RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellow/Research Fellow: Buildings Program

POSITION TITLE: RAY Clean Energy Diversity Fellow / Research Fellow  

DEPARTMENT/PROGRAM: Buildings Program                                         

REPORTS TO: Jennifer Amann, Buildings Program Director                 

STATUS: Regular, Full-Time                             

LOCATION: Washington, DC               

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.

The American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) organization, acts as a catalyst to advance energy efficiency policies, programs, technologies, investments, and behaviors. We believe that the United States can harness the full potential of energy efficiency to achieve greater economic prosperity, energy security, and environmental protection for all its people. ACEEE carries out its mission by:

ACEEE was founded in 1980 by leading researchers in the energy field. Since then we have grown to a staff of about 60. Projects are carried out by ACEEE staff and collaborators from government, the private sector, research institutions, and other nonprofit organizations. ACEEE focuses on these program areas:

ACEEE’s organizational culture is collaborative and team-oriented with a strong commitment to its mission. Staff work at an energetic pace within a dynamic and entrepreneurial environment with an emphasis on professional growth and development. There is a high degree of workplace flexibility, with an emphasis on results, making ACEEE an enjoyable and fulfilling place to work.

The Buildings Program conducts research, technical analysis, and outreach to promote energy efficiency and decarbonization in residential and commercial buildings. ACEEE works with policymakers, regulatory agencies, and utilities to identify energy efficiency opportunities and design state-of-the-art policies and programs to capture this potential. We also work with building owners and operators, builders and contractors, manufacturers, and retailers to identify and develop strategies to accelerate the adoption of energy efficiency technologies and practices in homes and commercial buildings. ACEEE partners with a wide range of organizations to make measurable progress toward our goal of transitioning to healthy and affordable zero energy and zero carbon buildings for all Americans.

The fellow will be a member of ACEEE’s Buildings Program, providing research, outreach, and some administrative support. The fellow’s main focus will be contributing to our work on zero energy/zero carbon buildings including new construction and existing building retrofits. The fellow will work with senior researchers on the team on projects to 1) promote adoption of stretch codes in utility programs and state/local policies for new construction and 2) analyze innovative packages of technologies and measures designed to increase participation in home energy efficiency retrofit programs by making these projects more affordable and better tailored to consumer needs and interests. This position will support research, data collection and outreach efforts to utilities, contractors, and government agencies; data analysis; and reporting. The fellow will have the opportunity to engage stakeholders directly in structured conference calls, interviews, and meetings. The individual in this position will gain an understanding of energy use in buildings, technologies and practices to improve energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions related to buildings, and programs and policies to drive the transition to zero energy/carbon buildings. The fellow may also contribute to work related to buildings policy led by our federal, state, and local policy teams.

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 the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy, which offers a competitive benefits package, which includes health, dental, vision, disability, and life insurance coverage; a 403(b) retirement plan; transportation and bike share benefits; three weeks of vacation in the first year and four weeks thereafter, as well as an excellent training program and professional development opportunities. The starting salary for this position is $40,000, with employees being paid semi-monthly.  

To apply for the RAY Fellowship Program, applicants must:

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.

ACEEE 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. ACEEE 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.