Research Director

Permit Power; United States; Remote; USD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

An innovative non-profit organization is seeking a Research Director to spearhead policy research and economic modeling efforts. This role involves leading the research agenda to eliminate bureaucratic barriers to clean energy adoption. You will develop impactful research products that support advocacy for affordable and accessible clean electricity solutions. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in economic modeling, public policy, and project management, thriving in a collaborative, fast-paced environment. Join a mission-driven team dedicated to making clean energy a viable choice for all Americans.

Benefits

Health insurance

Dental insurance

Vision care

401k with 5% contribution matching

Paid maternity/paternity leave

Pre-tax commuter benefits

Qualifications

• Experience in economic modeling and public policy research.
• Strong project management skills and ability to meet deadlines.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development of research strategies and economic modeling.
• Conduct qualitative research to support advocacy efforts.
• Manage consultants and research partners effectively.

Skills

Economic modeling

Qualitative research

Project management

Quantitative research methods

Public policy knowledge

Education

Degree in Economics, Public Policy, or related field

Job description

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Permit Power provided pay range

This range is provided by Permit Power. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Base pay range

$125,000.00/yr - $150,000.00/yr

Reports to: Chief of Policy

Classification: Full-Time

Location: Fully Remote (US-based)

Join Permit Power to do economic modeling and policy research that will help us set an agenda and deliver advocacy wins that make it cheaper and easier for Americans to power their lives with clean electricity. Apply here.

What we do at Permit Power

Permit Power is a non-profit whose mission is to eliminate costly bureaucratic barriers and make it so cheap and so easy for Americans to power their lives and businesses with clean electricity that it is the obvious choice for all to make.

The bureaucratic barriers come in several forms, most notably slow and inconsistent local government permitting and inspections, homeowner association approvals, utility authorizations and inspections, and costly and cumbersome grid upgrades. In the United States, the “soft-costs” of a rooftop solar installation are over 20x the cost of manufacturing the panels themselves. Industry leaders estimate that the bureaucratic barriers to clean energy equipment installs are adding almost $1 trillion in wasted costs to the energy transition in the United States and significantly depressing deployment.

Eliminating these bureaucratic barriers and increasing American residential rooftop solar deployment to levels seen in peer countries like Germany would generate an additional 200 TWh of clean electricity per year and would generate lifetime emissions reductions of 1.8 billion metric tons CO2e. This does not even count the follow-on benefits of increased heat pump and electric vehicle adoption resulting from lower electricity prices.

Permit Power has already made great progress. In California and Maryland, our team spearheaded the effort to pass state legislation that requires local governments to enable families to get instant permits for rooftop solar and home batteries systems. Now, families in over 300 cities and counties, with a total population of over 20 million, are able to get a permit instantly for their rooftop solar and home battery projects.

By driving an aggressive bipartisan cost-cutting agenda at the state level over the coming years, we have the ability to significantly increase the number of American families powering their lives with clean electricity, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and fulfill the promise that the clean energy transition will save Americans money.

What you will be doing

We are looking to bring on a Research Director to lead our policy research efforts. As Research Director, you will lead the development of the research agenda for the organization. You will be responsible for economic modeling as well as qualitative research, writing reports, and creating presentations to showcase your findings. The research products will support our advocacy agenda to eliminate bureaucratic barriers; show the benefits of making it cheaper and easier for Americans to power our lives with clean electricity; and deepen our understanding of why it costs so much and is so complicated to install rooftop solar, home batteries and other building-scale clean energy upgrades. You will act as an issue expert and thought leader to external partners and the press. You will also bring on and manage outside research partners as appropriate. You will report to the Chief of Policy.

• Lead the development of our research strategy and agenda

Research Products

• Develop and run economic models to estimate the impact of removing red tape around rooftop solar and home battery installs (e.g., increase in clean energy adoption, cost savings, GHG reductions, job creation, etc.).
• Perform qualitative research to understand the impact and uncover compelling stories about how red tape impedes the adoption of rooftop solar and home batteries.
• Develop and write research products, including reports and presentations, that will help us set an agenda and deliver advocacy wins that make it cheaper and easier for Americans to power their lives with clean electricity.
• Hire and manage consultants and research partners to support the research work
• Strengthen our internal understanding of the bureaucratic barriers to deploying rooftop solar, home batteries, and building-scale clean energy upgrades, and support us in developing more effective, evidence-based, and impactful strategies.
• Conducting research to inform our advocacy work and, in particular, the development and drafting of legislation, including researching existing legislation and current building department, homeowner association, and utility practices.
• Develop systems to manage relevant policy knowledge and information for the organization
• Working with outside comms consultants and partners to support the dissemination of the research findings and our broad agenda with our partners, in the press and on social media. This includes
• supporting the production of shareable content for social media.
• talking to the press
• presenting at conferences and on webinars
• Develop your role as a thought leader in the field.

An Example of The Type of Economic Modelling You Would Do

• How Smart Permitting Could Accelerate Rooftop Solar in New York
• Answering the question: “What would be the impact of $1/W rooftop solar and home batteries, including the economic and environmental impact.”

The experience we are looking for

• Economic modeling experience in the energy or electricity sector, including measuring market impacts and environmental benefits.
• Experience working on or adjacent to public policy.
• You have worked as a researcher at a think tank or an independent research provider or done similar work in government, academia, or at a non-profit.
• Highly skilled at managing multiple projects at once and meeting deadlines
• Experience developing and overseeing research that informs policy and practice.
• Strong knowledge of quantitative research methods
• Existing work authorization for the United States is required

What will make you a good fit

• Entrepreneurial and self-directed. We are a small team, and you will need to be able to co-create what your goals should be and how to achieve them.
• Outcomes-oriented. We will measure ourselves by how much we can drive down the cost and timelines for installing rooftop solar, home batteries, and other building-scale clean energy upgrades. We are looking for someone who will find fulfillment in achieving those concrete goals.
• Collaborative and low-ego. We’re a start-up organization and will make many mistakes. We will only succeed if we work together, acknowledge our mistakes, and learn from them.

The salary & benefits you can expect

• The salary range for this position is $125,000-150,000. 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, 401k with 5% percent 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 remote-first organization and open to candidates anywhere in the U.S. Our current team of four is based in California, Colorado, and New York.

How to apply for this amazing job

Please submit a cover letter, resume, and no more than 5 relevant work samples here. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until midnight, March 31, 2025.

Permit Power is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Permit Power is an equal-opportunity employer with a strong organizational commitment to respecting differences of all kinds. Permit Power prohibits unlawful discrimination against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, sex, gender identity, age, sexual orientation, political orientation or disability or any other basis prohibited by law. In that spirit, we strongly encourage applications that will contribute to the diversity of our staff.

Applicants With Disabilities

Reasonable accommodations will be made so that qualified disabled applicants may participate in the application process. Please advise in writing of special needs at the time of application.

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.

Seniority level

• Not Applicable

Employment type

• Full-time

Job function

• Research, Writing/Editing, and Other
• Industries
• Services for Renewable Energy, Government Relations Services, and Research Services