Rotational Associate Cohort - June 2026

Rocky Mountain Institute

1d•$73,000 - $73,000•Remote

About The Position

Transform your career with RMI’s Rotational Associate Program! Rotational Associate Role Overview The Rotational Associate role at RMI offers an exciting opportunity for early career professionals to dive into accelerating the global energy transition. We believe that the future of the energy system must be shaped by diverse perspectives and bold thinkers. Our Rotational Associate Program is designed to cultivate the next generation of changemakers by offering a dynamic, immersive experience across multiple focus areas within our organization. Whether you’re a recent graduate, a career pivoter exploring the clean energy space, or someone with early professional experience looking to deepen your impact, this program is built to help you grow. As a Rotational Associate, you'll join a cohort of like-minded individuals hired within a similar timeframe, and together you'll embark on an immersive Associate Bootcamp. During this bootcamp, you'll gain invaluable insights into the various teams and initiatives at RMI, setting the stage for a rewarding and impactful journey ahead. Through thoughtfully curated rotations, Associates will gain hands-on experience, build cross-functional skills, and contribute meaningfully to our mission of transforming the global energy system. We welcome individuals from a wide range of academic, professional, and lived experiences who are eager to learn, collaborate, and lead with purpose. Rotational Associates can expect to work on at least two programs within their first two years at RMI. IMPORTANT NOTES: Selected candidates must be able to start on June 16, 2026. At this time, RMI is not able to sponsor employment visas or hire candidates who require visa sponsorship to work in the United States. All candidates must have current, independent authorization to work in the U.S. without present or future sponsorship from RMI. We will update our hiring pages if this status changes. Application Requirements Resume (Required) We suggest a 2-page resume that includes information about your academic background and work experience. Feel free to add additional sections that highlight any leadership roles you’ve held, relevant coursework, academic projects that you’ve completed, conference presentations, or any articles that have been published. Cover Letter (Required) In your cover letter, please reply to the following prompt: Describe your motivation(s) to contribute to the clean energy transition in this moment and the unique skills and experiences you’d bring to this work within RMI. Who We’re Hiring The RMI Rotational Associate Program is designed to bring together a cohort of early-career professionals with distinct skillsets that align with our multifaceted approach to transforming energy systems. For this program, we are hiring across two different Associate talent pathways, representing core capabilities needed in our programmatic work. Read more about each below to see where your strengths and interests may align: Strong Generalists: Able to execute broadly across a mix of research and analysis, quantitative work, stakeholder engagement, and project delivery; may have spikes of industry or skill-specific knowledge. Quantitative Specialists: Comfortable coding in Python or R, conducting deep financial or techno-economic analysis, or other technical analyses.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree and 2+ years of relevant work experience OR a master's degree in applicable areas such as: STEM, political science/policy, finance, business administration, environmental sciences, economics, etc. PhD candidates will also be considered.
Genuine passion for driving positive change in the energy transition space, demonstrated through previous work experience, academic projects, and/or extracurricular activities.
Strong interest in and understanding of the challenges and opportunities within the energy sector.
Project management skills, with a demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
Communication skills, both written and verbal, can convey complex information clearly and concisely.
Ability and willingness to engage with technical material and provide qualitative and quantitative evaluation of existing initiatives.

Nice To Haves

Energy-specific sector experience such as in power sector, carbon capture, corporate carbon accounting, process engineering, etc.
Experience in facilitation and stakeholder engagement, including organizing multi-stakeholder workshops and meetings
Management consulting experience
Experience with data analysis and visualization, including Tableau
Experience with Excel-based modeling, R, Python, SQL, or power sector modeling
Familiarity with state and local climate and energy policy and landscape
Familiarity with energy markets and transactions
Familiarity with utilities and/or utility regulation, and electricity markets
Familiarity with capital markets, corporate finance, market-based mechanisms and corporate incentive design
Familiarity with energy justice and community engagement
Ability to create clear, structured, and illustrative PowerPoint presentations

Responsibilities

Conduct in-depth research and analysis on topics relevant to your team's focus area, synthesizing findings into actionable insights and recommendations.
Collaborate with colleagues across different teams and departments within RMI to leverage expertise, share resources, and maximize impact.
Contribute to the development of thought leadership and communication materials, such as reports, briefs, and presentations, to effectively communicate team insights, activities, and recommendations to internal and external stakeholders.
Assist in coordinating team meetings, workshops, and events, including logistics, agenda development, and participant communications.
Participate in partnerships with external stakeholders, including corporate partners, public actors, and/or community groups, to advance shared goals and objectives.
Create innovative problem-solving approaches to drive project insights.
Utilize both quantitative and qualitative analysis or modeling techniques to assess the impact of various energy strategies and policies.
Collect, analyze, and interpret data related to energy systems, markets, and technologies.
Contribute to presentations and participation in conferences, workshops and other external engagements.

Benefits

Medical, dental, vision insurance
403b retirement match with immediate vesting
Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability
Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans
Health savings or flexible spending accounts
Fertility and hormonal health support
Mental health and wellness support
Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave)
Generous paid time off and sick leave
Paid sabbatical leave
Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography
Work from home and home technology allowances
Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget)
Potential for bonuses and merit increases
Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)
Hybrid / remote work options
Retreats and geographic meetups
Rewards and recognition programs