Solar Community Education and Installation Program Coordinator

Solar Austin is a local nonprofit organization with a mission to expand solar access to everyone while accelerating community education, strengthening the local economy, and promoting climate change mitigation with clean energy. Since 2002, we have successfully advocated for pro-solar policies and programs, helped to improve diversity equity and inclusion via an internship matching program, donated solar and battery installations for local nonprofits, and hosted many educational community events. Now, we are looking for a program coordinator to support our mission by implementing our donated installations and community education program.  

The Solar Installation and Education Program Coordinator will require basic technical knowledge of solar installations, a commitment to community education, and solar policy knowledge. This person will be instrumental in ensuring that Solar Austin meets our grant deliverables and can continue growing our positive impact on the community.

Coordinating Donated Solar Installations & Donated Equipment (50%):

• Oversee and manage all aspects of distributed solar projects from initiation to completion, ensuring adherence to timelines, budgets, and grant deliverables.
• Identify companies to do solar installations, at a reduced rate or as a donation whenever possible.
• Utilize donated solar panels for installations (and inverters whenever possible).
• Procure all other needed equipment, securing donations whenever possible.
• Coordinate with non-profit partners, contractors, volunteers, and suppliers to ensure efficient project execution. This will include working with a contractor and possibly a volunteer responsible for developing detailed project plans. 
• Be familiar with all necessary paperwork for permitting, interconnection, and obtaining incentives. 
• Be on-site during installations to monitor and document progress and address any issues or concerns.
• Manage project budgets, track expenses, and prepare cost reports for each project.
• Plan and execute at least one educational community event at each donated installation site.
• Document and promote donated installations via social media, Solar Austin's website, and external media outlets.
• Maintain effective communication with internal and external stakeholders (including the Solar Austin Board of Directors), regularly updating project status, milestones, and potential risks for projects.

Solar Education (40%):

• Source, develop, and maintain factsheets and online resources with information about the process for installing customer-sited solar and batteries in Austin and available local, state, and federal incentives for solar and batteries.
• Educate local nonprofits and residents on the benefits of solar and how to access federal, state and local incentives to assist with customer-sited solar and batteries. This will include webinars, events, private meetings, and other outreach strategies.
• Assist local nonprofits and residents with the process of accessing local, state and federal incentives.
• Promote distributed solar via social media, Solar Austin's website, and external media outlets.

General (10%):

• Conduct research, surveys, and analysis supporting Solar Austin's Solar goals.
• Support programmatic fundraising activities and grant applications by providing budgets and project descriptions.
• Identify and build relationships with key stakeholders and partners throughout the region, including educational partners, business leaders, nonprofit leaders, and government employees and leaders, as time permits.
• Represent Solar Austin at local events and meetings.
• Help advocate for needed local, state or federal policy or program changes, as required.
• Attend monthly Solar Austin board meetings and committee meetings to report on work and coordinate with the board.

Knowledge, Skills, Experience, and Qualities for this Role:

Required:

• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail. Managing and prioritizing multiple projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines is essential.
• Passion and enthusiasm for solar energy, mitigating climate change, and promoting equitable access to solar, in alignment with Solar Austin’s mission.
• Experience managing a program or projects in a non-profit, government, education, private business, or organized labor setting.
• Experience running in-person events.
• Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively across diverse backgrounds and sectors.
• Experience running remote meetings and webinars.
• Strong problem-solving skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to work independently and with a geographically distributed team to meet deadlines.
• Willingness to be flexible, adapt to new technologies, learn, and shift course as needs arise.
• Willingness to foster a positive and collaborative work environment at Solar Austin, promoting teamwork, transparency, and continuous improvement.

Preferred:

• Familiarity with energy policy and the technical aspects of solar photovoltaics (PV) systems and batteries.
• Understanding of distributed energy resources (DER), interconnection processes, and permitting requirements.
• Educational background in environmental studies, public policy, sustainability, or another related field.
• 1-2 years of project management experience.
• Demonstrated leadership experience.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEIA).

Other Requirements: 

• Must live in the Austin area.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States.
• Ability to travel locally to project sites and events.
• Comfortable working outdoors during installations.

Salary: 

$60-70,000/year (depending on experience).

This is a contract, grant-contingent position. 

To Apply:

Email your resume and a cover letter to info@solaraustin.org.