Senior Associate - Climate & Energy

Are you passionate about our mission to accelerate the efficient and restorative use of resources? Do you wake up eager to solve challenging problems for real impact? Would others consider you “extra” ordinary? Are you ready to grow your career to its full potential? If yes, then join our growing team!

Position Overview

Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) is looking for a senior associate with a strong desire to accelerate progress toward the sustainability, environmental justice, and resilience goals of climate-critical cities around the world. This role specifically will spend a significant portion of their time providing direct, on-the-ground support to the City of Houston team as it works to implement the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Resilient Houston (RH) plan.

The Urban Transformation Program at RMI was created to dramatically accelerate local government efforts around the world to simultaneously reduce GHG, improve urban livability, support an equitable energy transition, and enhance climate resilience. Our team works directly with city, county, and other local government staff and supports them by directly providing technical and economic analysis, building capacity, facilitating stakeholder engagement and buy-in, enabling peer support and learning, and developing tools and resources to meet specific needs.

This position is based in Houston, with the opportunity to work out of the City’s office. You would be embedded within the Mayor’s Office of Resilience & Sustainability (MORS) where you will be supporting the implementation of Houston’s CAP and RH. The remaining balance of your time would be spent on other work that RMI is undertaking in Houston with the Climate Aligned Industries Program – focused on green hydrogen and Industrial Hubs.

The scope of work with the City may initially focus on climate-aligned land use and housing policy and implementation of nature-based solutions for stormwater and heat mitigation. However, over time the scope may evolve or expand to include other aspects of renewable energy procurement, building energy efficiency and electrification, sustainable and electric mobility, and industry engagement. You will manage day-to-day engagement with the City to ensure we are supporting them, while also pushing climate, resilience, and equity ambitions.

Your Key Responsibilities

• Lead support for the City of Houston MORS in their efforts to enact the CAP and RH plan
• Engage staff at RMI and partner institutions to collect and deliver cutting edge guidance on topics such as renewable energy procurement, building energy efficiency and electrification programs, low-carbon transportation, urban planning and land-use, nature-based solutions, and industry engagement
• Design and create approaches and quantitative models to answer questions for Houston relating to cost-effectiveness, GHG impact, local co-benefits, etc.
• Lead and/or support regular meetings for local government staff with other city departments, community stakeholders, and others by crafting agendas, producing slides, or developing technical analyses to enable group learning, peer interaction, and stakeholder buy-in.

Minimum Qualifications For Senior Associate

• Personal qualities: intellectual curiosity, flexible mindset, and a passion for impact and environmental sustainability
• Demonstrated technical understanding of topics such as renewable energy, building energy efficiency, sustainable transportation systems, urban planning or industry engagement
• 5+ years of professional work experience, or a graduate degree and 3+ years of relevant experience in an applicable field such as finance, economics, engineering, sustainability, local government, urban planning, or public policy
• Strong soft skills, including a collaborative, patient persistence to work with diverse stakeholders
• Strong quantitative and problem-solving skills, including the ability to break down complex issues in a straightforward, logical manner
• Comfort working in both collaborative team settings as well as independently and autonomously managing multiple projects and priorities simultaneously
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Willingness to dive into new areas of work and to learn new subject matter
• Previous experience in working with local governments on sustainability issues, urban planning, climate aligned land-use policy or nature-based solutions.
• Demonstrated initiative and accomplishment in previous work
• Strong project management skills; ability to work across public and private sectors, and community groups; and interest in learning how decarbonization, hydrogen, and sustainable fuel supply and demand can reduce emissions in heavy industrial sectors.
• Experience with group facilitation and designing effective meetings

Location

It is highly preferred that the candidate currently lives or will relocate to Houston, TX, so that they can work with the MORS team in person.

Important Note

As a U.S. federal contractor, RMI must comply with requirements outlined Executive Order Ensuring Adequate COVID Safety Protocols for Federal Contractors. This Executive Order requires that all federal contractors and subcontractors mandate and verify that all U.S. based employees are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are based in the U.S., you will be required to provide proof of full vaccination status as a condition of employment. You may request an accommodation for medical or religious reasons. If you are based outside of the U.S., this requirement does not apply.

Compensation

RMI compensates based on the level and requirements of the role. Salary within our ranges may also be determined by your education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as required by the role, as well as internal equity and alignment with market data. Typically, Senior Associate level hires based in the U.S. join at the minimum to mid salary range of $81,000-$98,000. The position has an additional 5% annual bonus target!

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Medical, dental, vision insurance
• Generous paid time off
• Commuter and wellness benefits
• Parental leave
• 403b retirement options (5% match immediately)
• Learning & Development opportunities
• Life, AD&D, short-term and long-term disability

Diversity

Increasing the diversity of thought, perspectives, ideas and opinions within RMI is a critical change element supporting our long-term sustainability and mission to build a clean, prosperous, and secure energy future.

This Ensures That We

We strive for a level of diversity that reflects the communities we serve. Achieving this—regardless of ability, race, ethnicity, ancestry, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, veteran status, socioeconomic class, educational attainment or other social identities—is critical to the success of each RMIer and collectively as an organization.

• Have the different array of thinking that comes from diverse backgrounds and cultures, enabling us to solve some of the world’s greatest challenges.
• Strive for a culture of inclusion and belonging by treating others with dignity, respect and appreciation enabling them to feel welcomed, supported and valued.
• Effectively connect, communicate and build long-lasting relationships with decision makers, stakeholders and constituents within diverse communities.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or status as a protected veteran.

About RMI

RMI is an independent nonprofit founded in 1982 that transforms global energy systems through market-driven solutions to align with a 1.5°C future and secure a clean, prosperous, zero-carbon future for all. We work in the world’s most critical geographies and engage businesses, policymakers, communities, and NGOs to identify and scale energy system interventions that will cut greenhouse gas emissions at least 50 percent by 2030. RMI has offices in Basalt and Boulder, CO; New York City; Oakland, CA; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.