Long Island Regional Clean Energy Hub Director - Yaphank, NY

Cornell Cooperative Extension•New York, NY

10d•$80,000 - $90,000•Onsite

About The Position

The Director of the Long Island Regional Clean Energy Hub is responsible for the execution of the NYSERDA / LIPA contract by providing strategic, operational, and administrative leadership for the HUB staff that serves communities in Nassau and Suffolk Counties and the Rockaways for educational purposes. The Director oversees implementation of programs designed to connect residents, businesses, municipalities, workforce development organizations, and community partners with clean energy resources, incentives, education, and career opportunities. The Director is responsible for educating residents on energy-saving programs, leads local outreach, builds grassroots partnerships, and manages teams to increase public awareness and NYSERDA/LIPA program enrollment. This leadership role bridges utilities, local governments, and neighborhoods to make clean energy and cost-saving incentives accessible. The Director is responsible for fostering collaborative partnerships, supervising staff, and ensuring successful achievement of program objectives established by NYSERDA/LIPA funding. The position serves as the primary liaison to state agencies, community organizations, educational institutions, and other stakeholders engaged in Long Island's clean energy transition.

Requirements

Master's degree with appropriate subject-matter specialization (Environmental, Sociology, Social Work) and at least two years of progressively responsible experience
Cooperative Extension or equivalent professional education outreach experience in an academic, human service, government or industry setting.
Strong understanding of how social structures, cultures and demographics shape human actions, health and wellness, beliefs and interactions.
Effective verbal, written and social media communication skills with web-based research ability.
Possess strong leadership skills that support a diverse team.
Able to navigate and resolve personnel conflict effectively.
Ability to delegate tasks, shift priorities to meet aggressive outreach and reporting deadlines and achieve short-term goals that have resulted in long-term strategic development.
A high degree of accuracy, integrity, sound professional judgment, and the ability to handle confidential and sensitive information
Proficiency with programs such as Microsoft Office and Internet-based communications.
Must learn, know and abide by Association personnel policies.
Ability to meet travel requirements, acceptable background check standards and work flexible hours including evenings and weekends.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with NYSERDA programs and New York State climate and clean energy initiatives.
Experience working with disadvantaged communities, social service nonprofits, or community-based organizations.
Knowledge and experience in the Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) system, especially at the management and program level.
Is Building Performance Institute- (BPI) certified in one of the following: Building Analyst Tech, Building Analyst Professional, Energy Auditor, Healthy Home Evaluator, and/or Envelope Professional.

Responsibilities

Provide program leadership by applying subject matter knowledge to identify needs, gaps, and trends in the community, collaborating with the supervisor, program committees, staff, Cornell faculty, agency partners, and other community constituents within the scope of the Association and Statewide Plan of Work.
Analyze program needs based on assessments and input from community groups, staff, and other interested parties.
Make recommendations for programmatic offerings, enhancements, and improvements based on assessments.
Identify program needs with the supervisor, CCE Suffolk, and the advisory committee.
Form strong alliances with local non-profits, housing authorities, and community groups to reach underrepresented or low-income households.
Lead the development of innovative strategies for delivering energy education programs to target audiences.
Research, identify, and select resources for the program.
Develop program outreach materials as needed.
Create educational strategies while maintaining direct linkage with Cornell and other land-grant universities to address diverse audiences.
Develop environmental change initiatives that reflect community diversity.
Contribute to the strategic development of programming and marketing materials for educational events and mass media efforts.
Ensure program development and structure align with both the Association’s and the state-wide Plan of Work, meeting the varied needs of participants.
Stay informed of industry trends and best practices to enhance program development.
Engage citizens in the program development process to reflect community demographics.
Design and execute local campaigns, workshops, and educational seminars to teach residents about home energy audits, solar options, and efficiency rebates.
Apply in- depth subject matter expertise to create innovative lesson plans
Conduct programs using regionally approved curricula and materials, impacting audiences through various delivery methods, including virtual/digital platforms.
Actively engage in multidisciplinary and multi-association team efforts to deliver programs.
Serve as a subject-matter expert to staff and others as needed.
Apply in-depth subject matter knowledge in providing highly complex nonstandard responses.
Represent CCE professionally to the public, community leaders, government officials, and Cornell University.
Evaluate and utilize a variety of proven educational methodologies to ensure effective program delivery.
Ensure program delivery aligns with the statewide Plan of Work.
Lead the application of subject matter knowledge to ensure program evaluation aligns with the statewide Plan of Work.
Collaborate with advisory committees, Cornell program specialists and faculty, and county and community leaders to obtain and analyze evaluation data.
Design a framework for program evaluation.
Provide evaluation data to CCE Suffolk, conduct data analysis, and make recommendations to the supervisor for program improvement.
Interpret and communicate evaluation results through written and verbal reports to relevant constituencies.
Maintain direct linkage with Cornell University faculty and program units for guidance on program evaluation.
Provide leadership for the regional Clean Energy HUB program in planning and implementing marketing activities.
Oversee the planning and delivery of established educational program goals.
Assist in developing staffing plans that support educational programming efforts.
Help build and enhance relationships with relevant agencies, organizations, and community leaders for the program.
Contribute to the development of the Association’s marketing plan, focusing on successes, research initiatives, and leading programs.
Aid in designing a system for ongoing citizen involvement that reflects community demographics.
Propose program budgets based on financial guidelines and anticipated expenses.
Plan and execute strategic funding efforts.
Drive measurable participation and track application metrics using CRM or database systems.
Manage, train, and coach multilingual outreach ambassadors or field coordinators.
Provide moderately complex administrative support for established educational program goals and overall organizational functions.
Address and resolve problems and conflicts within the unit using appropriate policies and procedures.
Monitor the program to ensure educational content conforms to association policies, research-based knowledge, University program direction, and local and state Plans of Work.
Provide complex administrative tasks in guiding the implementation of the program budget.
Assist in reviewing funding opportunities and grant proposals.
Ensure compliance with financial requirements and budget constraints, including grants and contracts.
Effectively allocate human resources to achieve program objectives according to the staffing plan.
Provide supervision to program and non-program staff as needed, including potential staffing assignments.
Align staff skill sets and performance levels with the established staffing plan.
Offer guidance to volunteers and staff, including those performing similar work.
Ensure compliance with grant funding and reporting requirements.
Provide management (including recruitment and selection) and supervision (including guidance, performance feedback and annual performance reviews) to designated staff in accordance with established policies, procedures, and protocol, and provide regular staffing updates to the Issue Leader and/or Executive Director as required.
Coordinate program implementation activities and planning efforts with program staff.
Collect needs assessment data based on the existing framework.
Assist the Program Director with grant and funding proposals to support and expand regional program areas.
Collaborate with the Supervisor and/or Executive Director to develop and pursue a professional development plan to enhance competencies related to position responsibilities and address changes and Association priorities.
Participate in activities that support Cornell Cooperative Extension and perform other duties as assigned.
Support the Association in maintaining a safe working environment.
Familiarize yourself with and adhere to applicable federal, state, and local regulations, as well as Association health and safety policies and standards.
Act proactively to prevent accidents and injuries, and promptly communicate any hazards to supervisors.