
• Parental leave 
• Work from home and commuter allowance 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion     

At RMI, our mission is to build a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future for all. For this to happen, every single person needs to be a stakeholder in the energy transition. Recruiting, hiring, mentoring, and retaining a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve is critical to our success. We need the widest range of perspectives to understand the systems we are trying to change. That doesn’t just mean bringing a diverse team to the table; it also means working proactively to give all job seekers and employees equitable experiences. Visit our DEI page for more information on our DEI initiatives and commitments.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.  

About RMI

RMI is an independent, non-partisan, nonprofit organization of experts across disciplines working to accelerate the clean energy transition and improve lives. Since our founding in 1982 by Amory Lovins, RMI’s chairman emeritus, we continue to grow and have a global reach and reputation.

For 40 years, RMI has utilized our unique techno-economic expertise and whole-systems thinking to publish groundbreaking research and analysis. We bring together collaborations of rare reach, range, and expertise—creating unconventional partnerships and mobilizing action to drive change on the massive scale needed to combat the climate crisis.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.