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Senior Associate, Illinois Solar for All

The Senior Associate, Illinois Solar for All (ILSFA) supports small and emerging businesses in becoming successful Approved Vendors under the ILSFA program. The Illinois Solar for All program, directed by the Illinois Power Agency and administered by Elevate, aims to deliver the benefits of solar and the clean energy economy to environmental justice communities and income-eligible communities across Illinois. This includes supporting businesses in pursuing their MWBE certification and facilitating the vetting and ongoing performance management of ILSFA Approved Vendors who develop and install qualified solar projects for the program.

The Senior Associate will report to the Senior Manager, ILSFA Vendor Management. The Senior Associate, ILSFA may support and take direction from other managers and functional teams conducting work related to the ILSFA program. This position is located in Chicago, Illinois and is currently remote.

Responsibilities

  • Provide ongoing, expert, one-on-one support to small and emerging solar companies to ensure that ILSFA processes are understood and adhered to, technical requirements are met, and key risks unique to ILSFA and the communities served are mitigated through appropriate resources, tools, and training.
  • Conduct outreach to communities to identify and recruit small and emerging businesses for participation in the program.
  • Coordinate with colleagues and community partners to improve access and opportunities for community-based solar companies owned by people of color and women.
  • Solicit feedback from internal and external stakeholders, including Elevate’s Construction and Workforce teams, on any challenges or support needed for small and diverse businesses to be successful.
  • Lead program workshops and support sessions for small businesses, including for those interested in pursuing their MWBE certification.
  • Support the production of program workshops to ensure small and diverse solar companies are informed of program updates and procedures.
  • Build positive, mutual relationships with small businesses, particularly newly vetted or onboarded Approved Vendors to ensure they have the support they need to be successful.
  • Respond to and triage program inquiries from small and diverse businesses.
  • Assist in the development of training materials and provide training opportunities to small businesses and diverse solar companies becoming Approved Vendors to further their understanding of the ILSFA Program and improve project review efficiency.
  • Coordinate with ILSFA Call Center to support technical assistance requests for solar companies and program participants.
  • Support the ILSFA Program Management team to ensure program milestones and deliverables are met.
  • Support ILSFA Program Management team in the ongoing development and maintenance of ILSFA Approved Vendor Manual, operational protocols, and Standard Operating Procedures.
  • Work with internal functions to maintain and update ILSFA communications relevant to Approved Vendors, including website content and newsletters.
  • Find opportunities to gain and maintain expertise in current solar PV technical processes, installation, and equipment.
  • Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

  • Bachelor’s degree in a technical field, such as in renewable energy and sustainability, finance and economics, energy engineering, or equivalent experience required
  • Minimum seven (7) years of experience in workforce development and training, or similar experience
  • General knowledge and experience with renewable energy financing and business models preferred
  • General knowledge and experience with industry regulations, standards, codes, methods, and practices preferred
  • Excellent written and verbal communication
  • Customer service skills preferred
  • Project management experience preferred
  • Experience with Salesforce preferred
  • Proficiency in MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Visio, etc.)
  • Ability to independently leverage critical thinking skills to address project challenges
  • Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines with high degree of accuracy
  • Willingness to be a flexible team player adapting to priorities as needed
  • A demonstrated attention to detail
  • Exceptional organizational and coordination skills

Organization Description

We design and implement programs that reduce costs, protect people and the environment, and ensure the benefits of clean and efficient energy use reach those who need them most.

At Elevate, the greatest asset of our organization is the kind of people we attract. Elevate employees co-create our energetic and collaborative environment, where constant learning and service to others take priority. We empower individuals to challenge conventional thinking in pursuit of innovation and we seek dynamic, hardworking team members who are inspired to work with people of diverse backgrounds and perspectives. Every day we make a difference by placing our team, clients, and community partners first. From our mission to our focus on staff wellbeing and career development opportunities, there’s no better place to grow your career than Elevate.

Anti-Discrimination Policy

Elevate is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or job applicant based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, disability, veteran status, or marital status. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, termination, promotion, transfer, layoff, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

To Apply

To apply, please submit your cover letter and resume through our candidate portal at https://workforcenow.adp.com/mascsr/default/mdf/recruitment/. Search for “Senior Associate, Illinois Solar for All” to find the position listing.

Please note that Elevate will only contact candidates via an elevatenp.org email address. We will never ask a candidate for payment of any kind as part of the hiring or onboarding process or send payment to any candidate prior to completing the hiring and onboarding process.

No phone calls please.

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