Manager, Energy Transition

Position Overview To stay within a climate-safe future that delivers prosperity and well-being to all, The Rockefeller Foundation is redoubling efforts to expand reliable, clean, productive-use energy access across the planet while also ensuring that it can accelerate the decarbonization of our energy system. In 2021 the Rockefeller Foundation drove the establishment of The Global Energy Alliance for People and Planet (GEAPP), a groundbreaking new platform comprising preeminent philanthropic, government, donor, MDB, DFI, and private sector partners. GEAPP aims to accelerate an equitable energy transition in emerging and developing economies, enabling hundreds of millions of people to gain new or improved access to renewable electricity, creating millions of green jobs, and averting billions of tons of carbon. While driving GEAPP’s success is a core focus for the Power team, they are also developing aligned solutions to strengthen the energy access and transition ecosystem. This includes, but is not limited to, vital institutional capacity building for global energy transitions; accelerated coal decommissioning; and leveraging frontier technologies such as Artificial Intelligence for energy transition planning.

The Manager, Energy Transition, develops, tests, and scales priority solutions. In addition, they will help design, shape, and implement a world-class research, policy, and advocacy agenda and will enhance the capacity of the Power team to respond to requests for climate analysis, inputs, and talking points, that come from the President’s Office and other teams across the Foundation. The Manager will report to the Managing Director, Power.

Examples of major projects in 2024 could include:

• Supporting the development of the Coal to Clean Credit Initiative
• Developing a toolkit of solutions to address the pipeline of coal plants that are planned or under construction
• Supporting an African School of Regulation to build capacity for integrated electrification planning and energy transition
• Developing the Africa Energy Futures initiative focused on building energy modeling capacity
• Exploring the future of JETPs and “country platforms”

Pay Range : $130,760 – $167,369. This represents the present low and high end of the Foundation’s pay range for this position. Actual pay will vary based on various factors, including but not limited to experience.

Work Schedule : This role is on a hybrid work schedule, and required to be in the office on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays.

Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Contribute to the implementation of the Power team’s overall strategy including shaping and implementing key solutions, by supporting the Managing Director in building a high-quality portfolio of grant proposals and contracts, and shepherding those through internal quality control and review processes
• Manage a portfolio of grantees and contractors, which includes understanding the capacity and effectiveness of potential partners, researching opportunities and organizations, designing, and writing grant memos and other key documents, maintaining effective and accountable grantee relationships, participating in site visits, and other monitoring activities
• Synthesize complex ideas, data, and stakeholder feedback into coherent PowerPoint presentations and actionable strategic plans, and effectively project manage the development of new strategies for presentation to internal and external stakeholders, including the Rockefeller Foundation Board
• Provide targeted knowledge and support to GEAPP
• Undertake directly (or manage external contractors to undertake) high-quality quantitative and qualitative analysis on energy transition and climate finance trends, including assessment of investment and flows into clean technologies at global, regional, and national levels, drawing on a range of sources and methods so that key hypotheses are fully tested
• Co-design and project manage the implementation of priority research, innovation, and capacity-building projects, including those involving data analysis around integrated energy systems and climate modeling activities
• Identify and implement thought leadership opportunities that can advance the pace of energy transition and climate action in developing economies
• Deliver compelling data, evidence-based narratives, and case studies on priority topics related to the energy transition
• Synthesize new data and best practices emerging from the programmatic activities
• Prepare briefs for meetings and coordinate follow-up with relevant external and internal staff as needed

Education, Experience, And Skills

• At least 7 years of relevant technical experience, working in the private sector, government/ regulatory agencies, international energy-related organizations, or other policy/research organizations
• Ability to lead highly technical quantitative data analysis and modeling projects, preferably in areas such as clean energy investment, climate finance, climate change, energy systems, energy transitions, etc.
• Strong understanding of policy and enabling environments needed to support energy transitions in developing and emerging markets, with experience working directly in emerging markets/ low-income countries, preferred
• Management consulting experience is a plus
• Excellent project management capabilities with the ability to independently handle complex projects, prioritize conflicting demands, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment
• Familiarity with and strong network across actors and organizations in a variety of sectors (public, private, philanthropic, nonprofit) in the climate and/or energy transition space
• Ability to effectively collaborate within and across teams, to understand complex programs and strategies, while seeking and providing constructive feedback
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; fluency in English is required
• Outstanding and highly polished Excel, PowerPoint, and Word skills
• Outstanding teammate and people person with a “can do” attitude
• Bachelor’s degree in a related field
• Demonstrated passion for the mission and values of The Rockefeller Foundation, reflected in professional history
• Brings humor, flexibility, empathy, and a sense of optimism to the work every day
• Willingness to travel as necessary, including in difficult rural conditions

Qualifications And Competencies

• Data Oriented: Consistently achieves results, by approaching work informed by data.
• Directs Work: Provides direction, delegates, and removes obstacles to get work done.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Strategic Learning: Actively learns through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
• Values Differences: Recognizes the value of different perspectives and commits to inclusion, equity, and diversity in every aspect of work.

About The Rockefeller Foundation

The Rockefeller Foundation is a pioneering philanthropy built on collaborative partnerships at the frontiers of science, technology, and innovation that enable individuals, families, and communities to flourish. We make big bets to promote the well-being of humanity. Today, we are focused on advancing human opportunity and reversing the climate crisis by transforming systems in food, health, energy, and finance. For more information, sign up for our newsletter at http://rockefellerfoundation.org and follow us on X @RockefellerFdn .

The Rockefeller Foundation offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that includes health insurance programs, tuition reimbursement and student loan repayment, a generous 401K, parental leave, and various forms of paid time off, all to help our employees feel energized, cared for, and engaged.

As an organization, we focus on six values to advance our culture and continue our success. We are dedicated to being Transparent, Optimistic, Accountable, Collaborative, Trusted, and Equitable. We operate from a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion in everything that we do. It is not only the right thing to do – we could not make an impact without our team members’ diverse perspectives and experiences. We expect all employees at the Foundation to contribute by developing their unique perspectives and talent, challenging conventional wisdom through evidence and reason, and amplifying marginalized voices.

The Rockefeller Foundation is committed to the principles of equal employment opportunity and compliance with all federal, state, and local laws concerning employment discrimination, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. To this end, the Foundation ensures equal opportunity to all employees and applicants regardless of race, color, age, gender, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, lawful alien status, physical, mental, and medical disability, veteran status, liability for service in the United States Armed Forces, or any other protected status.

The Rockefeller Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer.