VP/Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs

We are seeking a dynamic and talented VP/Director of Policy and Regulatory Affairs to lead our efforts at Dandelion. In this pivotal role, you will be responsible for crafting the strategy and executing on Dandelion’s engagements with governmental entities at the federal, state, and local levels to grow the market for geothermal heating and cooling. Dandelion benefits from federal and state incentives, and our long term success will depend on successful engagement with policy makers at all levels.  A successful applicant will be comfortable in external settings, adept at building deep stakeholder relationships, willing to roll up his or her sleeves to understand the details of proposed regulations, and successfully advocate for changes that align regulations with Dandelion’s success. This is a rare opportunity to craft a policy and regulatory strategy with an industry leader, and as part of a leadership team that is deeply committed to success in this space.

This role is an in-person position based out of our DC headquarters in Courthouse, Arlington. Our lively office is one block from Courthouse metro (Orange and Silver lines); 10 min drive / 20 min bike ride from downtown DC. Equally accessible from Northern VA and Bethesda.

Responsibilities

Craft and execute on our external engagement strategy

• Collaborate with company leadership to determine which policy and regulatory efforts are most strategic to Dandelion’s work.
• As appropriate, engage trade groups and external lobbyists to boost our efforts.
• Represent Dandelion externally in front of thought leaders. 
• Craft thoughtful, detailed written comments, memos, or presentations as needed.
• Keep our business strategy central to your efforts at all times.

Represent Dandelion in front of government stakeholders

• Effectively and persuasively represent Dandelion in front of federal, state, and local governmental leaders.
• Thoughtfully engage your network - or build your network - to further our business goals.
• Communicate Dandelion’s interests in a way that pushes policy thinking forward and aligns policymakers with our goals.

Collaborate with our internal experts to create thoughtful policy recommendations

• Marshall internal resources in a way that allows you to get into the details of policy recommendations, and be informed where it matters.
• Be a natural momentum builder and great collaborator.

Win!

• We have a track record of results in the policy space, and expect to have a measurable impact. Joining a coalition and getting a seat at the table is not enough.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• You have at least 5 years of experience in working with the public sector, ideally at the intersection of business and policy.  Relevant experience may come from policy advocacy, direct work in state or local government, or from a similar role for another startup.
• You’ve graduated from a top school, with a graduate degree preferred.
• You are familiar with and passionate about energy policy. While energy policy expertise is a plus, we do not require deep policy expertise as much as a demonstrated willingness and ability to become an expert quickly. Your work experience includes persuasion or collaboration work across multiple external groups.
• Business experience is not required, but the ability to understand and operate within business constraints—including limited resources,impatient timelines, and a focus on ROI—is a must.
• Excellent interpersonal skills to work well with colleagues across all businesses/cultures, achieve objectives through effective influencing, and establish credibility with senior leaders.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including ability to synthesize complex topics into clear and simple messages.
• You are comfortable in a low structure, fast paced environment, where change is the norm.

You’ll love working at Dandelion because:

Since spinning out of Google X in 2017, Dandelion Energy has been electrifying home heating by building and installing innovative geothermal heat pump products. We both work directly with homeowners and count some of the nation’s largest home builders as our customers. Our team has raised the profile of geothermal heat pumps nationally, designed and built the nation’s most efficient residential heat pump, successfully advocated for electrification-friendly policy change on the local and national levels, and completed high quality installations of thousands of geothermal heat pumps throughout the Northeast US.

Our talented team consists of experts in hardware engineering, HVAC installation, drilling, solar financing, behavioral economics, and high-growth operations amongst many other backgrounds. Motivated by the potential to catalyze and scale a widespread transition to sustainable and affordable heating and cooling, our work is both complex yet rewarding. We are working to create a wholesale shift in how people heat and cool their homes — join us!

Dandelion Energy is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. We encourage qualified individuals from all backgrounds to apply for this position.To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter detailing your relevant experience and qualifications to [contact email/website]. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those selected for an interview will be contacted.