Clean Buildings Manager

Clean Wisconsin is a nonprofit organization with offices in Madison and Milwaukee and a mission to protect and preserve Wisconsin’s clean water, clean air and natural heritage. Accounting for 40% of all energy use in the United States, buildings represent an essential component of any comprehensive effort to reduce carbon emissions. Clean Wisconsin is looking for an experienced and resourceful leader to foster, grow and manage the organization’s emergent strategic initiative around the decarbonization of buildings.

The Manager will work with Clean Wisconsin’s Climate, Energy & Air Program Director and Government Relations Director to develop and execute a successful and sustainable strategy to advance building decarbonization, efficiency, indoor air quality and electrification across the state. Most urgently, the Manager will work with a team of experts to build a strong foundation for Wisconsin building code adoption, compliance, and local support pursuant to a three-year grant from the Department of Energy. The Manager will serve as Clean Wisconsin’s voice on these issues, including speaking with reporters and media outlets with the support of Clean Wisconsin’s communications department and providing oral and written testimony and comments at appropriate times. This is a full-time position based in our Madison office. Join our team of passionate environmental advocates and experts!

Clean Wisconsin is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion in our work and in our hiring practices. We value a team with different perspectives, educational backgrounds, and life experiences, and we prioritize diversity within our team. If you have any doubt about whether you might be qualified for this position and you think you have something special to contribute, we encourage you to apply. Please also see our statement on diversity, equity and inclusion at: https://www.cleanwisconsin.org/about-us/diversity/

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Report to and collaborate with the Climate, Energy & Air Program Director to develop and execute a successful and sustainable buildings strategy.
• Collaborate with the Director of Government Relations and Vice President to advance the organization’s legislative and policy priorities.
• Serve as Clean Wisconsin’s lead on a collaborative effort to build support for, adopt, and comply with strong building codes. Tasks will include building code education, stakeholder engagement and outreach, and providing technical support to municipalities on new and existing building policies.
• Cultivate strategic relationships with key government officials, including officials at the Office of Energy Innovation, Department of Safety & Professional Services (DSPS), the Commercial Building Codes Council and the Uniform Dwelling Code Council, union leaders, building interest groups, government relations professionals and other stakeholders.
• Support Clean Wisconsin’s Resilient Communities Program and local leaders across the state with “whole home” strategies and cultivate relationships and support coalitions with key local leaders to advance building decarbonization at both the local and state levels, including benchmarking and performance-standard ordinances.
• Prepare and occasionally deliver testimony at hearings and meetings before the legislature, DSPS, building codes councils and other relevant bodies.
• Promote the organization and its building decarbonization efforts at speaking engagements, fundraising events and other venues.
• Maintain open and effective communication with other environmental organizations and partners.
• Perform other duties relating to buildings as needed, including work relating to lead contamination and air pollution.

REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• Familiarity, fluency and comfort with building decarbonization, efficiency, and electrification topics including technical language, structure and implementation of Wisconsin’s relevant building codes.
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical issues into the language of laypersons.
• Demonstrated ability to forge strong relationships of trust with Wisconsin government officials, decision makers and stakeholders.
• Skills in working with people from a diverse range of backgrounds, especially communities most affected by environmental injustices.
• Ability to be a spokesperson to the media, to other advocates and within appropriate governmental forums.
• Knowledge and appreciation for how issues of energy efficiency, energy burden and related government programs play out in low-income households and communities of urban and rural areas.
• Attention to detail and procedural rules.
• Strong writing, listening and oral communication skills
• Ability to perform in a multi-task environment and to prioritize work requirements; ability to manage competing priorities while maintaining a long-term vision.
• Ability to interact effectively, appropriately, and compassionately with staff and colleagues.
• Proficiency and comfort with Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, Outlook, and Zoom (or equivalents).
• Experience in policy advocacy is greatly preferred.
• Experience working in the building trades or buildings trades unions in Wisconsin is a plus.

TRAITS

• Commitment to addressing climate change through building decarbonization, efficiency, and electrification programs.
• Commitment to addressing the disproportionate energy burden falling on low-income households in our urban and rural areas.
• Discretion and sound judgment.
• Team player.
• Flexibility and creativity.
• Sense of humor.
• Commitment to help create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work culture that encourages and celebrates differences.

REQUIRED EDUCATION

• An undergraduate degree or equivalent experience.

Salary range for the position is $62,000 – $78,000 commensurate with skills and experience. Benefits package includes health and dental insurance, a 403(b) retirement plan with a 6% employer match, paid vacation, life insurance and short- and long-term disability insurance.

TO APPLY

Please submit a cover letter and resume to hiring@cleanwisconsin.org. For best consideration, please submit materials by September 27, 2023. Be sure to include the subject line “Clean Buildings Manager.”