The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) is the nation's most effective environmental action organization. We use law, science and the support of two million members and online activists to protect the planet's wildlife and wild places and to ensure a safe and healthy environment for all living things. NRDC was founded in 1970 and our staff helped write some of America's bedrock environmental laws, including the Clean Water Act, and many of the implementing regulations; our water enforcement cases played a major role shaping current water policy throughout the country. Today, our staff of more than 450 lawyers, scientists, economists, policy and communications experts, and others, work out of offices in New York, Washington, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Livingston, Montana and Beijing.
NRDC is seeking a policy advocate to work within the Energy & Transportation team in our Washington DC (preferable) or San Francisco office. The policy advocate will seek to secure federal policies to promote energy efficiency in buildings and appliances. The building sector accounts for nearly 40% of annual greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, with a similar level in most other countries, and so this advocate will play a key role in helping to shape the federal, state, and to a lesser extent international policies that will reduce emissions and reshape the economy. Strong federal energy efficiency standards are also a key component of the administration’s Climate Plan and will be critical to the establishment and successful implementation of carbon pollution standards for power plants.
- Regulatory and advocacy work to promote the adoption of the strongest possible cost-effective appliance energy efficiency standards and test procedures by the U.S. Department of Energy, including participation in technical workshops and public hearings, drafting of public comments, participation in stakeholder negotiations and other advocacy efforts; and assisting in similar efforts at the state level, particularly in California.
- Legislative, policy development and advocacy work on national and state building energy efficiency policies, building energy codes, incentives for high-efficiency buildings and products and other policies to promote building and appliance efficiency, including advocacy related to the federal Energy Star program and work to promote tax incentives and grants to support high-efficiency buildings, appliances and equipment;
- Support NRDC efforts to defend against attempts to rollback/weaken existing energy efficiency related statutes and programs.
- Collaborate with other NRDC staff on issues tied to electrifying key building energy end uses such as water and space heating, and grid reliability.
- The building and coordination of coalitions, which might include other NGOs, manufacturers, retailers, builders and consumer groups, that promote building efficiency policies.
While this position will focus on national and state level work, it may also include strategic opportunities for advancement of these policies at the state and regional level and internationally with a focus on China and India.
- Strong knowledge base and expertise on energy systems and energy/utility policy;
- Strong quantitative and analytic capabilities;
- Excellent leadership, team-building and project management skills;
- Excellent and persuasive written and oral advocacy skills (including public speaking);
- Ability to build and work with coalitions and to engage in complex negotiations with multiple stakeholders;
- Ability to interpret complex technical and economic analysis and communicate its meaning to non-technical audiences (including the media) as well as experts;
- Self-motivation and ability to manage multiple assignments work efficiently and meet deadlines with limited supervision;
- Relevant energy sector work experience in areas such as engineering, building science, architecture, energy diagnostics in buildings, or clean energy policy advocacy is encouraged. The preferred range of work experience is zero (recent graduate of relevant graduate school) to seven years.
NRDC is committed to workplace diversity, equity, and inclusion. We are equal opportunity employers and do not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. We offer competitive salaries, excellent benefits, and a pleasant working environment. Salary is based on a nonprofit scale and commensurate with experience.