Senior Program Specialist - Planning - Ecology Action

Ecology Action's Community Program's Group is passionately driven to empower individuals, businesses, and agencies to take actions today that achieve economic and environmental sustainability. We are a fun, vibrant, caring, and award-winning organization that regularly celebrates its' achievements. We are seeking a collaborative, dynamic, highly organized and detail-oriented Senior Program Specialist to support implementation of a California Department of Water Resources (DWR) Water-Energy Grant program, which will implement water/energy retrofits projects in disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County. The Senior Program Specialist will be responsible for managing multiple direct installation contractors performing work in single and multi-family residences. Major job responsibilities include management of direct installation work performed by contractors, establishing and maintaining relationships with clients and property owners, preparing water/energy savings analysis for quarterly and annual reports, and ensuring successful completion of direct installation projects performed by contractors. This full-time position is subject to continued program funding, which currently runs through April 30, 2017.

Responsibilities
• Development, negotiation, and management of contractor and property owner project agreements
• Manage (independently) relationships with clients and subcontractors
• Implement all activities necessary to secure contractors for each project installation type, including developing request for qualifications (RFQ), advertisement of contract opportunity, selection of contractors for each project type, award of contract(s), and issuance of notice to proceed.
• Develop and obtain signed project agreements from approximately 50 multi-family residential facility property owners or managers to collaborate on water/energy efficiency upgrades.
• Prepare required building permits for hot water heater replacement and hot water demand recirculation pump controls
• Coordinate direct installations with contractors to install high-efficiency commercial clothes washers and hot water recirculation pump controls at multi-family facilities.
• Coordinate direct installations with contractors to install high-efficiency clothes washers and water heater upgrades at single-family homes.
• Ensure contractor registration and certified payroll compliance with Department of Industrial Relations.
• Provide supervision of contractor's work, address contractor questions, review and update project schedules, obtain notice of completion for each project, and process contractor payment requests.
• Development and execution of detailed and effective implementation and management plans
• Collaboration with multi-cultural project teams for successful implementation
• Generate all client-required and internal reporting
• Analyze and produce reports on water/energy savings from direct implementation measures utilizing project tracking systems in Salesforce.
• Analysis of budget, goal attainment, and cost-effectiveness
• Identification of innovative technologies and delivery approaches.
• Representing Ecology Action at various industry meetings, workshops and related functions.
• Miscellaneous duties as assigned to meet department and company goals.

Required skills and experience
The Senior Program Specialist/Installation Manager must have demonstrated success and skill in the following:
• Minimum 2 years experience managing multiple contractors and projects. Successful candidate must be capable of functioning independently in managing relationships with clients and subcontractors.
• Minimum 2 years experience implementing water efficiency and/or energy efficiency programs;
• Demonstrated experience implementing direct installation projects on-time and within budget.
• Strong understanding of water efficiency and/or energy efficiency measures and technologies for single and multi-family homes, and commercial buildings and delivery strategies for retrofits;
• Project management and control fundamentals (work plan, schedule, resourcing and budget management)
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Strong ability to use standard MS Office products, particularly MS Excel;
• Familiarity with standard cost-effectiveness analysis techniques;
• Familiarity with standard evaluation measurement and verification processes.

Desired skills
• Ability to speak, read, and write proficiently in Spanish and/or Vietnamese.
• Ability to use database programs such as Salesforce.
• Community connections for multi-cultural contractor recruiting and program implementation in disadvantaged communities in Santa Clara County.
• Experience with neighborhood canvassing work and/or community organizing.
• At least 5 years of experience in water or energy efficiency industry is strongly desired.

Degree/Major:
Bachelors' or higher degree in the area of Environmental Studies, Engineering, Physical Sciences, Social Marketing, Business, Education, Communications, or related field;

Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit, stand, talk and hear, and use a computer keyboard and monitor. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25 pounds.
Work Environment: The work environment is an office setting and will include site visits to multi-family residential laundry facilities, utility rooms, and crawl spaces and single-family homes, which may expose an individual to fumes, airborne particles, loud noise levels, and unpleasant odors. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Compensation: Ecology Action offers a competitive salary and a generous benefit package that includes a cafeteria plan with medical, dental, and flexible spending benefits; a 401k-retirement plan with a 4% match; and group life insurance.

Ecology Action believes that each employee makes a significant contribution to our success and should not be limited by the assigned responsibilities. This position description outlines primary duties, qualifications, and job scope, but is not intended to be a comprehensive description of job responsibilities. We expect each employee will offer his/her services wherever and whenever necessary to ensure the success of our endeavors.

Ecology Action is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to diversity in its workforce. Candidates for this position must be legally authorized to work directly as an employee for any employer in the United States without visa sponsorship.

Driving an insured personal vehicle on company business is required (currently $.575/mile reimbursement).