Join us for a fulfilling career that offers remote work flexibility with the choice to work in Washington, D.C. Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package:

Health, dental, vision, HRA

Short & long-term disability, life insurance

Mental/physical/ergonomic reimbursements

Cell phone and internet support

Professional development funding

24 PTO days + 12 holidays + a Winter Holiday Break

Retirement plans + employer contributions

The Smart Electric Power Alliance (SEPA), a 501(c)(3) organization with over 1,000 members, is dedicated to accelerating the transformation to a carbon-free electricity system. Focused on six critical focus areas including Resilience, Transportation, Energy Storage, Emerging Technology, Policy, and Energy Equity.

SEPA brings together a diverse community of electric power stakeholders committed to driving positive change. By actively shaping the future of the industry, SEPA delivers exceptional value to its extensive membership through comprehensive research, educational initiatives, engaging events, and collaborative projects. SEPA plays a vital role in contributing to the collective efforts towards a carbon-free energy landscape. For more information, please visit www.sepapower.org.

Position

The Manager, Resilience is an integral member of the Research & Industry Strategy team, which ensures that internal teams have access to the data, research, insight, and facilitation necessary to support SEPA’s efforts with their members to facilitate the electric power industry’s smart transition to a clean and modern grid. The Manager’s primary role is to demonstrate leadership in the development of impactful resilience research and industry strategy projects to facilitate SEPA’s mission, complementing SEPA’s Programs and Events, Marketing and Communications, and Membership team efforts.

The Manager will have the opportunity to directly manage projects and lead and support business development proposals and opportunities. Additionally, this position may require supervision and/or mentoring of junior staff members.

The Manager is a key contributor to SEPA’s client-specific work, internally funded research initiatives, Working Groups, educational workshops, and other engagements with SEPA partners.

The salary range for this position is $85,000-$100,000 with the target being around $95,000 based on experience.

Project Management

• Manages research and client projects as assigned with support from junior staff and input from internal and external project stakeholders.
• Defines project scope, goals, resource requirements, and deliverables including marketing strategy for assigned projects.
• Creates project charter, RACI chart, Gantt Chart, Monday.com boards for assigned projects.
• Responsible for planning and implementing assigned projects that include developing and managing the project plan, scope, schedule, budget, resources, and risks.
• Leads regular team internal team check-ins and project-specific check-ins, as assigned
• Coordinates with team members to ensure project management tools and dashboards are updated weekly and monthly, as assigned.
• Communicates all project updates back to the broader R&IS team.
• Creates and issues invoices for externally funded projects
• Ensures accuracy and high quality of data and writing represented in each deliverable.
• Manages a matrixed team and provides support and mentoring of junior staff, as needed

Research and Industry Strategy

• Designs, manages, and delivers multiple resilience research & client projects including project scoping, data collection approaches, analysis and evaluation methodologies, stakeholder engagement strategies and desired learning outcomes.
• Develops project work plans and executes projects as assigned with support from junior staff and leadership from senior staff
• Monitors project budget and resourcing with support from junior staff and leadership from senior staff.
• Supports responses to research requests.
• Authors, co-leads, and/or supports various research and advisory service outputs
• Supports the Senior Director of Resilience and junior staff in ensuring accuracy and high quality of data and writing represented in each deliverable output
• Provides content peer review support and final QA/QC in support of junior research staff.
• Works with SEPA’s marketing and communications, programs, memberships, and engagement teams to define a coordinated strategy for assigned projects.

Business Development

• Actively maintains relationships with members and other key stakeholders and partners
• Develops and maintains a network for finding or supporting externally funded projects
• Supports business development efforts including developing proposals, sales, or grant funding
• Responsible for identifying, tracking, and pursuing business development opportunities and contacts within Salesforce

Engagement

• Represents SEPA externally by attending and speaking at key industry events to raise SEPA’s visibility and establish credibility for our work.
• Presents research findings and SEPA’s perspectives at conferences and events organized by SEPA, RE+, and external organizations.
• Represents SEPA externally by supporting the team at RE+
• Converts content into various formats working with SEPA’s marketing and communications teams to identify and implement communications strategies. This may include webinars, podcasts, SEPA conference sessions, blogs, infographics, slide decks, industry articles, or other formats as requested.
• Works with SEPA’s marketing and communications teams to publicize findings externally through social media channels.
• Manages and grows the Microgrids Working Group
• Network with other members of the industry to raise awareness about SEPA and recruit them to join as members; works with the membership team on outreach and engagement strategies.
• Provides member support in the form of responding to requests for in-person presentations, workshops, facilitation services, and member-sponsored resilience research or advisory services.
• Serves as project lead for industry convenings and special projects and initiatives as assigned.
• Other tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Four to seven years of combined experience in the electricity industry, energy policy, microgrids, electric utility, carbon-free technologies, regulation, or electric industry consulting.
• Knowledge of electric utility, decarbonization, state-level resilience policies & regulations, renewable energy, and/or distributed energy resource industries, particularly in solar, storage, microgrids, grid modernization, and/or electric vehicles.
• Superior project management skills and an entrepreneurial mindset.
• Strong written communication skills, with the ability to translate complex concepts and challenges into more fundamental and actionable components.
• Experience as an author and presenter on utility and/or renewable energy topics.
• Experience engaging with key electric power sector stakeholders on decarbonization and resilience-related issues.
• Experience collecting and organizing multiple sources of data, developing analysis into processes, and establishing and consistently improving research processes
• Experience developing or supporting business development efforts, sales, and grant fundraising

Attributes

• Skilled project manager. You show grace under pressure and excel at managing budgets and timelines. You juggle multiple projects and tasks with ease and composure. You are organized, demonstrate superb time management, know how to effectively prioritize work, and wisely allocate and optimize resources.
• Forward thinking. You have the technical aptitude and industry experience to notice changes in the external landscape, understand the relevance of emerging technologies, and help SEPA members bridge the gap between current needs and future directions—creating value and minimizing risk. You are comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty, knowing when to gather more information and when to take committed action. You are strategically flexible, adapting quickly to changing priorities, and effective in a fast-paced environment.
• Skilled communicator. Your communication is clear and direct. You easily adjust your message to your audience and have exceptional written, oral, interpersonal, and presentation skills. You add value by making connections between people and ideas, understanding, documenting, distilling, and synthesizing key points.
• Deft political style. You are an adept consensus builder who excels at convening groups of people to reduce barriers. You work effectively with a multitude of stakeholders, volunteers, colleagues, and others, building relationships at all career levels. Your diplomacy enables you to de-escalate emotions while driving projects forward.
• Exceptional Problem-Solving Skills. You are self-reliant and flexible in your thinking. You evaluate issues from many angles and are creative at finding solutions to complex, multi-dimensional problems.
• Strong attention to detail. You take responsibility for every element of your work, honoring your deadlines, and understanding the vital importance of delivering high-quality work on time.
• Proactive and self-motivated. You think ahead and anticipate challenges, taking the initiative to drive projects forward, and leading projects with minimal supervision. You work effectively on a team and independently and find the resources you need to get the job done.

What’s Attractive to the Right Candidate?

• Your work will help accelerate our nation’s transformation to a carbon-free electricity system.
• You will enjoy working in a collaborative and highly supportive work environment with a great team of trustworthy and approachable colleagues. You will experience a culture driven by these organizational behaviors:
  • Adaptability - Be flexible and capable of change to achieve maximum impact.
  • Innovation - Drive new understanding & methods to grow ambitiously as an organization and as individuals.
  • Comradery - Work hard and have fun.
  • Humility - Start with questions, rather than answers. Explore all sides of an issue.
  • Ownership - Think and act like owners of SEPA. Hold ourselves and each other accountable for our shared success.
  • Transparency - Communicate honestly, frequently, and openly.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

SEPA is committed to creating a diverse environment and is an equal opportunity employer. Employment is based on personal capabilities and qualifications. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, or any other protected class as established by applicable law.

ADA Requirements and Disclaimer

This position description generally indicates the nature and levels of work, knowledge, skills, abilities and other essential functions as covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act expected of an incumbent. This role requires the ability to use standard office equipment and learn new software applications as necessary. This is a largely sedentary role; however, some traveling may be required. This position description is not designed to cover a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities required of an incumbent. An incumbent may be asked to perform other duties as required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position.