Job Title: Energy & Transportation Projects Manager
Status: Full-time, Exempt
Reports to: Director of Climate Mitigation
Applications Due: Position will remain open until filled
About Community Environmental Council
CEC is a fast-paced nonprofit based in Santa Barbara and serving the California Central Coast, with a reputation for positive social change and community engagement. For more than fifty years, Community Environmental Council (CEC) has catalyzed climate action on California’s Central Coast. From opening one the nation’s first community recycling centers and helping to pass California’s recycling law (the first in the nation), to pioneering hazardous waste collection and installing water bottle refill stations, to publishing the nation’s first carbon neutrality plans and Santa Barbara County’s Food Action Plan, CEC has always been on the leading edge of solutions to the climate crisis. That’s why in 2020 we were named California Nonprofit of the Year. CEC advances rapid and equitable solutions to the climate crisis – including ambitious zero carbon goals, drawdown of excess carbon, and protection against the impacts of climate change. CEC programs create pathways to clean transportation, renewable energy, energy efficiency, resilient food systems, single-use plastic reduction, and connected communities that are safeguarded from climate impacts.
The CEC team is a highly committed and energetic group, with an internal culture that values collaboration, ongoing learning, and innovation. Visit www.CECSB.org and www.facebook.com/cecsb to learn more about our work and history.
About the Position
The Energy & Transportation Projects Manager works with the Climate Mitigation team to advance energy and transportation solutions that support a rapid and equitable transition to carbon-zero communities. The Manager leads the development, design, and implementation of projects that advance access to renewable energy, energy efficiency, distributed energy resources, and zero-emission transportation solutions across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties. The team member in this position serves manages projects, support program adminstration, and supervises CEC’s Energy & Transportation Associate. The Manager also works with the Climate Mitigation team to pursue grant funding for projects and initiatives that advance CEC’s renewable energy and zero-emission transportation objectives.
Minimum Qualifications
· BA/BS in Environmental Science or a related field. Master’s degree preferred.
· 2-3 years relevant experience in renewable energy, zero-emission transportation, climate justice, local governments planning, policy, or a related field.
· 1-2 year of experience with project management, program administration, and staff management.
· Proficient in MS Word, Excel, and Outlook. Additional experience with Google Spreadsheet and CRM platforms a plus.
· Excellent command of verbal and written English. Experience supporting multilingual communications efforts preferred.
· Experience planning and managing complex projects within a project management system (such as Asana) and managing deliverables according to deadlines
· Collaborative style and strong interpersonal skills, including an ability to work in teams and with a range of stakeholders
Primary Responsibilities
· Supervise and support CEC’s Energy & Transportation Associate to design, fund, and implement climate action projects that move our region toward 100% renewable electricity, decarbonized buildings, and electrified transportation.
· Provide project management to reach annual priorities and goals, including developing work plans and timelines, managing budgets, measuring outcomes, and reporting results.
· Identify and secure program grant funding.
· Support CEC’s Climate Policy team to advocate for bold climate mitigation actions, including those with a focus on environmental and climate justice.
· Lead program implementation in partnership with external stakeholders for CEC’s collaborative projects such as the statewide Solar on Multi-family Affordable Housing program and CEC’s Solarize Nonprofit program.
· Research and implement opportunities to support the adoption of solar, battery storage, all-electric homes, electric vehicles, and zero-emission transportation options that provide alternatives to driving alone.
· Serve as a representative to our network of Energy & Transportation partners, providing leadership on committees and supporting the coordination of network activities as needed.
· Complete and maintain a catalog of CEC Energy & Transportation work and conduct learning processes within CEC about the projects.
· Assist with integrating climate justice and language justice frameworks into CEC’s Energy & Transportation efforts.
· Assist with identifying the metrics of success toward CEC’s Energy & Transportation efforts and the development of systems to track, record, and compile program performance data.
· Collaborate with the Director of Climate Mitigation to identify the organization’s annual Energy & Transportation priorities and goals, including project delivery, partnership development, grant funding pursuit, policy needs, and program administration.
Additional Responsibilities
· Manage and review annual program budget, revenue goals and expenses.
· Ensure alignment of projects and initiatives with all aspects of CEC’s 2021 – 2025 Strategic Plan, and regularly track and report progress to goals.
· Supervise and manage staff, interns, fellows and volunteers, including holding regular check-ins to establish goals, guiding staff with project work, and performing annual staff reviews.
· Work closely with the Communications Team to develop programmatic materials, i.e. websites, blogs, e-blasts, articles, videos, annual impact report and other items as requested.
· Coordinate with other CEC programs to seek program alignment and coordination, occasionally serving as a team lead for specific projects outside of normal reporting structure when appropriate.
· Attend staff meetings, including All Hands staff meetings, Manager-level meetings, and staff retreats.
· Attend and provide information as needed for the Board of Directors, including contributing to staff reports and periodically preparing and presenting program-specific discussions at Board meetings.
· Attend meetings with consultants, Board or Board Committees, President’s Council and/or Partnership Council as needed.
· Track various climate action, resilience and environmental policy matters affecting Santa Barbara, the Central Coast, and California.
Job Status and Compensation
• 40 hours/week
• Exempt position
• Salary commensurate with experience
• Benefits include:
o Two weeks paid vacation, 10 paid holidays, and an additional paid week off between Christmas and New Year’s Day
o Health, dental, vision, life insurance
o Optional retirement plan with an employer match up to 3% of salary (after a qualifying period)
o This position will be based of our Santa Barbara office 20% of the time (~1 day each week), with the remaining 80% of time being in-person or remote as desired. The amount of in-person and remote time may change based on public health mandates and team needs.
To Apply
Applications will be considered until the position is filled. To apply, please submit a cover letter and resume (pdf) with an email subject line that indicates “Energy & Transportation Projects Manager Application” to:
Natalie McGuire
Assistant to the Executive Director & Board Liaison
CEC seeks to activate people of every age, race, ethnicity, and economic status in community planning, political action, personal behavior change, and climate leadership. Our nonprofit is working to incorporate practices that will advance equity at all levels of our nonprofit organization. We are committed to building diverse teams and an inclusive workplace with outstanding people who share a passion for climate action and a just transition to zero-carbon communities. We strongly encourage all qualified candidates
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