Climate Capital Sector Leader, Renewable Energy

Since our founding, we’ve constantly sought new ways to pursue greater economic justice: from providing fair and affordable loans, working with partners to demand that lawmakers change unjust policies, and ensuring an equitable clean energy future.

The Climate Capital team’s charge is to deliver clean energy products, technology, and services to underserved communities as a part of Self-Help’s membership in Climate United. Climate United is a partnership of three national non-profits – Calvert Impact, The Community Preservation Corporation (CPC), and Self-Help-that are complementary in their expertise and like-minded about the imperative to make sure that all Americans, particularly those bearing the greatest burden from the climate crisis, participate in and benefit from the movement to reduce carbon emissions.

We are seeking a Sector Leader, Renewable Energy to join our Climate Capital team in Chicago, IL!

Role Overview

The Sector Leader, Renewable Energy will spearhead efforts to expand the adoption of distributed solar energy, focusing on low-income and disadvantaged communities. This role involves creating and managing financing solutions to make solar energy projects financially viable and accessible. The leader will collaborate with community organizations, financial institutions, installers and policymakers to deploy solar installations that lower energy bills, create local jobs, and contribute to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. The initiative aims to install solar panels benefiting tens of thousands of households through community and residential solar projects, driving a substantial decrease in greenhouse gas emissions and promoting widespread solar energy adoption.

What You’ll Do

• Monitor the industry, regulatory, and tax changes to identify impacts that may affect lending programs.
• Shape Self-Help’s National Clean Investment Fund products, accounting for market demand, market feedback, and Self-Help’s risk parameters.
• Lead and coordinate internal processes to develop a robust pipeline and effectively deliver loan products in keeping with the terms of Self-Help’s National Clean Investment Fund commitments.
• Engage in industry groups, conferences, and events, forming trusted relationships with peer institutions, investors, and other industry actors.
• Contribute to policy discussions and program advocacy.
• Act as a change agent to drive Self-Help’s economic inclusion initiatives by integrating supplier diversity and the use of businesses owned by women and people of color in third party contracting and vendor management for relevant products and services.
• Perform other duties as may be deemed necessary.

What You’ll Need

• A bachelor’s degree, or equivalent, plus 7 years of experience related to clean energy, climate finance, product development, project management, or urban planning. Master’s degree in a related field preferred.
• Subject matter expertise related to Renewable Energy, including solar and wind installers; broader energy efficiency and generation sectors in the residential and commercial markets.
• Contacts and existing relationships within the climate finance sector is a significant plus.
• Demonstrated experience in multiple parts of a full product lifecycle: research, market analysis; compliance review; testing; marketing; deployment; iterating.
• Prior professional experience working in clean energy/climate lending and/or investing preferred.
• Strong commitment to our mission – creating economic opportunity for traditionally underserved communities.
• Preference for working in organizations that place priority on teamwork and collaboration including ability to set priorities, organize competing priorities, and work with remote team members across the country.
• Excellent leadership skills with a proven ability to lead and motivate teammates.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues, partners, and vendors across multiple locations throughout the US.
• Proficiency in balancing multiple priorities, meet tight timelines and work effectively.
• Ability to build effective business development networks that lead to loans.
• Strong quantitative skills including the ability to spread and analyze financial statements, projections, and cash flows, and to evaluate information.
• Ability to do quick risk assessment on key financial and other factors to determine if a loan or program might be viable for Self-Help.
• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Salesforce, and PowerPoint.
• Sensitivity to issues of low-wealth borrowers and a desire to work in a racially- and socially-diverse organization.
• Ability and willingness to travel 10-20%.
• Ability and willingness to work beyond normal work hours, as needed.

If you are interested in who we are and what we do; have a strong desire to work in an organization that places a high priority on teamwork and collaboration; and are interested in working to help create economic opportunity for all – THIS is the place for you! Click the “apply now” button to apply!

Compensation Range: Compensation ranges for each position are based on local market rates and will be determined by geography, role, and experience.

Self-Help is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons, regardless of race, religion, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, marital status, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression (including transgender status), age, sexual orientation, military and veteran status, class or family status.