HOW YOU'LL MAKE AN IMPACTThe Project Manager, State and Local Government is a five-year, fixed-term position supported by a contract with the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA). Employment is expected to continue for up to five years, subject to continued program funding, organizational needs, and performance.
Reporting to the Vice President, State and Local Government within the U.S. Market Transformation & Development team, you will serve as the lead project manager for a five-year statewide initiative supporting annual cohorts of New York local governments as they develop and implement ambitious clean energy and decarbonization strategies.
You will oversee the full lifecycle of multiple annual cohorts, ensuring successful program planning, implementation, stakeholder engagement, technical assistance delivery, curriculum development, partner coordination, contract compliance, and continuous program improvement. Working closely with NYSERDA, local governments, subject matter experts, regional partners, universities, and internal cross-functional teams, you will help communities translate climate goals into measurable actions while supporting scalable and replicable approaches to market transformation.
This position serves as the primary day-to-day contact for NYSERDA and is responsible for ensuring exceptional program execution, strategic alignment, and delivery of all contractual commitments while advancing equitable, resilient, and high-performance communities throughout New York State.
Key Responsibilities - Lead the planning and execution of a five-year, multi-cohort statewide program, managing the full lifecycle of annual cohorts of New York local governments from recruitment and onboarding through implementation, reporting, and closeout.
- Serve as the primary project manager and day-to-day liaison for NYSERDA, ensuring contract compliance, timely delivery of milestones, budget oversight, reporting, risk management, and fulfillment of all program deliverables.
- Manage cross-functional teams and external partners, including subject matter experts, subcontractors, regional organizations, universities, USGBC Chapters, and local government stakeholders to ensure coordinated program delivery and an exceptional participant experience.
- Develop and oversee cohort curriculum, technical assistance, and participant resources, including orientations, workshops, learning sessions, implementation guides, playbooks, and other educational materials that support local government decarbonization efforts.
- Provide strategic guidance and technical support to participating local governments, facilitating workshops, office hours, peer learning, and one-on-one coaching to help communities develop and implement clean energy and climate action strategies.
- Establish and maintain strong project governance practices, including project plans, schedules, budgets, risk logs, performance metrics, documentation, and continuous process improvements to ensure successful program execution.
- Lead stakeholder engagement and external communications, representing USGBC at meetings, conferences, webinars, and public events while coordinating dissemination of best practices, lessons learned, and market transformation resources.
- Supervise program staff, fellows, interns, and consultants, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high-quality execution while supporting the strategic goals of USGBC and NYSERDA.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONSExperience - Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible project management experience supporting complex, multi-stakeholder initiatives.
- Experience managing large-scale public sector, sustainability, climate, clean energy, environmental policy, or technical assistance programs.
- Experience coordinating cross-functional teams, external partners, and government stakeholders.
- Demonstrated experience managing project schedules, budgets, reporting, governance, and contract deliverables.
- Experience working with state or local governments is strongly preferred.
Education- Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Sustainability, Environmental Policy, Project Management, Urban Planning, Environmental Science, or a related discipline. Equivalent combinations of education and experience will also be considered.
Technology/System(s)- Proficiency with project management tools (e.g., Smartsheet, SharePoint, resource management platforms).
- Comfort managing virtual convenings, shared workspaces, and collaborative platforms.
Skills- Exceptional project management, organization, and time-management skills.
- Strong stakeholder management and communication abilities.
- Ability to translate complex technical concepts into accessible content for diverse audiences.
- Skilled at anticipating challenges and proactively resolving issues.
- High attention to detail; strong writing and facilitation skills.
- Customer-focused, collaborative, and committed to quality.
- Experience facilitating workshops or training sessions.
- Familiarity with decarbonization, clean energy, or building performance topics is a plus.
- Familiarity with LEED and LEED for Cities certification frameworks is preferred.
Certifications- PMP, LEED GA, or LEED AP preferred; candidates in progress will be considered.
ABOUT OUR TOTAL REWARDS PACKAGESalary The salary for this position is $107,000 annually. This is a fixed salary established based on funding available by the NYSERDA program and is not negotiable.
BenefitsWe offer you:
- Competitive compensation
- 401(k) with employer matching
- Professional development reimbursement
- We offer a healthcare plan through Cigna that includes medical, dental, vision, and prescription drugs. USGBC covers 100% of the premiums and an HRA that will assist you and your dependents in reaching the in-network medical deductible. You will only be responsible for the $300 individual / $600 family up front deductible for medical services before the employer funded HRA will process payments for your in-network claims
- Generous paid time off (12 paid holidays, 9 paid personal sick days and based on career level either 2 to 3 weeks PTO), including operations closed for a full week between Christmas and New Year's
- 6 weeks paid renewal leave after 7 years of continuous service
LOGISTICSLocation: This position is remote in the United States
Work Schedule: Monday - Friday from 9:00 AM to 5:30 PM ET
Travel %: This is a remote position with regular travel expected. This role requires periodic travel within New York State for cohort orientations, workshops, regional convenings, and conference presentations.
