Director of State Mobilization

ABOUT THE COALITION

The Building Decarbonization Coalition (BDC) is bringing together policymakers, market actors, organized labor, environmental justice groups, advocates and other stakeholders across priority states and regions to co-create and advance a common approach to phasing out gas appliances. Together, the states we are targeting represent 60% of the U.S. gas demand in buildings.

The Director of State Mobilization will bring deep energy and climate knowledge, campaign strategy, political savvy, and coalition-building experience to serve this rapidly growing and dynamic team. The Director will report to the Managing Director of States & Regions and lead BDC’s state expansion work focused on accelerating nationwide momentum towards making building decarbonization and the clean energy transition inevitable. The Director plays a critical role in the evolution of this team focusing on individualized state campaign strategy to successfully win building decarbonization at subnational levels.

This position is designed for a highly motivated self-starter with prior local- and state-level building decarbonization policy and market transformation experience. The Director brings a knowledge and familiarity of key stakeholders and national partner organizations who support this work and a firm grasp of key opposition leaders and their narratives. 

The Director is an expert impact architect with emotionally intelligent and cross-functional leadership. This individual holds both significant functional authority and responsibility, whose success is ultimately dependent on facilitative, collaborative, and horizontal leadership within the State Mobilization team and other leadership team colleagues across the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

Campaign Strategy & Execution

• Create comprehensive issue-based campaign strategies in collaboration with state managers and sr. regional managers. Manage the overall execution of campaigns aligned with BDC north stars, from ideation to completion. 
• Translate campaign concepts and strategies into actionable plans with a focus on data-driven strategies with measurable OKRs.
• Mentor jr. staff on the development and execution of state campaigns, including coalition participation, researching the issue, creating viable policy solutions, and proposing the right political strategy and messaging.
• Coordinate effectively with key internal stakeholders across multiple teams to incorporate expertise at all levels.
• Drive the development of resources such as fact sheets, memos, reports, and one pagers for policymakers and partners.
• Help build institutional knowledge by ensuring state priority work and strategies are well memorialized and easily accessible across the organization.

Strategy Development & Implementation

• Develop an ambitious and inspiring state-by-state engagement campaign strategy and ensure that the organizational values, vision, and mission are fully reflected and integrated across the State Mobilization team and the organization.
• Manage the pace, sequencing, and execution of strategic plans for BDC's national growth and scale.
• Identify and map internal strategies for closing necessary gaps and course correct if we are falling short of our stated objectives and ambitions.
• Identify and pursue high-leverage growth and positioning opportunities for BDC in each of the emerging states, including but not limited to, leveraging policies that support building decarbonization, partnership opportunities with other organizations in the building decarbonization ecosystem, efforts that grow industry value propositions, and consumer awareness building campaigns.
• Cultivate relationships with and advise staff of state associations and multi-state partnerships, leveraging BDC’s resources and expertise to build organizational reputation and elevate policies that support building decarbonization in these forums.
• Maintain relationships and seek out opportunities to leverage BDC’s resources in states we have historically worked in but are not among the current priority list, including NESCAUM states.
• Stay apprised of the evolving building decarbonization/electrification ecosystem, participating in network-building and learning opportunities, while lifting up shifts in the landscape that may impact BDC’s positioning.

Organizational Alignment

• Set the standard for bridge-building across departments to ensure that organizational priorities are leveraged and synergistic.
• Lead the development of team structures, procedures for maintaining effective alignment with other teams across the organization, strategic planning with the States & Regions team and across the organization, implementation plans, and staffing and growth strategies, defining clear, actionable, and time-bound objectives, outcomes, and annual benchmarks.
• Lead ongoing and annual internal planning, evaluation and learning to refine operating plans and provide quantitative and qualitative data in internal and external reporting.

Management & Culture Building

• Oversee the build out of the team, including the recruitment, hiring, onboarding and ongoing support of program staff.
• Continuously refine the team’s design and structure with a focus on excellence in execution, learning, and impact.
• Ensure ongoing mentorship and professional development opportunities for the State Mobilization team.
• Contribute to a team and  organizational culture that is values- and purpose-driven, team-centered, inclusive, results-oriented, and joyful, rewarding performance, productivity, positivity, and all-around collegiality.
• Support the State Mobilization’s diversity, equity and inclusion efforts, integrating best-in-class practices into recruitment, hiring, team building, culture setting, and professional development/advancement, while centering equity in all of our programs and operations.
• This position includes the management of up to four direct reports. 

 

Who You Are

The incoming Director will be driven by their belief in and commitment to BDC’s values, vision, and mission. Through their track record as a cross-functional team builder and implementer of efficient systems and structures – ideally with experience growing/scaling successful teams – the successful candidate embraces the dynamism of doing big things and demonstrates humility, curiosity, and a learner’s mindset in all that they do. We are looking for a builder and a partner in this role, someone who recognizes that the stakes of what we are trying to accomplish depend on a high-functioning, passionate, and trusting team. The Director is the organizational glue who quickly and authentically builds rapport with people from diverse backgrounds, connects the dots internally and externally, and operationalizes values and vision for maximum impact.

The successful candidate leads with a belief in what is possible, demonstrates a zeal for organizational efficiency, and models excellence and integrity in all they do. The selected candidate will possess the following qualifications:

SKILLS & QUALIFICATIONS

Core

• 8+ years of work experience in building decarbonization policy, energy or environmental regulation, appliance standards, or in a related field.
• Experience working within or alongside state agencies, especially agencies that promulgate energy or environmental regulations.
• Demonstrated success convening and facilitating challenging discussions with diverse interests, including manufacturers, policymakers, industry groups, and advocates to develop policy and/or regulations.
• High level of confidence and poise appropriate to collaborating with senior state policymakers and major market actors on complex, high-stakes projects.
• Knowledge of appliance standards, building codes, and third-party ratings (ENERGY STAR, NESCAUM, ASHRE, etc.).
• Familiarity with the technical fundamentals of building electrification, especially regarding space heating, air conditioning, and water heating systems.
• Existing knowledge or ability to get up to speed on the ways in which the technical challenge of building electrification strategies and approaches differs between states based on climate and building stock characteristics.
• Experience with environmental justice issues and stakeholders.
• Outstanding project leadership and management skills.

Preferred

• Bachelor’s or advanced degree.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT, SCHEDULE, & TRAVEL

The Director of State Mobilization will work remotely from their home and can be based anywhere in the US.  Some travel will be required, respective of Covid-related health and safety guidelines.

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This is a remote, full-time, salaried position with comprehensive benefits. Typical work hours are Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM.

COMMITMENT TO EQUAL EMPLOYMENT

The BDC values diversity in all its forms and is committed to an inclusive and transparent recruitment process. We recruit and hire without regard to race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, gender, sexual orientation, sexual identity, age, religion, creed, disability (actual or perceived), medical condition including genetic characteristics, marital status, domestic partnership status, citizenship, military service, height, weight, HIV/AIDS status, or any other characteristic protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. BIPOC and people of diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS 

The salary for this position is $170,000, commensurate with experience, plus a competitive benefits package including paid health insurance coverage, retirement benefits with company matching, unlimited flexible paid leave, 12 paid holidays, access to professional development resources, and much more.

DISCLAIMER

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change or new ones may be assigned at any time with or without notice.