Policy Advisor for Transportation Decarbonization

Who We Are:
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance the Commonwealths environmental resources while ensuring and promoting a clean energy future for the states residents. Through the stewardship of open space, protection of environmental resources, and enhancement of clean energy, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.

Who We Serve:
Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to combine energy and environmental agencies under one Cabinet secretary. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) serves Commonwealth residents interested in outdoor recreational activities, clean energy solutions and those who work with animals and livestock. Equally, EOEEA works with energy consumers, power companies, clean energy providers and farmers to delicately balance the interaction with environmental protection laws and regulations while being a cornerstone for our economic prosperity.

Secretariat Overview:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretariat (EOEEA) provides oversight of the Commonwealths energy and environmental agencies, namely, the Division of Energy Resources (DOER), Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR). EOEEA also has divisions within the Secretariat, including the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE or Massachusetts Environmental Police), Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, Coastal Zone Management (CZM) office, and Division of Conservation Services (DCS). All agencies and divisions promote the environmental or energy related goals and initiatives of the Administration and the Secretary of EOEEA.

• A cover letter and resume must be submitted as part of the application process and attached as relevant to the requisition.

Job Opening:
The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs seeks applicants for the position of Policy Advisor for Transportation Decarbonization, to perform the following duties:

Reporting to the Assistant Secretary for Decarbonization, this person will serve as the policy lead and subject matter expert in transportation decarbonization policy at EEA, with responsibility in managing the daily responsibilities of that role. The Policy Advisor will also support the Assistant Secretary of Energy on discrete assignments related to utility rates and programs, electric vehicle charging infrastructure and business models, and transportation network company electrification.

The daily responsibilities of the Policy Advisor for Transportation Decarbonization include:

• Advancing the priorities of the Commonwealths Clean Energy and Climate Plans (CECPs) to reduce emissions from the transportation sector, particularly through electrification and limiting vehicle miles traveled.
• Supporting and, as assigned, leading cross-agency working groups to collaboratively develop and implement transportation decarbonization policy and align strategic objectives with the CECPs and agency capabilities, programs, and budgetary needs. This person will work closely with DOERs MOR-EV program team, MassCECs Clean Transportation team, and the EOEEA team heading the Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Coordinating Council, among others.
• Assessing progress on the states transportation decarbonization in accordance with mandatory emissions limits, working closely with teammates focused on climate analytics.
• Engaging with municipalities, regional entities, community organizations, industry groups and other stakeholders to identify opportunities, address barriers, and advance transportation decarbonization goals.

The Policy Advisor will be responsible for:

• Implementing and, where necessary, proposing revisions to a suite of transportation decarbonization policies outlined in the 2025/2030 and 2050 CECPs Clean Energy and Climate Plans and more recent objectives of the Healey-Driscoll administration. Tasks include but are not limited to identifying priority actions and resource needs, scoping projects, drafting RFQs, RFPs, and RFRs as necessary, managing contracts as necessary, engaging with stakeholders, conducting stakeholder meetings, and preparing budget requests. As EEAs lead on transportation decarbonization policy, this person will be expected to manage the development of the sectors policy in forthcoming CECPs.
• Leading an interagency EV Leadership Team Meeting, collaborating regularly with staff at DOER, MassCEC, DEP, MassDOT, EEAs Environmental Justice & Equity team and, as appropriate, DPU to ensure policy alignment across transportation sector initiatives.
• Developing briefings, talking points, and memos for senior staff; assisting EEA Communications in responding to transportation-related inquiries.
• Managing reporting requests from the Governors Office of Climate Innovation and Resilience on EV & EVSE adoption across the state, in close collaboration with EEAs climate analytics team, DOER, DEP, DPU, MassDOT, and MBTA colleagues.
• Meaningfully engaging with and establishing working relationships among transportation-sector stakeholders, including industry groups, environmental groups, municipalities, and community-based organizations.
• Other duties, as assigned.

The Policy Advisor will hold decision-making authority over:

• Project management decisions about transportation sector decarbonization initiatives.
• Need for analytic support/staffing.
• When and how to convene senior staff from DOER, MassCEC, and EEA for guidance on policy priorities.
• Timing and content of any internal transportation sector work groups, including the interagency EV Leadership Team Meeting.
• Recommendations on the need for and the timing and content of any external working groups.
• Resource needs and budget requests.
• Approach for leveraging the assets of existing programs and partnerships.
• Recommendations to senior EEA staff about which stakeholders need to be engaged when, in what format, covering what content to advance transportation decarbonization goals.
• Decisions regarding transportation benchmarks and recommendations regarding dashboard transparency.

Preferred Qualifications

• Expert grasp of the opportunities and challenges of decarbonizing transportation of all types.
• Familiarity with Massachusetts transportation policy.
• Excellent project management skills, with demonstrated capacity to collaboratively lead initiatives across multiple phases of development and balance competing priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to build relationships across multiple organizations.
• Professional experience establishing benchmarks and tracking and reporting relevant data, ideally using programs such as Microsoft Excel and Power BI.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!