Energy/Environmental Policy Researcher

Nenni and Associates; Berkeley (CA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking organization dedicated to shaping the future of energy efficiency and policy. In this dynamic role, you will lead impactful research and technical support projects aimed at reducing energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in the buildings sector. Collaborate with a diverse team to influence public and private decision-making, while fostering partnerships with industry stakeholders. This position offers the opportunity to contribute to significant advancements in energy policy and efficiency, making a real difference in the community and beyond. If you are passionate about energy and sustainability, this is the perfect opportunity for you.

Benefits

Health Insurance

Retirement Plan

Flexible Work Hours

Professional Development Opportunities

Paid Time Off

Remote Work Options

Wellness Programs

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in energy services research and technical support.
• Strong understanding of energy efficiency and demand-side management.

Responsibilities

• Lead research projects on ESCO industry trends and performance.
• Manage project budgets and stakeholder relationships effectively.

Skills

Project Management

Technical Analysis

Stakeholder Engagement

Research Methodology

Energy Policy

Education

Master's Degree in Energy Policy or related field

Bachelor's Degree in Environmental Science or Engineering

Tools

eProject Builder (ePB)

Data Analysis Software

Job description

Position Summary: The Electricity Markets and Policy (EMP) Department conducts technical, economic, and policy analysis of energy topics centered on the U.S. electricity sector, and provides related technical support to a broad range of stakeholders. Our work seeks to inform public and private decision-making on public-interest issues related to energy efficiency, demand flexibility, renewable energy, electricity system planning, electricity reliability and resilience, and utility regulation. In this role you will lead research, technical support and stakeholder engagement efforts, and manage projects for the EMP energy services company (ESCO) industry research area. You will conduct energy, economic, market, technical and/or environmental research that informs the development of energy/environmental policies and programs and make significant individual contributions to the development of new methods of such research. Coordinating the efforts of an interdisciplinary team, you will exert significant latitude in determining the objectives and needs of research and analysis projects and select appropriate methods to obtain results. You will propose, budget, direct and manage research projects and technical assistance activities to government decision-makers and other stakeholders on complex issues relating to the ESCO industry, energy savings performance contracting (ESPC) and potentially other demand-side management/distributed energy resources programs and policies at the federal, state, utility and local level. You will also contribute to the development of EMP departmental organizational goals and objectives, and participate in department-level processes such as staff meetings, retreats, and other initiatives. You will also be expected to support the Lab’s stewardship values, including its Inclusivity, Diversity, Equity and Accountability (IDEA) initiative. The position may provide technical guidance and support to staff in EMP and other departments and may also directly supervise staff. Required: ● Manage Berkeley Lab’s U.S. energy services company (ESCO) industry research and related technical support projects to support the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and other stakeholders’ goals of achieving significant reductions in energy and water usage and GHG emissions in the buildings sector. ● Lead policy-relevant research projects that include: 1) analysis of ESCO project and performance trends data, focusing on elements of highest topical interest to stakeholders; 2) ESCO industry market studies that cover longitudinal trends as well as emerging topics and issues; 3) periodic estimates of remaining ESCO project market potential; 4) ad hoc data analyses per requests of DOE and other stakeholders. ● Develop, assign, conduct, and manage work scopes; develop project budgets, milestone schedules and tasks and manage projects and teams to project deliverables meet required quality levels and deadlines and adhere to budgets. Review and provide feedback on staff and contractor work. ● Author and contribute to technical reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, technical assistance guides and other written products on ESCO-related and other energy markets and policy-related topics. ● Manage overall budgets and milestones, and DOE, user and stakeholder relationships for eProject Builder (ePB), the web-based energy project data tracking and reporting system. Collaborate with the ePB development manager and team to ensure the tool functions well for users and continues to effectively support DOE goals. ● Manage the outreach and stakeholder engagement for eProject eXpress (ePX), the streamlined version of ePB used by state and local governments funded by U.S. DOE State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP). Responsibilities include supervising established subcontractor and LBNL staff and collaborating with the SCEP Program Manager to: 1) develop, deliver and promote an educational webinar series; and 2) provide ePX technical assistance and training resources for state and local agencies. ● Foster partnerships and collaborations with, and provide intellectual and technical contributions to, a broad range of industry stakeholders, including national industry organizations, state and local governments, ESCOs, trade associations, utilities, and other stakeholders on ESCO-related and other energy efficiency topics. Participate in nationwide working groups involved in addressing and resolving complex issues related to energy and water projects and the measurement and verification (M&V) of those projects. ● Identify and define research needs and develop short- and long-term research priorities. Identify funding opportunities, develop funding proposals and budgets and successfully procure project funding from primary funder, DOE, and when opportunities arise, from non-DOE funders to support the research and development. ● Develop and apply complex technical research methods that inform the development of energy / environmental policies. Present complex technical concepts, methods and research results to industry stakeholders, government officials, policy makers and other stakeholders at conferences and meetings. ●Deliver in-person and virtual presentations on ESCO research work, ePB/ePX and other energy efficiency topics for disparate audiences, including DOE meetings and working groups, technical conferences, DOE project reviews and other audiences. Requires occasional travel to live conferences. ● Develop and manage subcontracts and the work of external consultants; supervise the work and assure the work products meet Berkeley Lab’s quality standards and the needs of the DOE program managers. ● Contribute research, analysis, technical support and management to other projects in EMP as opportunities and needs arise on topics that may include electricity distribution system planning, electrification of buildings and transportation, distributed energy