GRID Alternatives envisions a rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone. Our mission is to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. We have been around since 2001 and continue to be a leader in the Non Profit Solar Industry. 

Why you want to work here:

GRID Alternatives is a national leader in making clean, affordable solar power and solar jobs accessible to low-income communities and communities of color. GRID is an entrepreneurial, high-growth non-profit organization that provides direct solar installation and project development; clean mobility options; workforce training and service learning opportunities; and low-income solar policy advocacy.


Based in Oakland, California, GRID has 8 regional offices and affiliates serving all of California, Colorado, Mid-Atlantic/Washington D.C. region, and Tribal Lands within the U.S. Additionally, GRID has international operations in Nicaragua, Mexico, and Nepal. GRID has a dedicated staff of 400 and growing!

Their Vision: 

• A rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone.

Their Mission: 

• To build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy.

What it's like at GRID:

- At GRID, we care about each other and know that each employee has a whole self that includes life outside of work. Our culture supports learning, growth and well-being of all of our team members. Every member of GRID Alternatives must be dedicated to participating in the organization's equity, inclusion, and diversity (EID) work.

- GRID Alternatives provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability or genetics. Because we value EID at GRID Alternatives, we encourage folks from all backgrounds to apply, even if you do not meet all of the preferred qualifications.

About Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing (SANAH), a Solar For All Program

- Funded and overseen by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) via the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), GRID Alternatives leads a ten-organization team of Americas leading mission-driven nonprofit affordable housing providers and clean energy allies to develop and implement the Solar Access for Nationwide Affordable Housing Program (SANAH). 

- SANAH is designed to maximize household and community benefits and advance justice while reducing unhealthy pollution and addressing climate change. By providing financial assistance in the form of grants and incentives and connecting larger scale projects to loans along with technical assistance from organizations with deep experience in equitable deployment of residential-serving renewable energy SANAH will support equitable solar deployment for over 35,000 households living in single- and multifamily affordable housing across 29 priority states and territories.

Program benefits

•  Expanded access to solar and energy storage for income-qualified households; 
• energy savings and burden relief; 
• energy efficiency and electrification co-benefits; 
• job training and inclusive workforce development opportunities; 
• support for American manufacturing; 
• opportunities for small- and disadvantaged business enterprises; 
• increased community and grid resilience;
• Community-centered engagement and participatory governance based on relationships of respect and trust. 

- Based in California, GRID Alternatives' SANAH program is currently under development with partner organizations across the nation and the EPA and is slated to launch by May 1, 2025. For more information, see GRIDs press release here and EPAs press release here.

- SANAH builds on GRIDs experience over the last 20 years as the nations largest nonprofit solar energy provider, and Solar For All is modeled, in part, on programs and initiatives that GRID has helped to pioneer through its Energy For All Program, which brings solar and its benefits, including nearly $700m in savings to income-qualified households and families in tandem with nation-leading workforce development programming.

The Opportunity

- The Program Manager for SANAH/SFA in Puerto Rico will lead the coordination of a large cross-departmental in-house team, along with nine partner organizations, to successfully design, launch, and implement the SANAH PR Program, which will run through April 30, 2029. As the day-to-day leader and responsible party, the Manager will be strongly supported by and will collaborate closely with GRIDs VP of International Programs and the SANAH Program Management Officer, as well as many other key leaders and staff spanning GRIDs departments to ensure the success of this historic program.

- With support from throughout the organization, the Managers purview will be comprehensive of all the programmatic and administrative tasks related to the effective and efficient functioning of the program, including funder and partner management; contract and grant management and compliance; scope of work implementation and tracking; budgeting and invoicing; reporting and evaluation; and change management across the programs functional areas over the program lifecycle. Program functional areas include administration; marketing, education, and outreach; technical and financial assistance; workforce development; contractor engagement; and project management.

Job Duties

• Equity and inclusion
• Apply a strong equity lens to all aspects of the program lifecycle, ensuring alignment with GRID's mission and core values.
• Ensure the program is developed and designed to achieve equity outcomes by ensuring robust equity inputs, continuous evaluation, and change management when needed.
• Support the development of a positive, collaborative, and cohesive team cultureinternally and with partnersfostering alignment and inclusion.
• Strategic planning and coordination
• Collaborate with key stakeholders, including GRID staff spanning all departments, coalition partners, and other local and relevant stakeholders to strategically implement SANAHs scope of work in Puerto Rico.
• Monitor and evaluate program progress, identify risks, and proactively source creative solutions to ensure program compliance and the achievement of stated program goals.
• Communicate and coordinate with GRIDs relevant departments (including International Program, Policy & Programs, Construction, Outreach, Workforce Development, Operations, and Communications) to effectively work in alignment to advance community and participant co-benefits across GRIDs relevant programs in Puerto Rico.
• Internal and external communication
• Maintain effective communication channels for collaboration across relevant GRID departments to ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities and to promote a shared understanding of and support for current and emerging program priorities in Puerto Rico. 
• Maintain and strengthen existing communication channels that promote relationship-building, alignment, and successful collaboration among SANAH partner organizations and stakeholders in Puerto Rico and in coordination with the GRID SANAH team to include HQ or national partner office when applicable.
• Serve as the lead meeting facilitator for internal and coalition meetings in Puerto Rico.
• Effectively represent the program externally in coordination with GRIDs Communications Department, providing thought leadership and engaging stakeholders for program-relevant coordination and collaboration.
• Program development and management
  Understand and conduct all program management activities in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, 2 CFR 200 and EPA requirements.
• Apply best management practices and collaborate across internal and external teams to ensure the successful implementation of the SANAH work plan across the program lifecycle in Puerto Rico.
• Track and manage program budgets and support and oversee timely invoicing in collaboration with GRIDs Accounting Department.
• Actively participate in GRIDs Program Management Office, supporting knowledge and resource sharing across teams and our portfolio of programs to hone best management practices and ensure continuous improvement in program management and implementation.
• With support from the Program Management Office, develop and maintain a program management dashboard to interactively display key data and indicators, monitor project status, performance, and health, and help identify risks, challenges, and opportunities for improvement for work in Puerto Rico.
• Collaborate with sub awardees to similarly monitor and evaluate the status of their scopes of work in order to proactively manage toward the attainment of shared goals.
• Work closely with the GRID Puerto Rico Installation Basics Training program team to provide opportunities for program graduates to work on SFA-funded solar installations.
• Resource management and support.
• Identify resource needs, and build and maintain a library of internal program resources, promoting efficient collaboration.
• Maintain working knowledge of relevant software technologies and create and maintain collaborative processes to secure tools when needed, socialize their importance and potential impact, oversee staff training on their effective use, and govern staffs appropriate utilization of such tools on an ongoing basis.

These include but may not be limited to: Microsoft Office and Google Suite, task management tools (such as Asana), customer relationship management (CRM) tools (such as Salesforce), application processing tools, file management systems, and other tools in common use for program administration and management.

What you need to bring to this role

• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and diversity, with a strong understanding of the connection between the energy system and economic and environmental justice.
• Strong leadership and inclusive decision-making abilities, coupled with flexibility and adaptability in a dynamic environment.
• Proven program development and management expertise with a proven track record of success.
• Deep experience building and managing large, cross-departmental, and multifunctional teams.
• In-depth knowledge of the solar and/or the renewable energy sector in Puerto Rico, including the policy drivers of market development, project finance, and the project lifecycle.
• Attention to detail and process orientation.
• Exemplary written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to inspire positive, collaborative, active, and proactive problem-solving amid diverse and ongoing challenges.
• Ability to assess team capacity and developmental needs and provide guidance and support accordingly.
• Experience in data collection, analysis, and evaluation.

Proven experience developing and maintaining a large budget and tracking expenses across a large team and program.

It would be great if you also had: 

• PMP certification
• Experience managing and implementing multi-partner federal grants
• Professional or lived experience with affordable housing and environmental justice
• Fluency in Spanish and English, both oral and written
• Resident of Puerto Rico
• Accountability and Support
• The Manager will report directly to the Vice President of International Programs and will be the primary responsible party for measurable programmatic success in Puerto Rico.
• The Manager will receive support through close collaboration with key executives and access to a robust, multifunctional team of dedicated and matrixed staff.
• The Manager will receive necessary and reasonable training and development opportunities to enhance technical skills, tools, and knowledge

- This is a hybrid position located in Puerto Rico working out of the Caguas/Juncos area. Travel up to 20% is anticipated, such as to key meetings, site visits, and conferences. This position may rarely require up to 25% out-of-town travel to regional offices and special projects such as company-wide celebrations, team building exercises, etc. Availability to work nights and weekends may very rarely be required.

- GRID Alternatives may provide vehicles for work travel and/or travel reimbursement for personal vehicle use. In this instance, applicants must hold a valid drivers license and have a good driving record.

Let's Talk Money

This is a full-time, non-exempt position. Hourly pay commensurate with experience within the pay band ($26.44-$28.85 per hour), plus the benefits below.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental, Vision/Eye Care insurance 
• 5 weeks paid time off (PTO)
• 13 paid holidays
• Commuter Checks
• 403b Retirement Plan
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Flexible Spending Account (FSA) 
• Health Savings Account (HSA), STD, LTD, and AD&D insurance

***El Comeback is a non-profit program from ConPRmetidos that attracts and retains professional talent for Puerto Rico-based jobs. Register at elcomebackpr.org/registration-form to get matched with professional opportunities on the island.***