Job Description

Island Institute is searching for a Community Development Officer – Clean Energy . The CDO will manage projects that support Maine’s island and coastal communities in building electric grid resilience through planning, partnership and innovative clean energy solutions. This role requires strong project management, facilitation, and community engagement skills. The ideal candidate will have excellent written and verbal communication skills, experience working on a small team with many external partners, including state and federal, and have a background in translating technical information into community-relevant insights and solutions. Additionally, the position requires an interest in relationship-building, process-oriented development, and fostering meaningful community engagement, as well as interest in and experience with rural energy issues and grid resilience. The Clean Energy CDO position is part of the Center for Climate and Community. This is a grant-funded position that is contingent upon available funding. Island Institute employees work a minimum of 5 days per month in our Rockland office.

Headquartered in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a leading community development organization dedicated to navigating climate and economic changes with Maine’s island and coastal communities, expanding opportunities, and delivering effective solutions. Our culture thrives on innovation, collaboration, and creativity, driven by a vision where Maine’s island and coastal communities thrive in a rapidly changing world, serving as models of innovation.

Qualifications Required:

• Bachelor’s degree related to sustainability, climate, energy, environmental studies, planning, communications, a related field, or equivalent experience.
• Two years of professional work experience with demonstrated content expertise related to climate resilience or clean energy transitions work. Experience in and knowledge of municipal energy planning and / or electric grid resiliency a plus.
• Two years of work experience or equivalent with proven success in community engagement and translating technical information to a variety of stakeholders.
• Excellent public speaking and written communication skills.
• Experience collaborating with technical experts and translating scientific data to meet community needs and values a plus.
• Understanding global and regional energy transitions and supporting these transitions at the local levels preferred but not required.

Key Responsibilities:

• Project Management:Manage multiple energy projects simultaneously, ensuring timely and successful delivery of project objectives; maintain project timelines, budgets, and work plans; coordinate with internal and external partners to implement project activities effectively; monitor and evaluate project progress, adjusting plans as necessary to meet goals.
• Facilitation and Community Engagement : Facilitate meetings and workshops with internal teams, community partners, and external stakeholders; plan and execute public events to educate and engage communities on climate resilience topics; develop and maintain strong relationships with community leaders, organizations, and stakeholders; implement community engagement strategies that align with local values and priorities.
• Communication and Collaboration : Communicate effectively in written and verbal formats to diverse audiences, including community members, technical experts, and policymakers; work collaboratively on a small team while managing relationships with a wide range of external partners, including state, federal and regional partners; translate complex scientific and technical information into actionable recommendations and relatable insights for communities; foster partnerships with technical experts and community leaders to co-develop clean energy and resilience strategies.
• Climate Thought Leadership (Desired):Familiarity and experience with global clean energy and climate resilience strategies, especially for rural and island communities; knowledge of regional or national distributed energy, microgrid implementation, and grid resiliency.
• Technical Skills (Desired): Experience with grid planning and energy modeling for grid-tied distributed energy resources; finance or grant writing experience.

Base pay for this position is $58,401 with a range that depends on experience and skills related to position responsibilities and qualifications. Recognizing that no candidate will possess all the relevant skills and experience, we encourage you to apply if you align with many of the qualifications for and interests in this role.

What we offer:

· A benefits program to include health, dental, vision, company provided life insurance, and a 403b plan with an employer match of up to 6% after a year of service.

• A generous paid time off policy.
• 12 paid holidays and 2 paid floating holidays.
• Island Institute membership benefits.
• Discount at Island Institute’s Archipelago retail store.
• Hybrid work environment.

Please go to our careers page on our website to apply:

While there is no deadline for submitting your application, the application period will close when the position is filled. Contact Susan Haversat at shaversat@islandinstitute.org if reasonable accommodation is required to complete the application.

Based in Rockland, Maine, Island Institute is a nonprofit organization, and an equal opportunity "at-will" employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities based upon an individual's ability and qualifications. We do not discriminate against people based on race, citizenship, ancestry, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, mental or physical disability.

For more information about the Island Institute and our work along the Maine coast, please visit

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $58,401.00 per year

Benefits:

• 403(b)
• 403(b) matching
• Dental insurance
• Dependent health insurance coverage
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Health savings account
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Parental leave
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• Monday to Friday

Ability to Relocate:

• Rockland, ME 04841: Relocate before starting work (Required)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Rockland, ME 04841

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