Director, Clean Energy and Innovation

Company Description Job Description DCAS’s mission is to make city government work for all New Yorkers. From managing New York City’s most iconic courthouses and municipal buildings, to purchasing over $1 billion annually in goods and services for more than 80 City agencies what we do ensures that all agencies can deliver on their mission. Our reach touches every facet of city government and is instrumental to the successful day-to-day operations of the City of New York.

Our Commitment To Equity, Effectiveness, And Sustainability Guides Our Work Providing City Agencies With The Critical Resources And Support Needed To Succeed, Including

• Recruiting, hiring, and training City employees.
• Managing 55 public buildings.
• Acquiring, selling, and leasing City property.
• Purchasing over $1 billion in goods and services for City agencies.
• Overseeing the greenest municipal vehicle fleet in the country.
• Leading the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations.

When you work at DCAS, you’re not just working for one agency, but in service of them all. It’s an opportunity to provide impactful support, quality customer service, and help protect the future of New York City for generations to come. Visit our website at nyc.gov/dcas to learn more about the work we do.

DCAS’s Division of Energy Management (DEM) leads the City’s efforts to reduce carbon emissions from government operations. Our goals are to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions 40 percent by 2025 (40×25), 50 percent by 2030 (50×30), and 80 percent by 2050 (80×50). Additionally, DEM is tasked with completing work related to the City’s other energy-related commitments, such as pledging to install 100 MW of solar photovoltaics on City buildings by 2025. DEM works toward achieving the above goals by managing the City’s utility accounts, developing the City’s annual utility energy budget; helping our agency partners identify and pursue energy-saving opportunities at their facilities; leading energy efficiency and distributed generation projects across the City’s portfolio; and helping implement operations and maintenance best practices.

DCAS’ Division of Energy Management (“DEM”) seeks to hire the Director of Clean Energy and Innovation (CEIT) within our Operations Unit. DEM’s Operations Unit is responsible for overseeing the development and delivery of energy efficiency and clean energy projects across the City’s portfolio to meet critical mandates, including reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from City government operations 50% by 2030, with an interim goal of 40% by 2025 as established by Local Law 97 of 2019 as well as installing 100 MW of solar at City government facilities by 2025. The Director of CEIT will be responsible for leading strategy and execution of clean energy projects at City government facilities, as well as the City’s energy technology demonstration and adoption programs.

Specifically, the Director of Clean Energy and Innovation will be charged with the following responsibilities:

• Strategy development and execution: The Director will develop and execute a comprehensive plan to achieve the City’s clean energy goals, including the installation of 100 MW of solar PV, installation of large-scale battery energy storage systems (BESS), and adoption of advanced energy technologies at City government buildings. The plan will reflect learnings from past projects; industry best practices; implementation challenges, including roof repair and replacement needs, and site access constraints; and compliance requirements associated with relevant Local Laws. The Director will work to ensure that DEM has the required resources to successfully implement the plan.
• Procurement leadership: The Director will lead efforts to scale up and diversify DEM’s pathways for delivering solar and energy storage projects through both construction of City-owned public works projects and third-party systems under Power Purchase Agreements. S/he will assist in establishing new contracting resources; overseeing vendor selection processes; evaluating vendor proposals to ensure adherence to contract objectives and to achieve best value for the City; interfacing with labor unions and other stakeholder groups; and reviewing project contracts and plans to ensure successful project delivery.
• Project portfolio development: The Director will lead efforts to significantly increase the size of the City’s portfolio of completed and in progress clean energy installations. The director will identify opportunities to diversify project delivery channels; accelerate design and construction; reduce costs and mitigate risks of cost escalation; and clear barriers to project implementation. S/he will work closely with client agencies to ensure that large, aging rooftops are repaired or replaced and made ready for solar installations across the City’s portfolio.
• Innovation piloting and adoption: The Director will oversee energy technology demonstrations in City buildings, including DEM’s Innovative Demonstrations for Energy Adaptability (IDEA) program, as well as DEM’s participation in NYC Economic Development Corporation’s Proptech Piloting Program and the NYC Office of Technology and Innovation’s Smart City Testbed Program. The Director will shape DEM’s innovation strategy; exercise accountability for the development and implementation of demonstration programs and projects; engage with technology firms, research institutions and outside stakeholders; and drive efforts to scale up adoption of successful technologies across the City’s building portfolio.
• Asset Management: The Director design and oversee implementation of an asset management program to appropriately maintain existing and new City-owned solar and energy storage systems and verify the full performance of third-party owned systems.
• Policy development and reporting: The person will contribute to the development of and assist in reporting on City clean energy policy. S/he also will serve as DEM’s lead on clean energy legislative matters and regulatory proceedings, including City Council briefings and hearings.
• Project team and operations management: This person will oversee a team of project managers and engineers responsible for day-to-day development and delivery of clean energy installations and technology demonstrations across the City’s portfolio. S/he will provide technical, budgetary, and procedural oversight, including the assessing project feasibility and cost-benefit analysis; review of design documents and technical specifications; utility interconnection, permitting, and public review processes; performance estimate review and approval; procurement and contract development; work order development and authorization; construction management; and asset management.

Flexible Work Update

This position may be eligible for remote work up to two days per week, pursuant to the Remote Work Pilot Program agreed to between the City and DC37.

To Apply

Please go to cityjobs.nyc.gov or www.nyc.gov/ess for current NYC employees and search for Job ID #608927.

NO PHONE CALLS, FAXES OR PERSONAL INQUIRIES PERMITTED.

NOTE: ONLY THOSE CANDIDATES UNDER CONSIDERATION WILL BE CONTACTED.

Qualifications

At least six years of full-time satisfactory experience in construction management work on capital projects, each one of which must have had a dollar value of at least $15,000, at least eighteen months of which must have been in a managerial or consultative capacity in an organization responsible for the management of construction; and a combination of the following, sufficient to equal a total of ten years of education and experience:

• Full-time satisfactory experience in construction inspection on capital projects, each one of which must have had a dollar value of at least $15,000. One year of acceptable experience will be credited for each year of construction inspection experience up to a maximum of four years.
• Full-time satisfactory experience in building construction as a journeyperson in one or more of the skilled building construction trades. One year of acceptable experience will be credited for each year of journeyperson experience up to a maximum of four years.
• Education in an accredited college leading to a bachelor’s degree in architecture, landscape architecture, or air pollution control, chemical, civil including structural and bridge design, electrical, mechanical, or sanitary engineering will be credited on the basis of 30 credits for one year of acceptable experience up to a maximum of four years.

A New York State license as a professional engineer or registered architect or a license as a professional engineer or registered architect from a state that has reciprocity with New York State may be substituted for the four years of education and experience described in “a”, “b” and “c” above. However, all candidates must have at least six years of experience in construction management work described above, including at least eighteen months in a managerial or consultative capacity in an organization responsible for the management of construction.

License Requirements

Possession of a Motor Vehicle Driver License valid in the State of New York. Employees must maintain the license during their employment.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual’s sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.