Assistant Program Manager

Center for Energy and Environment•Minneapolis, MN

4d•$32 - $34•Hybrid

About The Position

The Assistant Program Manager joins the Center for Energy and Environment’s Market Transformation department and reports to the Operations Manager. The role leads vendor procurement and supports annual department work planning and budgeting. The Market Transformation team accelerates development and adoption of emerging energy-efficiency and decarbonization technologies across Minnesota. The position supports procurement and contract management, including RFP/RFQ development, vendor outreach and selection, compliance, documentation, invoice approvals, and vendor monitoring. It also supports budget development, spending reconciliation, analysis, and reporting; department process improvement and communication; and staff onboarding and development related to procurement, contracting, and operations. The role is hybrid, with 1–2 days per week onsite at the Minneapolis office. Candidates local to the Twin Cities are encouraged to apply. Expected pay upon hire is $31.50–$34.00 per hour, depending on qualifications and experience.

Requirements

Knowledge of procurement practices, including RFP/RFQ development and contract lifecycle management.
Proficiency with Microsoft 365, particularly Excel for budget and spending analysis, including identifying trends and variances, and experience using tools for document management and tracking.
Familiarity with AI tools or willingness to learn them for efficiency, analysis, and workflow improvement, with awareness of responsible use, human oversight, data confidentiality, accuracy, and bias.
Familiarity with state-funded contract compliance requirements, or ability to learn them quickly.
Comfort learning and managing procurement and contract tracking systems.
Strong attention to detail when reviewing contracts and compliance documentation.
Ability to independently manage multiple processes, exercise sound judgment in vendor and contracting decisions, solve problems, and take ownership of outcomes.
Strong time-management and prioritization skills.
Clear written and verbal communication skills, including communication with external vendors.
Ability to work effectively across departments, including Legal, Operations, and Accounting.
Professionalism and discretion when handling vendor and contract information.

Nice To Haves

A degree in a related field or equivalent experience.
Three to five years of experience in operations, procurement, budgeting, or financial administration; candidates with experience spanning vendor or contract management and budget or financial analysis are strongly encouraged to apply.
Experience with RFP/RFQ processes, vendor contract management, budget development, financial tracking, or spend analysis.
Familiarity with nonprofit or energy-sector work.

Responsibilities

Maintain knowledge of CEE procurement policies and goals, collaborate with the legal team, and provide procurement process support to Market Transformation staff.
Support teams in developing project and initiative RFPs and RFQs, and help determine which process to pursue based on policy drivers and program needs.
Manage the scheduled addition of vendors to RFQ lists.
Support vendor solicitation, outreach, and communication throughout RFP and bidding processes, advancing CEE’s diversity, equity, and inclusion goals.
Partner with Legal, Accounting, and Operations to ensure procurement processes, selection criteria, and documentation meet organizational and state compliance requirements.
Track procurement timelines and decision points, and make vendor-selection and contracting recommendations within organizational guidelines.
Maintain complete, current, auditable procurement and vendor-selection documentation.
Ensure contracts are correctly set up and meet compliance requirements before execution.
Maintain organized procurement and contract files according to document-retention requirements.
Manage vendor invoice approvals, retain supporting payment documentation, and monitor vendor compliance, flagging issues for resolution.
Support annual Market Transformation budget and workplan development with the Operations Manager.
Monitor and reconcile department and initiative spending against approved budgets, identifying variances, trends, risks, and opportunities.
Prepare labor and non-labor budget analysis and reports for initiative managers, leadership meetings, and ad hoc requests.
Develop tools and processes to help managers understand and manage contract, initiative, and department spending.
Partner with Accounting on project coding, budget allocations, monthly reconciliation, invoicing, and billing.
Provide related administrative and project-management support as needed.
Identify and implement department-wide process improvements that increase clarity, consistency, and efficiency.
Identify opportunities to use AI and emerging technologies to streamline workflows and improve efficiency and accuracy, with appropriate human oversight and policy compliance.
Develop and maintain processes, tools, and documentation that clarify responsibilities and help staff complete work effectively.
Partner with staff and managers to identify operational needs, communicate process updates, and support implementation of improved processes.
Share responsibility with the Program Coordinator for new-staff onboarding, including materials and process training related to procurement, contracting, and operations.
Support staff development activities and training related to procurement and contracting.
Perform other duties as assigned or apparent.