Strategic Advisor, State Energy Program and Home Energy Rebates Pillar (SHERP)

Cogent Security•Washington, DC

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Strategic Advisor supports the Department of Energy (DOE), Office of State and Community Energy Programs (SCEP), and provides direct support to the Pillar Manager responsible for the State Energy Program (SEP) and Home Energy Rebates (HER) program. SEP provides funding and technical assistance to 56 grantees—states, territories, and the District of Columbia—to enhance energy security, advance state-led energy initiatives, and increase energy affordability. HER lowers household energy costs through whole-home efficiency retrofits and high-efficiency appliances and equipment, using formula and competitive awards to states, territories, and Indian Tribes. The role creates capacity for the Pillar Manager by taking on coordination, follow-through, and day-to-day operational work, enabling the manager to focus on strategy, external engagement, and program direction. It coordinates across SCEP program and functional areas, drives initiatives through SEP and HER teams, and supports information flow to the SCEP Director and Front Office. The position combines strategic analysis and recommendations with operational support, including scheduling, correspondence, and meeting management. It requires sound judgment, discretion, independent work with limited direction, and sufficient familiarity with both programs to represent the Pillar Manager’s priorities accurately. The position is performed in an advisory and support capacity. It does not involve inherently governmental functions or supervision or direction of Federal staff. The role is based in Washington, D.C., with a hybrid work environment and 10% travel required.

Requirements

Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Arts in engineering, business administration, public administration, or a related discipline; four years of relevant experience may substitute for the degree, in which case 16 years of relevant experience are required.
At least 12 years of relevant experience; a Master’s degree may substitute for two years of experience.
Considerable working knowledge of public-sector project and program management principles, practices, and standards.
Considerable working knowledge of research techniques, report writing, and business English.
Considerable working knowledge of State and Federal labor laws and regulations.
Considerable working knowledge of analytical techniques used in project and program management, including obtaining, verifying, and evaluating general and statistical information.
Considerable working knowledge of computer software used in project and program data collection and analysis.
Ability to operate with limited direction, exercise discretion with sensitive matters, and represent the Pillar Manager’s priorities accurately.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in a related discipline.
Experience supporting SCEP or the Department of Energy.
Experience supporting the State Energy Program or the Home Energy Rebates program.
Experience managing Federal financial assistance programs, grants, and cooperative agreements.
Experience with formula-allocated and competitively awarded Federal financial assistance.
Experience working with State Energy Offices, Tribal recipients, or State and local government partners.
Experience supporting a Federal program office during rapid growth or high external visibility.
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
Familiarity with DOE systems.

Responsibilities

Serve as the senior support resource to the Pillar Manager for SEP and HER, maintaining awareness of program status, risks, and open issues and providing analysis, options, and recommendations.
Identify matters requiring the Pillar Manager’s attention and route, staff, or resolve other matters as appropriate.
Frame strategic questions, assemble supporting analysis, and deliver written recommendations with options and trade-offs.
Prepare the Pillar Manager for internal and external engagements with SCEP and DOE leadership, Federal offices, State Energy Offices, Tribal recipients, and program stakeholders.
Prepare, review, and quality-check decision memos, briefings, talking points, read-aheads, and correspondence moving to and from the Pillar Manager.
Translate leadership direction into workstreams with owners, milestones, and due dates, and track pillar initiatives through completion.
Track commitments, taskers, and action items across SEP and HER and follow through to ensure completion.
Identify opportunities to share approaches, tools, templates, and lessons learned across the programs and coordinate adoption.
Surface cross-pillar dependencies, risks, and resourcing gaps and coordinate technical, grants, budget, and communications input to address them.
Develop and maintain consolidated pillar status reporting covering obligation and expenditure rates, recipient performance, milestones, deliverables, and staffing.
Coordinate with SCEP program and functional areas on cross-cutting issues, recipients, and requirements.
Coordinate with the SCEP Front Office on higher-office taskings and information requests, ensuring requests have context and responses are complete, accurate, and timely.
Support responses to data calls and oversight inquiries concerning either program.
Support pillar planning, including annual operating planning, performance goals, milestone tracking, and recurring internal reporting, and carry leadership direction into pillar plans.
Draft and maintain pillar guidance, standard operating procedures, and internal reference materials and support their review and clearance.
Own the Pillar Manager’s meeting cadence, including scheduling, agenda development, materials preparation, facilitation support, notes, and action-item tracking.
Manage the Pillar Manager’s calendar and scheduling logistics, prioritize competing requests, sequence engagements, and protect time for strategic work.
Support the Pillar Manager’s correspondence and inbox management by triaging incoming items, tracking required responses, preparing draft responses for Federal staff review and release, and following up on outstanding replies.
Plan and coordinate pillar meetings, working sessions, offsites, and stakeholder convenings, including requirements, logistics, invitations, materials, and follow-up.
Maintain pillar records, distribution lists, trackers, and shared file structures so information is current, organized, and retrievable.
Coordinate with SCEP support functions, including budget, procurement, human capital, communications, and information technology, on behalf of the Pillar Manager.
Support onboarding and orientation for staff joining either program, including access, systems, and program background.
Manage multiple sensitive or complex tasks simultaneously and work cross-functionally to resolve problems and implement changes.