RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellow: Empowering Clean Economies Program

POSITION TITLE: RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellow           

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Empowering Clean Economies Program                                                   

REPORTS TO: James Sherwood, Principal

STATUS: Regular, Full-Time                             

LOCATION: Boulder, CO; Washington, D.C.                  

Inspired by efforts to increase racial diversity in Clean Energy, the Roger Arliner Young (RAY) Clean Energy Diversity Fellowship Program aims to increase and facilitate Clean Energy-related career pathways for emerging leaders of color. The RAY Fellowship Program is a paid fellowship designed to equip recent college graduates with the tools, experiences, support, and community they need to become leaders in the Clean Energy sector—one that, in our visions of the future, fully represents, includes, and is led by the diverse communities, perspectives, and experiences of the United States.

Rocky Mountain Institute transforms global energy use to create a clean, prosperous, and secure low-carbon future. That is our mission. That is our passion. And every day, every member of our team of over 200 works tirelessly to achieve it. We are driving the global energy transition from fossil fuels to efficiency and renewables by working in partnership with businesses, communities, institutions, and entrepreneurs to advance market-based solutions. We achieve this by developing breakthrough ideas, testing and refining them, reshaping markets, and bringing solutions to scale. We recognize the importance of including diverse perspectives in our team as we work to advance our mission in a way that benefits all of society. RMI is an independent 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with an annual budget of $50 million and offices in Basalt and Boulder, Colorado; New York City; Washington, D.C.; and Beijing. www.rmi.org 

The successful candidate will support RMI’s Empowering Clean Economies (ECE) Program. ECE includes the Islands Energy Program, the Africa Energy Program, and Southeast Asia. The Islands Energy Program is currently working with select island partners in the Caribbean to support cost-effective clean energy transitions to benefit all national stakeholders. The Africa Energy Program works with sub-Saharan African countries to expand electricity access and drive economic development utilizing clean energy technologies. Our Southeast Asia work is currently focused on a pioneering energy efficiency project in the Philippines.

RMI is seeking RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellow candidates for our Empowering Clean Economies Program, with a low and middle-income country focus. The Fellow will be a creative problem solver who uses their research, quantitative, and technical abilities to conduct compelling analyses around vital energy issues. They will collaborate with team members to craft visionary yet practical solutions for our research questions and for our clients. 

We look for aptitude at solving challenging problems, thinking in numbers, and working in groups. We expect self-motivation, curiosity, creativity, the ability to drive oneself and others toward meaningful results, and a passion for making the world better. The Fellow will be an independent contributor who works closely with a core group of colleagues on specific projects under the direction of senior staff, as well as across the broader ECE team. 

The Fellow will support projects that seek to bring distributed energy resources to scale within the geographies we work in. This will include working with and across government, utility, finance, and private sector actors, and leading workstreams to provide research, policy and technoeconomic analysis, and communication of findings. Specific responsibilities will include: 

In addition to the responsibilities at the host institution outlined above, RAY Fellows will spend, on average, 2-4 hours per week (5-10% of work time) on the following:

RAY Fellows will also attend:

Eligible RAY Fellow applicants will:

This is a two-year, full-time fellowship (one year with a one-year renewal) starting on or after July 15, 2020.

The Fellowship is compensated and sponsored by Rocky Mountain Institute, who offers a competitive benefits package as well as training and professional development opportunities.

We offer a comprehensive benefits package including: 

To apply for the RAY Fellowship Program, applicants must:

1.    Complete the online application survey on the RAY Fellowship Program website: https://rayfellowship.org/apply.

2.    Follow the instructions on the linked application webpage to submit a curriculum vitae or a resume, two essay and one short answer responses, and a letter of support.

Applications must be submitted to the RAY Fellowship Program no later than March 31, 2020. Transcripts and additional writing samples are not required. Questions about the application process can be submitted to the RAY Program Coordinator, Charlie Espedido, via email at charlie@elpnet.org.

Rocky Mountain Institute is an equal opportunity employer and will not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, handicap, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity, or veteran status. Rocky Mountain Institute is continually seeking to diversify its staff, particularly to broaden opportunities for individuals from demographic groups that are historically underrepresented in the sciences and in environmental advocacy.