Program Manager - Solar Battery Savings

Job Description

The Program Manager oversees and leads the implementation of the Solar Battery Savings (SBS) program. This role assumes responsibility for program delivery including but not limited to budget tracking, incentive processing, team/contractor management, program enrollment and reporting, program communications, and stakeholder engagement. A key function of this role will be to engage with SBS program participants, approved contractors, battery manufacturers and collaborate with the Program Team and other Community Power departments who support the program. This role is directly responsible for day-to-day program operations and interacts with a wide range of customer groups.

Commitment to Diversity

At Community Power, we value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We represent a diverse customer base and hope to hire employees that reflect our communities. We provide equal employment opportunities to all applicants for employment and prohibit discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Essential Duties and Primary Responsibilities

• Manage the SBS program, including budget tracking, incentive processing, team/contractor management, program enrollment and reporting, program communications, and stakeholder engagement.
• Coordinate independently with industry, consultants, customers, program participants, and other stakeholders involved in program implementation.
• Monitor program progress relative to budget and program goals.
• Serve as a point of contact for all program activities (e.g., program participants, contractors, battery manufacturers, Community Power Board of Directors and Community Advisory Committee, industry and other relevant stakeholders).
• Support with review of project applications and process incentive payments with supporting staff.
• Lead all aspects of program-related industry and community outreach and education initiatives including making presentations to industry and community groups and coordinating event logistics.
• Lead and assist in a broad variety of program-related data collection, organization and analysis and issues; report progress on a regular basis.
• Establish effective and cooperative working relationships with customers, local associations, community groups, contractors, battery manufacturers, and other related stakeholders.
• Perform other related duties and responsibilities as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Three (3) years of experience working in program management on energy projects, for or on behalf of a community choice aggregator, investor-owned utility, municipal utility, 3rd party administrator or energy providers.
• Knowledge and demonstrated understanding of solar and battery projects, including but not limited to inverters, interconnection, demand response and battery performance metrics (e.g., battery settings, load shifting, usable capacity, efficiency and degradation).
• Knowledge of core project management concepts and principles, including project lifecycle phases, work planning/scheduling, risk/issue tracking, and performance reporting with strong skills in process design and workflows.
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainability, community energy, mission driven work, diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization and in our communities to build program accessibility and participation, including SDCP's Communities of Concern.
• Knowledge and understanding of general decarbonization strategies and associated programs to reach decarbonization goals including principles of electricity generation, transmission, distribution and infrastructure.
• Experience with customer incentive/rebate processing.
• Knowledge and basic understanding of the CCA business model.
• Positive, collaborative, supportive team member who is excited to work with diverse teams and communities.
• Work independently, strong organizational skills and demonstrated goal setting and self-management to support multiple assignments concurrently.
• Strong work ethic and comfortable taking responsibility, initiative, and working in a fast paced, start-up environment.
• Strong communicator who can write and present compellingly and clearly with the ability to manage customer and contractor communications.
• Ability to take and provide critical feedback in constructive ways.
• Strong critical thinking skills including a high tolerance for uncertainty and the ability to identify issues and propose solutions.
• Ability to act with integrity, professionalism, and confidentiality.
• Ability to comprehend and adhere to Community Power personnel policies.
• High proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, Word, Excel and PowerPoint and ability to use virtual meeting applications.
• Ability to travel to meetings and community events to meet with residents and stakeholders. Must have access to reliable transportation, and if driving an automobile, a good driving record. Community Power to reimburse mileage expense at the IRS mileage rate.

Preferred

• Working knowledge of rooftop solar and storage systems, including topics such as billing mechanisms (i.e., Net Energy Metering, Net Billing Tariff), potential bill impacts, system functionality and market landscape (i.e., new products, major manufacturers, local contractors).
• Experience with energy modeling and/or battery monitoring platforms.
• Five (5) years of experience working in customer energy programs for or on behalf of a community choice aggregator, investor-owned utility, municipal utility, 3rd party program administrator or energy provider.
• Two (2) years of experience working customer energy programs that focus on solar and storage.
• Two (2) years of experience at an industry partner (i.e., solar contractor or battery manufacturer), community choice aggregator, investor-owned utility, public utility or public other agency.
• Familiarity with CRM software used to manage customer/application data and workflows (e.g., Salesforce; Dynamics 365 or similar). Ability to strongly represent the organization in various professional engagement settings from local to national convenings (conferences, workshops, executive meetings, etc.).
• Proficient in verbal communication in multiple languages, Spanish and English preferred.
• Background in customer support in the energy sector.

Qualifications, Experience, and Abilities

Any combination of education and experience that would provide the knowledge, skills and abilities listed. A typical way to obtain the required qualifications would be:

A four-year degree or higher from an accredited college or university AND a minimum of five (5) years of professional experience. Candidates should have at least five (5) years of experience in project management or program implementation. Four (4) additional years of professional experience may be used in place of a degree. A graduate degree may substitute for one year of professional experience.

Work Environment and Conditions

Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer. The position requires occasional carrying, lifting and/or moving objects up to 25 pounds. Occasional local travel required and reliable transportation to be able to attend SDCP events, meetings, and workshops as needed is expected.

At Community Power we work in the communities we serve and in the office. Community Power works to ensure a safe and healthy workplace for employees and in our communities. Community Power requires employees to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19. Exemptions to the vaccine requirement will be considered for individuals with medical conditions that prevent them from being vaccinated and for individuals with sincerely held religious beliefs that prohibit them from being vaccinated, consistent with governing labor laws.

Community Power is an agency required to adopt and promulgate a Conflict-of-Interest Code ("COI"). The COI code requires employees in designated positions, including those identified under the interim disclosure process, to file a Statement of Economic Interests (Form 700) on an annual basis. A Successful candidate accepting this position may be required to file Conflict of Interest forms subject to the regulations of the Fair Political Practices Commission.

Compensation: Salary Range: The position salary range is: $117,800 - $159,000; with exact compensation to be determined by Community Power, depending upon experience.

Benefits: Standard benefits package including but not limited to:

Insurance: Community Power covers 100% of health benefits, including medical, vision, and dental insurance, for eligible FT employees and their dependents. Also provided is a $100,000 Life & AD&D policy, STD and LTD coverage that is 100% paid by Community Power.

Retirement: Community Power offers a 457(b) plan for employee contributions and contributes 10% of eligible compensation to the employee's Money Purchase Plan.

Paid Time Off: 11 holidays per year + paid winter holiday (between 12/24-12/31), 160 hours of accrued paid time off per year (increases with time in service), and 96 hours per year of accrued paid sick leave.

This job description may not be inclusive of all assigned duties, responsibilities, or aspects of the job described, and may be amended at the discretion of Community Power as needed.