Project Manager - Indigenous Communities

Project Manager - 2

Initiative: Equitable Program Development and Community Stakeholder

Is travel required for this position: 30%-50% with valid Driver's license required

Where the work will be performed: Remote - must be NYS resident.

Location of Resource: Remote - NY statewide travel

Expereince Required: 7- 10 Years

Pay rate: $45 - 70/hr

What skills are needed to be successful in this role?

• Ability to demonstrate respect, equity and inclusive behavior and practices of a diverse workforce and community
• Knowledge of Indigenous cultures, histories, protocols, and contemporary issues
• Experience conducting community engagements with historically marginalized communities and Indigenous Peoples
• Proficiency in writing and concretely synthesizing and translating technical information for multiple audiences including industry stakeholders and the general public
• Proficiency with developing strategies, recommendations, and communicating and presenting information for executive review
• Demonstrated ability to identify and solve problems using available resources
• Strong organization, project management, and time management skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Demonstrated skill in applying critical thinking, working collaboratively, and continual learning

Are there any specialized skills that must be present for the position to be successful?

REQUIRED:

• Knowledge of and experience conducting community engagements with historically marginalized communities and Indigenous Peoples

PREFERRED:

• Lived experience as a member of an Indigenous community in New York State
• Lived experience with environmental and social justice issues
• Demonstrated understanding of and connection to New York-based Indigenous Nations and cultures, histories, protocols, and contemporary issues
• Understanding of the social, emotional, and spiritual wellbeing of Indigenous peoples
• Familiarity with relevant policies, legislation, and resources related to Indigenous affairs
• Experience in at least one of the following subject areas: clean energy, energy efficiency, building or transportation electrification, urban planning, climate action planning
• Experience with the research and development, policy innovation, and deployment of energy efficiency and distributed clean energy technologies
• 10 plus years of relevant experience

Are there any skills or tasks that the resource needs at start of engagement?

• Ability to come up to speed quickly and manage multiple projects simultaneously. Willingness to collaborate with others toward shared goals. Active listening. Meeting facilitation. Humility.

Certifications and qualifications, including education/degree

• Bachelor's degree and 7-10 years of experience in Indigenous community engagement and clean energy policy or comparable work experience; or Master's degree and 5-7 years of experience.

IT systems that will be used

Required systems experience:

• Microsoft Office Suite (including Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint)
• Adobe Acrobat

Training will be available on:

• Salesforce Customer Relationship Management (CRM)
• CLIENT self-service operations and procedures Knowledge Base (Confluence)
• CLIENT's contracts and financial records system (Oracle/PeopleSoft - NEIS)

Tasks

• Liaison duties (50%):

• Cultivate and maintain working relationships with Indigenous Nations staff, serving as liaison between CLIENT and federally and state recognized Indigenous Nations on energy and climate issues and CLIENT clean energy programs.
• Support CLIENT communications with Tribal government leadership.
• Organize consultation meetings between CLIENT leadership and staff and Indigenous Nation leaders and staff on various clean energy topics.
• Lead in the planning, organizing, and follow-up of formal consultation and engagement meetings with Indigenous Nations and CLIENT staff. Assistance includes:
• Drafting and sending invitations to Nation leadership, staff, and presenters. Assisting with the scheduling of event meetings and concurrent presentations.
• Following up on meeting site logistics including lodging, meals, and technology resources. Drafting meeting follow-up action items for CLIENT.
• Ensure timely follow-up on actions from meetings between CLIENT and Indigenous Nations.
• Maintain Indigenous Nations and Indigenous-led organizations contact list.
• Liaise with CLIENT departments and program teams to assure compliance with any protocols to be developed.
• Improve shared understanding between Indigenous Nations and CLIENT with clear communications and information sharing.
• Connect and share information with and learn from community-based organizations that serve Indigenous Nations and Peoples.
• General duties (40%):
• Support the continued development of CLIENT's Indigenous Nation engagement strategy.
• Support the design of CLIENT's Indigenous Nation government-to-government consultation policy.
• Lead development of relevant uniform communication guidance.
• Support coordination with the Governor's office as needed.
• Exchange information and seek to align efforts with other relevant non-Tribal government stakeholders and interagency partners including DEC Office of Indian Nation Affairs, federal government Tribal Affairs offices (Ex: DOE Office of Indian Energy Affairs).
• Research and consult external resources, including Indigenous Nation energy and climate professionals in and outside of NYS, to aid CLIENT staff efforts to engage state or federally recognized Indigenous Nations.
• Develop CLIENT-wide resources around Indigenous Nation priorities, governance structure and relationship preferences.
• Lead in the planning of Indigenous cultural competency training for CLIENT staff in coordination with CLIENT's Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Team.