Director of SOUL

ABOUT THE POSITION

This is an exciting opportunity for a professional looking to deepen a career at the intersection of clean energy and social justice. Groundswell’s Energy Programs team leads delivery of the organization’s solar, resilience, energy efficiency, and housing equity programs and projects in multiple states. As a key member of this team, the Director of SOUL Programs will be responsible for strategy development and implementation for Groundswell’s residential energy efficiency and housing equity programs, collectively referred to as SOUL (Save On Utilities Long term). These programs benefit low-income households by reducing energy bills and increasing home safety and comfort. Groundswell deploys energy efficiency as an investment in housing equity, stacking home repair and preservation funding with energy efficiency investments. Across all of our programs, Groundswell seeks to cut energy burdens in half, celebrate community asset ownership, build neighborhood resilience, and support local jobs and businesses.

In close coordination with Groundswell’s Market Development team, the Director will evaluate and make recommendations for building out Groundswell’s existing SOUL programs across new markets, leveraging a combination of federal, state, and local funding sources. The Director will be responsible for stewarding key relationships for program deployment, managing day-to-day program implementation, and progress reporting for grants and for other stakeholders.

Groundswell’s core values are as follows: Equity, Service With Joy, Transformative, Excellence, Get Stuff Done, Respect, Integrity, and Support Each Other. Critical thinking, problem solving, and the ability to propose, test, and adapt various program models will be essential to achieving success. Other critical skills include maintaining an organized set of deliverables, driving on-time results, accountability, and building consensus among disparate stakeholders.

Groundswell is a values-driven social enterprise committed to a culture of belonging, and we invite you to review our strategic plan and values as you apply.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

SOUL Program Growth & Replication to New Markets (75% of time)

Save On Utilities Long term (SOUL™) builds community power by deploying energy efficiency as an investment in housing equity. Homeowners and renters facing the highest energy burdens benefit from energy improvements and housing repairs with savings of up to 50% off their monthly utility bill. SOUL uses a blend of public and private funding — secured in partnership with local utilities — to finance home energy efficiency improvements and improve housing equity within the communities it serves.

In accordance with our strategic plan, Groundswell is heavily focused on bringing SOUL to new markets, with a goal of deploying energy efficiency upgrades in 500+ homes within 3 years. SOUL partners with municipal and rural electric cooperatives to deploy upgrades in underserved communities. In the short term, Groundswell’s current target market for SOUL program replication includes rural and small towns in Georgia and Alabama, likely with longer-term expansion across the Southeast and potentially in other regions of the country.

Develop operational and financial strategy and scalable model for SOUL replication that leverages a pay-as-you-save (PAYS) model for energy efficiency along with additional federal, state and/or philanthropic funding for enabling home repairs

• Develop strategic and scalable processes that impact the customer journey
• Collaborate with the Market Development team to share information about SOUL with potential partners, including municipalities and rural electric cooperatives
• Evaluate complementary funding opportunities, providing recommendations as to whether and how the opportunity may align with SOUL program goals
• Collaborate with Market Development and Fund Development teams to provide technical inputs (e.g., types of energy efficiency measures to be deployed, detailed process for implementation, budgets, etc.) for funding applications
• Evaluate and oversee opportunities for SOUL expansion in Groundswell’s existing geographic markets, and identify, evaluate, and select partners for program implementation in new markets
• Develop strategies to integrate SOUL programming within Groundswell’s community solar subscriber services
• Monitor, track, and provide necessary program performance data for measurement and verification purposes
• Participate in regional or national coalitions and/or working groups related to energy efficiency and deployment of IRA incentives for home upgrades and repairs
• Engage with state energy offices and other relevant government agencies to share knowledge, build influence, and ensure program awareness and adoption

Existing Programs (20% of time)

Groundswell currently operates the SOUL program in Troup and Heard Counties in Georgia, serving approximately 30 customers per year. The SOUL Director will manage day-to-day implementation of the SOUL LaGrange and SOUL Home Repair programs, to include:

• Oversee the customer outreach and enrollment process
• Assess technical scopes of work and developing work orders
• Support scheduling and troubleshooting with contractors and program partners
• Maintain customer data on Salesforce
• Manage the program budget and invoicing
• Create reports for program funders and relevant stakeholders
• Maintain relationships with local partners such as the local Habitat for Humanity, Community Action Agency, housing authority, and city government

Other Responsibilities (5% of time)

• Represent Groundswell at events, speaking about energy efficiency and housing programming
• Develop and maintain knowledge of Groundswell’s other programs

COMPETENCIES OR SPECIALIZED KNOWLEDGE

• Working knowledge of clean energy, specifically energy efficiency
• Experience with residential energy efficiency and/or home repair programs preferred
• Knowledge of inclusive financing strategies
• Deep appreciation for and understanding of diverse, under-resourced and low-income, and rural communities in the Southeast
• Ability to respectfully engage with a variety of stakeholders (program beneficiaries, community based organizations, government, small businesses)
• Motivated and proactive self-starter
• Detail-oriented
• High emotional intelligence to encourage collaboration across both internal and external stakeholders
• Desire to develop comprehensive knowledge of Groundswell’s clean energy solutions

REPORTING LINE

This position will report to the VP of Energy Programs.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

This is a remote-based position with occasional travel to meet with partners and stakeholders in person. The SOUL Director will be expected to be able to work from home in a suitable workspace situated in the Southeast region with preference to GA or AL, and may also utilize Groundswell’s LaGrange, GA office location.

POSITION TYPE AND EXPECTED HOURS

This is a full-time 40-hour-a-week position. Days and hours of work are Monday through Friday 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, and core hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required as job duties demand.

TRAVEL

Occasional regional travel will be required for this position. Occasional visits to Groundswell office locations (LaGrange, GA and Washington, DC) will be required including travel to Groundswell’s Washington DC headquarters for quarterly meetings or special events.

In-person meetings within the Southeast region are highly valued and whenever possible the Director of SOUL Programs will be expected to meet partners in person, not just via virtual meetings.

REQUIRED EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree
• At least 5 years of work experience
• At least 1 year of experience in clean energy or energy efficiency
• Partnership development skills
• Budgeting
• Strong program management skills

BENEFITS

●Groundswell pays 100% of the monthly premium for health, dental, vision, and long-term disability for full-time employees in accordance with Groundswell’s policy. Groundswell also covers 50% of spouses and dependents covered under the Groundswell healthcare, vision, and dental plan.

●Matching 401 (k) plan contribution by Groundswell up to 4% for employees who choose to contribute to Groundswell’s 401 (k) plan, with immediate vesting.

● Monthly Development Days to focus on professional development opportunities

● $45 per month to reimburse cellular phone use for business purposes.

● $75 per month to reimburse home internet access for business purposes.

●Fifteen (15) paid vacation days per year; eight (8) sick days; and two (2) personal days. Vacation and sick leave accrue at the start of your employment, restart each year on January 1, and increase with tenure. Personal days begin after six months of employment.

●Groundswell also takes nine (9) paid federal holidays and a holiday break from December 24th to January 1st (inclusive).

●Short-Term Disability Insurance, Long-Term Disability Insurance, and Voluntary Life available.