Deputy Director of Climate Adaptation & Resilience/Climate Finance Strategist

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs seeks to protect, preserve, and enhance the Commonwealth’s environmental resources while ensuring and promoting a clean energy future for the state’s residents. Through the stewardship of open space, protection of environmental resources, and enhancement of clean energy, the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs works tirelessly to make Massachusetts a wonderful place to live, work, and raise a family.

Who We Serve:

Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to combine energy and environmental agencies under one Cabinet secretary. The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs (EOEEA) serves Commonwealth residents interested in outdoor recreational activities, clean energy solutions and those who work with animals and livestock. Equally, EOEEA works with energy consumers, power companies, clean energy providers and farmers to delicately balance the interaction with environmental protection laws and regulations while being a cornerstone for our economic prosperity.

Secretariat Overview:

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretariat (EOEEA) provides oversight of the Commonwealth’s energy and environmental agencies, namely, the Division of Energy Resources (DOER), Department of Public Utilities (DPU), Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR), Department of Fish and Game (DFG), and Department of Agricultural Resources (DAR). EOEEA also has divisions within the Secretariat, including the Office of Law Enforcement (OLE or Massachusetts Environmental Police), Massachusetts Environmental Policy Act (MEPA) office, Coastal Zone Management (CZM) office, and Division of Conservation Services (DCS). All agencies and divisions promote the environmental or energy related goals and initiatives of the Administration and the Secretary of EOEEA.

The Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs is accepting resumes and applications for the position of Deputy Director of Climate Adaptation & Resilience / Climate Finance Strategist.

The Deputy Director of Climate Adaptation and Resilience / Climate Finance Strategist reports to the Director of Climate Adaptation and Resilience and supports cross-government implementation of the State Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan (SHMCAP) and administration of the Resilient MA Action Team. This includes but is not limited to coordination, planning, implementation, and policy analysis and development.

The Deputy Director supports program strategic development and advancement, in addition to implementation of priority actions identified in the 2023 SHMCAP.

As Climate Finance Strategist, the Deputy develops and leads a new Climate Finance Strategy that identifies funding sources, partners, and equitable distribution models to catalyze and increase the capacity of the Commonwealth’s municipal and agency climate investments. The Deputy coordinates with the EEA Finance and Climate Mitigation teams on actionable financing solutions, and opportunities to align goals and capacity with relevant climate finance implementation of the Clean Energy and Climate Plan.

The Deputy leads strategic implementation of the SHMCAP, specifically related to building out the SHMCAP Implementation funding program for agencies, expanding implementation of the RMAT resilience tool across the capital planning process, and developing resilience investment metrics to ensure sound and impactful implementation across the Commonwealth.

The Deputy also supports relevant efforts to integrate resilience into EEA policy and permitting, such as through coordination with MEPA, DEP, CZM, and the building code.

Major Responsibilities:

Lead Strategic SHMCAP/RMAT Implementation

• Support development and implementation of the MA Climate Assessment and statewide hazard mitigation and climate adaptation plan and help to manage EEA’s workflow related to this planning effort including management of the interagency Resilient MA Action Team (RMAT) and its working groups.
• Build and implement program for annual SHMCAP Implementation agency funding through the RMAT in alignment with MVP core principles and frameworks, including strategy for integrating resilience across agency plans and projects
• Lead on ensuring ongoing implementation and increased use of RMAT Resilience Design Standards Tool in capital planning evaluation.
• Support relevant efforts to integrate resilience into EEA policy and permitting, such as through coordination with MEPA, DEP, and CZM.

Climate Finance Strategy and Implementation

• Develop and implement climate finance strategy that identifies new funding sources, partners, and equitable distribution models and metrics to increase capacity for and impact of agency and municipal resilience investments and procurement
  • As part of strategy development and implementation, liaise with the EEA’s Finance team and other EEA and agency stakeholders (Policy, Legal) to determine the most actionable climate financing solutions; coordinate closely with Climate Mitigation team on opportunities for climate finance alignment.
  • Serve as a climate finance resource across EEA, finding opportunities for cross-agency partnership on climate resilience investments for both adaptation and mitigation.
• In coordination with MVP, EEA Finance, and staff from other resilience grant funding programs (e.g., programs run by the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency, EEA’s Office of Coastal Zone Management, and EEA’s Department of Ecological Restoration, among others), build out resources for local communities and state agencies on how to leverage various sources of funding to implement their climate projects.
• Stay up to date on latest best practices related to climate funding and finance, and application to climate policy and grant programs, and proactively identify opportunities for informing and advancing Climate team programs.

Preferred qualifications:

At least 3-5 years experience in state government, policy or program management and/or related climate adaptation topics.

Climate adaptation or mitigation program or policy background, with specific background or expertise in climate finance and funding mechanisms and opportunities.

Experience managing projects in a team environment, including developing project plans and managing timelines, and multiple vendor contracts and budgets.

General working knowledge of executive branch organization and procedures; ability to quickly learn about a broad variety of energy and environmental programs.

Ability to interact with public and stakeholders respectfully and appropriately, and to translate complex information for policymakers.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

Attention to detail and excellent record keeping skills.

Organized and task oriented.

Team player.

Comprehensive Benefits

When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.

Want the specifics? Explore our Employee Benefits and Rewards!