Beneficial Electrification Associate

About Acterra

Acterra is driven by the opportunity to learn and grow together while achieving high impact through fighting climate change and reducing carbon emissions. We harness the individual strengths within our staff and our network to foster a leader-full organization. Our team members are high performers and high collaborators. We encourage creativity and failing forward.

Inclusiveness

Acterra strives to ensure that the organization is welcoming and inclusive. Acterra is an equal opportunity employer that supports and lives diversity in our staffing and values. Acterra does not discriminate as to gender, race, culture, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religious beliefs, social background, disability, pregnancy, marital status, political affiliation, or age. Acterra strives to include persons from traditionally under-represented groups and complies with all applicable national and local laws on non-discrimination and equal opportunity.

We strongly encourage and seek applications from women; people of color; immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; and members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and gender non-conforming communities. Acterra complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.

Acterra’s Climate Action Programs

Acterra is a Bay Area-focused environmental organization based in Palo Alto that brings people together to create local solutions for a healthy planet. The organization’s roots go back to 1970 with a history of inspiring and motivating action for change. Our programs are:

• Beneficial Electrification for All: helps accelerate an equitable shift from fossil fuels to renewable energy by prioritizing and accelerating the adoption of all-electric appliances, buildings, and vehicles that operate on clean energy instead of fossil fuels.
• Food: promotes plant-rich eating and food waste reduction by residents, institutions, and local communities for better personal health and a lower carbon footprint.
• Education: includes the Public Lecture Series, which invites leading voices from academia, business, and policy to discuss global change issues; the You(th) Be the Change climate-based education and leadership program.
• Advocacy: elevates equity issues across our program areas and includes EV Charging Access Coalition, focused on accessibility of charging in multi-family housing, and Acterra’s Student Ambassador Program, which encourages student-led change in local communities.

Purpose:

Acterra’s Beneficial Electrification (BE) program prioritizes and accelerates the adoption of all-electric appliances, buildings, and vehicles that operate on clean energy instead of fossil fuels. BE supports the general public, small businesses, industry, municipalities, counties, regional authorities, the state, utilities, and NGOs toward meeting the climate goals of the entire region.

This full-time position reports to the Beneficial Electrification Manager and supports Acterra by managing the Green@Home workshops, Electric Home Tour, Induction Cooking, and KarlKnapp GoEV programming, as well as supporting the development program. This position is specifically rooted in making an educational, fun, and easy-to-understand program for the community while being people-facing. 

Description of Duties: 

Program and Project Coordination: 

• Green@Home: Organizing webinars for Green@Home by preparing slides, coordinating public speakers, and managing virtual meeting spaces
  • • Electric Home Tours: Coordinate a bi-annual Electric Home Tour alongside volunteers, including coordinating with homeowners, managing volunteers, and outreach to community members, to increase awareness for residents on the personal electrification journey.
    • Induction Cooktop Lending Program: Manage applications for ICLP partnership sites, support borrowers, and inventory management, with the objective that borrowers and sites feel supported and have a great experience with their induction cooktops.
    • Voucher programs in partnership with local cities (e-bikes, induction, etc): Manage applications from residents for local voucher programs, support customers, and vendor management, with the objective of qualifying eligible residents and vendors feeling supported in increasing the adoption of electric appliances or mobility.
• Karl Knapp GOEV Program: Support EV expos, Partner focused Ride and Drive events, host EV workshops, and conduct 1:1 Consultations, to support the education of residents and ultimately the increased adoption of EVs and e-bikes in the Bay Area. 

Other Duties : 

• Be the community liaison when it comes to educating residents about electrifying their life 
• Support the Beneficial Electrification (BE) Manager with the implementation of new and traditional BE programs
• Attend workshops/seminars to ensure this role remains up-to-date with current renewable energy and electrification science, technology, and policy
• Support partner led BE related events, such as Earth Day, or other BE workshops
• Alongside BE Manager, coordinate with marketing team to ensure promotions of events are available in multiple languages 
• Coordinate with the BE Manager to ensure that translation is provided at various events
• Ensure that programs are accessible and inclusive to the diverse population they are serving  

Desired qualifications/characteristics:

• Work experience in the environmental field is preferred, but other relevant experience is considered (internships, volunteer experience etc.)
• Community outreach, public speaking, communications, and marketing experience are highly desirable
• Excellent organizational, writing, interpersonal, and speaking skills
• Ability to engage and build relationships with people from a wide diversity of backgrounds and cultures
• Strong team player and a self-starter with the enthusiasm to implement new strategies and meet goals
• Flexible schedule required for evening/weekend events (at least two per month)
• Valid CA Driver’s License and ability to commute throughout the Bay Area.
• Bilingual Spanish a plus

Compensation, Hours, Location

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Your schedule may vary based on need and may include evening and weekend hours on a regular basis. The annual rate for this Associate level role will be $50,000. Acterra strives to provide equitable and competitive compensation for all of its employees, including health, vision, dental insurance for staff and dependents, generous PTO and a retirement match. Acterra offers a highly collegial work environment. This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on climate change. Professional growth opportunities available. Acterra offers a flexible work from home policy, however this position requires frequent work from our Palo Alto office, as well as other locations around the SF Bay Area. This is not a remote work opportunity.

Apply

Applicants should submit a substantive and thoughtful cover letter describing their interest in the position and making the case for the relevance of their experience. The cover letter should be submitted together with a current resume. Applications missing a cover letter or resume will not be considered. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. If selected for the process, expect a phone screen, a one- on-one, and a group interview.