Permitting Policy Director

Permit Power; California; Remote; USD 135,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

Pre-tax commuter benefits

401k with 5% matching

Paid maternity/paternity leave

Job summary

Permit Power seeks a Permitting Policy Director to co-lead our agenda for simplifying permitting, inspection, HOA approvals, and building codes for residential solar and home battery products. You will partner with advocacy staff to drive legislative change and serve as an internal external expert on permitting reform.

Develop policy plans, lead coalition efforts, and manage external researchers to advance state-level reforms.

Qualifications

• Experience in policy development, legislative advocacy, or regulatory affairs related to solar, permitting, or government efficiency.
• Track record of developing/executing policy agendas with tangible outcomes in state legislatures.
• Sufficient technical exposure to electrical, structural, or fire safety concepts to shape permitting/inspection policies.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive permitting policy plan for residential solar and batteries, focusing on states with high potential.
• Draft, vet, and translate permitting bill language; produce advocacy materials; coordinate lobbying efforts.
• Build and manage coalitions with home builders, solar industry, think tanks, and related stakeholders.

Skills

Policy development

Legislative advocacy

Regulatory affairs

Solar/permitting expertise

Coalition building

Technical concepts understanding

Testifying before policymakers

Clear communication

Job description

tl;dr Co-lead Permit Power’s policy development to simplify and streamline permitting, inspection, HOAs, building codes, and product standards to dramatically lower the cost and accelerate the adoption of residential rooftop solar, plug-in solar, and home batteries.

What we do at Permit Power

Permit Power is an energy affordability non-profit on a mission to make it cheap and easy for American families to power their lives by cutting the red tape that makes home solar and batteries so expensive.

We are a small but ambitious team that advances common-sense policy fixes in states around the country to modernize processes like permitting and utility interconnection to allow tens of millions more American families to produce their own affordable electricity.

What you’ll be doing:

We are looking for a Permitting Policy Director to co-lead our agenda to remove bureaucratic barriers for residential rooftop solar, plug-in solar, and home batteries including streamlining permitting, inspection, homeowner association approvals, and codes and standards. In partnership with Permit Power’s advocacy staff, you’ll serve as a core part of our team to drive legislative change, lead and participate in coalition efforts, and be an internal expert and external thought leader on permit streamlining. A significant portion of your work will likely focus on policies derived from the values of property rights, small government, and consumer choice in conservative and purple states. The specific policies and states will be divided with Permit Power’s current Permitting Policy Director based on existing expertise, geography, and other factors. You will report to the Chief of Policy.

Develop Permit Power's permitting policy agenda:

Formulate and execute a comprehensive policy plan to simplify and streamline permitting and inspection processes for home solar and batteries, with a focus on states with the largest home solar and battery potential, as well as simplifying and streamlining building codes and product safety standards for home solar products such as plug-in solar.

Oversee the bill-to-law cycle:

Conduct preliminary research for, draft, and vet permitting bill language. Produce advocacy materials, such as talking points, fact sheets, graphics, and reports. In coordination with Permit Power’s advocacy team and outside lobbyists, lobby legislators, their staff, and executive branch officials. Negotiate with opposition.

Build and drive coalitions:

Develop and manage relationships with partners such as home builders, the solar industry, think tanks, and others to broaden support for a permitting reform agenda and to collaboratively refine and update our state policy priorities.

Serve as the subject matter expert:

Act as the organization’s authority on permitting rules, regulations, and cutting-edge policies like third party permitting and inspection, HOA overreach, and simplified building codes and product standards.

Evaluate compliance and implementation:

Investigate whether jurisdictions are following the bills we pass, whether installers are actively taking advantage of them, and why. Then analyze where implementation is hitting friction points and refine solutions to remove further and persistent barriers to affordable home solar and batteries.

Manage external research and consultants:

Scope external policy research and identify, onboard, and direct consultants to secure high-quality products supporting our permitting policy agenda.

What we’re looking for:

7+ years of experience in policy development, legislative advocacy, and/or regulatory affairs related to solar, construction, permitting, or government efficiency.

Track record of successfully developing and executing policy agendas that lead to tangible outcomes, particularly within the state legislative arenas.

Sufficient technical expertise with relevant engineering concepts (e.g., electrical, structural, and/or fire safety) to shape our policy approach to permitting and inspection policies, building codes, and product safety standards.

Experience testifying before, interfacing with, and developing materials for policymakers.

Demonstrated ability to build coalitions and partner with stakeholders to achieve policy goals.

Ability to translate complex technical and engineering concepts into clear, accessible language and materials for policymakers, advocates, and the public.

Relationships with energy policy organizations, the building industry, technical consultants, research firms, and think tanks.

What will make you a good fit:

• Entrepreneurial and self-directed.
• Outcomes-oriented.
• Collaborative and low-ego
• Flexible and open-minded.
• Organized and detail-oriented.
• Occasional travel: Willing to travel for team meetings and periodic partner meetings, hearings, and conferences several times a year.

The salary & benefits you can expect:

The salary range for this position is $135,000-160,000. This is a full-time, exempt position. Permit Power offers a generous and comprehensive benefits package including health insurance, dental insurance, vision care, pre-tax commuter benefits, FSA, 401k with 5% contribution matching (limits apply).

Permit Power offers 6 months of paid maternity or paternity leave to bond with a newborn or adopted child within the first year of birth or adoption.

We are a fully remote team open to candidates anywhere in the U.S.

Equal Opportunity Employer

We believe diversity fuels creativity, broadens knowledge, and helps drive success, and that is why we’re proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and strive to treat all employees and applicants with honesty, dignity, respect and sensitivity.

What the Lawyers told us to say

The statements herein are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this position. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of personnel so assigned, and are subject to change.