Island Institute is searching for a Community Development Officer – Clean Energy.  This CDO will manage projects that support Maine’s island and coastal communities in building electric grid resilience through planning, partnership and innovative clean energy solutions. This role requires strong project management, facilitation, and community engagement skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience working on a small team with many external partners, including state and federal, and have a background in translating technical information into community-relevant insights and solutions. Additionally, the position requires an interest in relationship-building, process-oriented development, and fostering meaningful community engagement, as well as interest in and experience with rural energy issues and grid resilience. The Clean Energy CDO position is part of the Center for Climate and Community. This is a grant-funded position that is contingent upon available funding. Island Institute employees work a minimum of 5 days per month in our Rockland office.

Headquartered in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a leading community development organization dedicated to navigating climate and economic changes with Maine’s island and coastal communities, expanding opportunities, and delivering effective solutions. Our culture thrives on innovation, collaboration, and creativity, driven by a vision where Maine’s island and coastal communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, serving as models of innovation.‍

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Qualifications Required

• Bachelor’s degree related to sustainability, climate, energy, environmental studies, planning, communications, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Two years of professional work experience with demonstrated content expertise related to climate resilience or clean energy transitions work. Experience in and knowledge of municipal energy planning and / or electric grid resiliency a plus.
• Two years of work experience or equivalent with proven success in community engagement and translating technical information to a variety of stakeholders.
• Excellent public speaking and written communication skills.
• Experience collaborating with technical experts and translating scientific data to meet community needs and values a plus.
• Understanding global and regional energy transitions and supporting these transitions at the local levels preferred but not required.‍

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‍Key Responsibilities

• Project Management: Manage multiple energy projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and successful delivery of project objectives; maintain project timelines, budgets, and work plans; coordinate with internal and external partners to implement project activities effectively; monitor and evaluate project progress, adjusting plans as necessary to meet goals.
• Facilitation and Community Engagement: Facilitate meetings and workshops with internal teams, community partners, and external stakeholders; plan and execute public events to educate and engage communities on climate resilience topics; develop and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, organizations, and stakeholders; implement community engagement strategies that align with local values and priorities.
• Communication and Collaboration: Communicate effectively in written and verbal formats to diverse audiences, including community members, technical experts, and policymakers; work collaboratively on a small team while managing relationships with a wide range of external partners, including state, federal and regional partners; translate complex scientific and technical information into actionable recommendations and relatable insights for communities; foster partnerships with technical experts and community leaders to co-develop clean energy and resilience strategies.
• Climate Thought Leadership (Desired): Familiarity and experience with global clean energy and climate resilience strategies, especially for rural and island communities; knowledge of regional or national distributed energy, microgrid implementation, and grid resiliency.
• Technical Skills (Desired): Experience with grid planning and energy modeling for grid-tied distributed energy resources; finance or grant writing experience.

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Salary & Benefits

Base pay for this position is $58,401 with a range that depends on experience and skills related to position responsibilities and qualifications. Recognizing that no candidate will possess all the relevant skills and experience, we encourage you to apply if you align with many of the qualifications for and interests in this role.

What we offer:

• A benefits program to include health, dental, vision, company provided life insurance, and a 403b plan with an employer match of up to 6% after a year of service.
• A generous paid time off policy.
• 12 paid holidays and 2 paid floating holidays.
• Island Institute membership benefits.
• Discount at Island Institute’s Archipelago retail store.
• Hybrid work environment.

While there is no deadline for submitting your application, the application period will close when the position is filled.  Contact Susan Haversat at shaversat@islandinstitute.org if reasonable accommodation is required to complete the application.‍

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Physical Demands and Work Environment:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The employee is required to sit, enter data using computer keyboard and mouse, stand, walk, bend over occasionally, and move about the office space as well as between building floors. There is no requirement to lift and/or move weights of more than 15 pounds.
• The employee will be expected to travel on occasion by boat and ferry to various islands and remote coastal locations.
• There will be times when working long hours in the evenings and weekends will be required.
• The noise level in the work environment is usually minimal.

Based in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a nonprofit organization, and an equal opportunity "at-will" employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities based upon an individual's ability and qualifications. We do not discriminate against people based on race, citizenship, ancestry, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, mental or physical disability.

For more information about the Island Institute and our work along the Maine coast, please visit www.islandinstitute.org