Deputy Director, Clean Energy

Office of Climate & Environmental Justice

Deputy Director, Clean Energy

Job # 36338

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE: The Mayor’s Office of Climate and Environmental Justice (MOCEJ) is a team of architects, lawyers, data and climate scientists, engineers, policy advisors, geologists, and city planners working to create a city where our 8.8 million New Yorkers can live, work, learn, and play in healthy, resilient, and sustainable neighborhoods. MOCEJ integrates sustainability, resiliency, and environmental justice into one coordinated approach across several climate and environmental offices, all working to make our buildings efficient and resilient; our infrastructure climate ready; our streets, open spaces and public realm active, safe and healthy; and our energy clean and resilient. All New Yorkers deserve to live, learn, work, and play in safe, healthy, resilient, and sustainable environments, even as the climate changes. MOCEJ is committed to improving environmental quality for all, prioritizing front line communities, seeking to redress current and past injustices and inequities while creating economic opportunities for all. Through science-based analysis, policy and program development, and capacity building, MOCEJ leads the City’s efforts to ensure that New York City is minimizing its contributions to climate change, preparing to adapt and protect New Yorkers from extreme weather and multiple climate hazards, and giving every New Yorker a meaningful voice in our city’s future.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

The Deputy Director for Clean Energy is a key member of the MOCEJ and reports the Executive Director. The Deputy Director leads a team of internal staff and outside legal counsel responsible for ensuring the just transition of New York City’s energy systems to clean and renewable energy. This position represents the Office of the Mayor on a wide range of regulatory and legislative energy matters before the New York State and federal government. The Deputy Director ensures the development and implementation of clean energy planning, operations, maintenance, and adaptation strategies that advance the City’s climate change, air quality, and environmental justice commitments. This position ensures that the clean energy transition is affordable, timely, and resilient across large scale renewables, transmission investments, solar and storage, offshore wind, and other related energy technologies.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Manage a team of advisors and outside legal counsel to develop City policy positions and represent the City in all regulatory and legislative matters that impact New York City’s clean energy transition, including providing testimony to legislative bodies as needed;
• Review, analyze and provide recommended approaches for city, state and federal energy related legislative proposals, advancement of the City’s clean energy initiatives, and work as needed with other City and State agencies on energy initiatives;
• Manage the City’s legal representation before the New York State Public Service Commission, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, and other agencies such as the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation, U.S. Department of Energy, among others;
• Expand external advocacy and knowledge sharing related to the City’s agenda including but not limited to providing subject matter expertise to New York State clean energy planning and policy development, petitioning the Public Service, etc.;
• Provide expert witness testimony for the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission to ensure New York City’s energy system transitions to clean power;
• Ensure that New York City residents and Agencies are represented in all rate cases that impact New York City utility matters;
• Supervise a team of professional staff, ensuring their professional development and growth;
• Support the development of new forward-looking policy and initiatives, as necessary advance best practices on climate, air quality and environmental justice action for the City;
• Assist with the efforts to secure sources of funding for the initiatives and near-term milestones;
• Assist with procurement and oversight of third-party services, such as consultant and project management, communications, planning, engineering, and other services as required;
• Other duties, as assigned.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A graduate degree and/or at least ten (10) years of full-time relevant professional experience in a field related to this position: energy regulatory affairs, environmental policy, environmental justice, energy policy development, engineering, utility and infrastructure planning, and climate science is essential;
• A deep understanding of issues relating to clean energy systems and policies in urban settings, including a commitment to reducing energy cost burden, and advancing energy democracy;
• Familiarity with New York City climate and environmental justice issues and strategic plans;
• Demonstrated interest in New York City energy and economic development policies;
• Strong written and oral communication skills including a demonstrated background in legal writing;
• Attention to detail and excellent organization skills, which include and are not limited to the ability to manage complex projects; coordinate interagency programs; maintain control of analytical details while balancing large-scale program objectives;
• Ability to gain the support of public and private stakeholders and a commitment to prioritizing partnerships with community organizations in neighborhoods historically impacted by energy-related social, economic, and health burdens;
• Demonstrated experience in staff supervision and development;
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, particularly in terms of creating, directing and translating rigorous, defensible public policy models into transparent conclusions that can be easily explained and understood by the public;
• Willingness to travel, and work after hours or on weekends, as required;
• New York City residence is required within 180 days of hire.

SALARY: 

$130,000 – $160,000

TO APPLY  Please send a copy of your resume, a cover letter, and three (3) references to Candidate Link

New York City Residency Is Required Within 90 Days of Appointment

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex,

race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

The Adams Administration values diversity — in backgrounds and in experiences that is reflective of the city it serves. Applicants of all backgrounds are strongly encouraged and welcomed to apply.

For current job opportunities in the NYC Mayor’s Office visit the Mayor’s Office Job’s Page

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you may request a reasonable accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to access job openings or apply for a job on this site because of your disability. You can request a reasonable accommodation by contacting The Equal Employment Opportunity Office at EEO@cityhall.nyc.gov.

As of August 2, 2021, all new hires must be vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus, unless they have been granted a reasonable accommodation for religion or disability. If you are offered city employment, this requirement must be met by your date of hire, unless a reasonable accommodation for exemption is received and approved by the hiring agency.