Executive Director, Mid-Atlantic

GRID ALTERNATIVES•Washington, DC

3d•$150,000 - $160,000•Onsite

About The Position

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. Our Vision: a rapid, equitable transition to a world powered by renewable energy that benefits everyone. Our Mission: to build community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy. 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. The GRID Alternatives regional Executive Director (ED) works with GRID’s national leadership, regional Advisory Board(s), and regional and centralized staff to sustain and build on the successful track record of the GRID region. Working closely with and reporting to the national GRID Alternatives organization, the ED is responsible for the GRID region’s consistent achievement of its mission and financial objectives. The ED also contributes to the overall stewardship of the collective GRID organization. The ED must be an inclusive, strategic, and organized leader with strong operations, financial, staff management, and partnership development experience. Above all else, the ED must be committed to GRID's vision, mission, and values, our team, and a collaborative culture. The ED reports to GRID’s Chief Operations and Affiliate Officer. This is an AMAZING opportunity for someone who wants to run a non-profit and shape the vision and strategic direction in the region with the benefit of having the resources and infrastructure of a robust national organization.

Requirements

Strong commitment and passion for GRID’s mission of building community-powered solutions to advance economic and environmental justice through renewable energy
Min. 5 years senior/executive management and leadership experience
Diplomatic, strong negotiator, conflict mediator, and team builder
Broad-minded, able to flex between big picture and detail
Adept problem solver and has growth mindset, able to learn and adopt new skills and approaches
Excellent communicator (written and verbal)
Seasoned manager (particularly managing and motivating a diverse team with a mix of technical and non-technical staff and ensuring organized, efficient, quality delivery of services)
Comfortable working with and communicating with diverse populations
Self-motivated and driven
Able to both work independently, as well as collaboratively with GRID staff and stakeholders
Demonstrated experience developing, maintaining, and refining systems and structures to improve team and organizational effectiveness and succession planning

Nice To Haves

Previous non-profit management experience
Connections to affordable housing, philanthropic, job training, solar, clean transportation, and low-income advocacy organizations/communities in the region that can be leveraged for GRID
Knowledge of solar energy development and/or construction
Technical skills (specifically MS Teams, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, and Salesforce.com)
Strong ties and roots in the region
Experience with trauma-informed and restorative justice practices
Lived experience that enables an understanding of poverty and systems of oppression

Responsibilities

Hire, onboard, support, manage, develop, and lead a diverse staff of top-quality people, ensuring they have the needed information, tools, and resources to do their jobs well. When staff changes are necessary, including terminations, they should be handled with empathy, adherence to legal requirements, and consideration for the overall well-being of the organization and staff.
Practice inclusive leadership, visibly advance the organization's equity, inclusion, and diversity initiatives, and work to build an internal culture that seeks to examine and dismantle systems of oppression and habits of white supremacy culture
Serve as an effective role model for staff by actively demonstrating GRID’s values of integrity, collaborative action, equity, and safety
Ensure regional and centralized teams are connected, coordinated, and collaborative
Do what needs to get done to make the mission happen even if it means taking out the trash, having difficult conversations, making hard decisions, and being adaptable and open to change
Manage the finances of the GRID region with the support of the centralized finance and accounting teams, including preparing and updating the regional budget and managing expenditures to that budget
Partner with the centralized Philanthropy team to drive fundraising initiatives for the region. This includes partner development, stakeholder relationship engagement, providing accurate funding needs to the fundraising team, designing grant budgets, program reporting, and donor engagement support.
Deliver on organizational mission in an impactful, timely, high-quality manner. The project types that GRID undertakes to benefit economic and environmental justice communities include, but are not limited to, workforce development; solar electric, battery storage, and EV charger installations for single-family homes, affordable multifamily housing, and non-profit facilities; tribal; clean mobility; and building electrification/decarbonization.
Collaborate with the centralized operations, programs, and workstream teams to ensure all operations are consistent with GRID SOPs, policies, best practices, culture, and vision, including developing/updating regional systems and structures as needed
Develop and engage with the GRID regional Board(s), communicating effectively and providing, in a timely and accurate manner, all information necessary for the Board(s) to function properly
Work with regional staff and centralized teams to establish the vision for the GRID region in alignment with GRID’s Strategic Plan and develop, prioritize, and implement strategies and goals to accomplish the vision
Grow GRID’s presence, policy influence, positive public image, mission impact, and financial viability in the region, including networking and speaking presentations
Develop and maintain strategic partnerships, joint programs, and collaborative relationships with external stakeholders