Community & municipal engagement manager - community solar (Illinois)

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Community & Municipal Engagement Manager to lead community outreach and stakeholder engagement efforts throughout the Chicagoland region in support of Illinois' Community-Driven Community Solar (CDCS) Program.

This relationship-driven role will serve as Solar Landscape's representative within local communities, building strong partnerships with municipalities, nonprofit organizations, businesses, and community leaders to expand access to community solar across Illinois.

Reporting to the Chief Commercial Officer, you will play a critical role in supporting subscriber acquisition, advancing project development, and strengthening Solar Landscape's presence within the communities we serve.

Responsibilities

• Build and maintain strategic relationships with municipalities, elected officials, community-based organizations, chambers of commerce, economic development organizations, neighborhood associations, nonprofit organizations, and local business leaders.
• Developing partnerships that support subscriber acquisition for community solar projects.
• Educating municipalities, community organizations, businesses, and residents about the benefits of Illinois' CDCS Program and community solar generally.
• Working with local partners to identify and engage residential and commercial subscribers.
• Help facilitate and enroll residential customers at in-person engagement events.
• Representing the company at community meetings, events, workshops, conferences, and public outreach activities.
• Building long-term relationships that strengthen our presence throughout Illinois.
• Identifying strategic partnership opportunities that expand access to community solar.
• Maintaining accurate records of outreach activities, partnerships, donations, and subscriber opportunities.
• Serving as a trusted resource for community stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of our projects.
• Lead stakeholder engagement and support, and ongoing engagement commitments, for new community solar project applications.
• Collaborating with and supporting internal marketing, policy/legal, compliance, operations, project development, and subscriber acquisition teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or equivalent professional experience.
• 5+ years of experience in community engagement, government relations, public affairs, business development, economic development, nonprofit leadership, clean energy, utilities, or related fields.
• Existing relationships within the Chicagoland municipal and nonprofit communities are highly desirable.
• Outstanding communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to be a self-starter and work independently while collaborating with a high-performing remote team.
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Willingness to travel throughout the Chicagoland area for meetings and events; driver's license and vehicle preferred (travel is reimbursed)
• Experience with community solar, renewable energy, utilities, or public policy is preferred but not required.

What Success Looks Like

• Build and maintain meaningful partnerships with municipalities and community organizations.
• Increase awareness of community solar throughout Illinois.
• Help residents and businesses reduce their electricity costs through participation in community solar.
• Generate qualified subscriber opportunities that support the success of our growing portfolio of community solar projects.
• Become a trusted ambassador for our company and the communities we serve.
• Support new project development through community engagement.
• Help Solar Landscape maintain good standing and compliance within the CDCS programs and commitments we've made.

$75,000 - $100,000 a year

Salary will vary depending on your location and job-related skills and experience. This is an incentive-based position with the potential to earn more. For part-time roles, your compensation will be adjusted to reflect your hours.

Benefits and Perks

We offer competitive compensation and benefits designed to support you inside and outside of work:

• Training / Professional development opportunities
• 401(k) with 4% company match
• Summer Fridays
• Flexible remote/hybrid work options
• Paid parental leave
• Team lunches, events, and stocked kitchens
• Modern, collaborative office spaces in Asbury Park, New York City, Boston, Chicago, and Baltimore
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Company-paid life and long-term disability insurance

ADA Accommodation Statement

Solar Landscape is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified applicants and employees with disabilities. If you need a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact us at [email protected].

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.