Program Manager – Solar For All

Position Description Harris County is actively leading a coalition of cities, counties, and non-profit organizations in Texas, known as the Texas Solar For All (SFA) Coalition to serve the low-income and disadvantaged community population in Texas. The Texas SFA Coalition’s goal is to transform access to distributed solar in Texas, creating new community wealth and savings through energy cost reductions, equity opportunities, and access to good-paying clean energy jobs.

The Harris County Office of Sustainability (OS) seeks an experienced, professional, highly motivated and dedicated Program Manager to orchestrate the daily management, oversight, and strategic direction of the Solar For All program within the Office of County Administration.

Under the supervision of the Managing Director for Energy Transition, the Program Manager will coordinate, organize, plan, develop, and execute complex SFA Coalition program projects. This position blends the daily program administration responsibilities of overseeing and managing project teams, goals, tasks and deadlines, and ensuring compliance with federal regulations. Other duties include drafting requests for proposals, processing invoices, and reporting on program metrics, with frequent opportunities to collaborate and evaluate project design, program improvement, new program development, and stakeholder outreach efforts. The role will also serve to support financial requirements for the programs. Furthermore, the role will implement equitable workforce development and community engagement strategies within the program.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Program Administration:

• Lead the development of the grant program strategy and annual budgets to meet goals for project completion and program participation.
• Oversee program budget, including tracking expenditures, tracking budget restrictions, forecasting future spending, and acquiring appropriate supplemental funding.
• Collaborate with the internal solar program team to ensure that Solar For All incentives and requirements are smoothly integrated with Harris County’s broader program delivery systems.
• Collaborates with the Director of Sustainability and Climate Justice Manager to ensure that Solar For All includes a focus on Climate Justice and that federal opportunities incorporate federal regulations and policies related to the Justice40 Initiative.

• Compliance and Reporting:
• Supports program partners and subrecipients to develop budgets and workplans for proposed Solar For All projects, ensuring that financial allocations are in line with the grant requirements and guidelines set forth by federal programs.
• Establish and manage comprehensive grant reporting and tracking processes that ensure compliance with federal requirements.
• Ensures compliance with all federal grant regulations and reporting requirements. This involves meticulous record-keeping and timely reporting on project progress and financial usage.
• Oversees the progress of grant-funded projects, monitoring key performance indicators and evaluating outcomes. Makes necessary adjustments to project plans to ensure successful implementation and achievement of desired sustainability and climate justice goals.
• Conducts risk assessments related to grant projects, identifying potential risks and developing mitigation strategies to ensure successful project outcomes and adherence to grant guidelines.
• Collaboration, Stakeholder Engagement, and Capacity Building:
• Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to coordinate and align efforts related to clean energy, sustainability, and climate justice projects. Engages with community organizations and partners to foster collaboration and maximize the impact of grant-funded initiatives.
• Provides training and guidance to staff involved in grant projects, enhancing their understanding of clean energy, sustainability, and climate justice principles. Builds the capacity of the team to effectively manage and implement grant-funded initiatives.
• Stays updated with changes in federal policies related to energy, sustainability, and climate justice, ensuring grant strategies and proposals are adaptable to evolving regulations and funding priorities.
• Adaptability to Policy Changes:
• Stays updated with changes in federal policies related to energy, sustainability, and climate justice, ensuring grant strategies and proposals are adaptable to evolving regulations and funding priorities.

Other Duties:

• Establishes effective working relationships with departments and the staff of elected officials
• Prepares and reviews periodic reports to inform Commissioners Court of progress on Solar For All the grant opportunities, performance, and other projects.
• Completes special projects and other duties as assigned, working on a wide variety of financial, administrative, professional, management and community issues and challenges.
• Collaborates, coaches, and empowers analysts and junior staff, and supports their development.

Harris County is an Equal Opportunity Employer

https://hrrm.harriscountytx.gov/Pages/EqualEmploymentOpportunityPlan.aspx

If you need special services or accommodations, please call (713) 274-5445 or email [email protected] .

This position is subject to a criminal history check. Only relevant convictions will be considered and, even when considered, may not automatically disqualify the candidate.

Requirements

Supporting Documents:

• Cover Letter
• Updated Resume

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in a environmental science, sustainability, public policy, finance, economics, business administration, public administration, engineering, or a field directly related to the type of work being performed from an accredited college or university and
• Five (5) years of professional administrative, policy, financial, analytical, or consulting experience related to the type of work being performed.

• Years of education and experience may substitute for one another on a year-for-year basis.

Demonstrated track record of success working with federal or state grants.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of sustainability, climate, social, racial, political, and environmental issues influencing climate programs specific to Harris County and the State of Texas.
• Knowledge of federal grant processes, including but not limited to climate-related opportunities from the Department of Energy, Environmental Protection Agency, Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Knowledge of effective institutional change management principles and practices, and the ability to identify and define complex equity disparities; develop sound conclusions and recommendations informed by data and best practices; and represent recommendations in a way that is compelling to various institutional and community audiences.
• Knowledge of the social determinants of health, intersectional justice, environmental, health, and economic equity principles and practices, and proven experience in developing programs that center these principles.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of policy analysis and development, goal setting, program development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Highly skilled in oral and written communications, grant writing, and working with community groups, and various business, professional, educational, regulatory, advocacy, and legislative organizations.
• Highly skilled in building trust and effective, strong working relationships, partnerships, and networks with communities of color and the organizations that serve them.
• Highly skilled in handling multiple tasks, prioritizing, and organizing meetings.
• Highly skilled in using computers and related software applications, including project management applications.
• Highly skilled in preparing and analyzing data, reports, and studies and problem-solving.
• Demonstrated ability to interact with cultural humility and sensitivity and intercultural communication methods to facilitate dialogue and cooperation with diverse groups of internal and external stakeholders and maintain effective working relationships with Commissioners Court, County colleagues, stakeholders, and the public.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise tact, diplomacy, leadership, independent judgment, political acumen, and emotional intelligence in dealing with highly sensitive, complex and/or ambiguous issues, conversations, and situations about race, anti-racism, diversity, equity and inclusion within general policy guidelines.
• Demonstrated ability to develop strategic direction and program implementation collaboratively with various stakeholder/community-based groups.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare clear, concise, and comprehensive correspondence, reports, studies, and other written materials.

NOTE: Qualifying education, experience, knowledge, and skills must be documented on your job application. You may attach a resume to the application as supporting documentation but ONLY information stated on the application will be used for consideration. “See Resume” will not be accepted for qualifications.

Preferences

• Master’s degree in subject areas listed above.
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.

General Information

Position Type and Typical Hours of Work:

• Grant-funded Full-time
• Monday – Friday

• Hours will be discussed during departmental interview.
• Must be available at all times.
• Works nights and weekends as required.

Salary:

• Depends on Qualifications
• Based on 26 Pay Periods

• Plus, benefits

Work Environment and Physical Demands:

• This position is based in an office environment, where the use of standard office equipment such as computers, phones, scanners, and filing cabinets is routine.
• This is largely a sedentary role. However, requirements include the ability to lift files up to 10 pounds, open filing cabinets and bend or stand as necessary.
• Some local travel may be required.

Reporting Relationships:

• Reports To Position: Managing Director, Energy Transition
• Supervises Positions: None at this time

Employment may be contingent on passing a drug screen and meeting other standards.

Due to a high volume of applications positions may close prior to the advertised closing date or at the discretion of the Hiring Department.