Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships – ILSFA

The Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships works across functional teams, shared services, and external partners to support the implementation of the Illinois Solar for All Program with a focus on ensuring that the program’s strategic initiatives and community engagement goals are met. The Illinois Solar for All Program (ILSFA), directed by the Illinois Power Agency and administered by Elevate, aims to deliver the benefits of solar and the clean energy economy to income-eligible and environmental justice communities across Illinois. The Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships oversees a team responsible for the implementation of initiatives and other key strategic partnerships to ensure the ILSFA team’s work with all community groups and stakeholders is streamlined, aligned, and connected. The Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships provides high-level strategic guidance and effectively plans partnership efforts for the program to increase participation.

The Senior Manager, Strategic Partnerships reports to the Director, ILSFA. This position is located in Chicago, Illinois and is currently remote with occasional travel and in-person meetings statewide required.

Responsibilities

Build new stakeholder relationships and strengthen existing relationships with external partners, including coordination with programs promoting energy efficiency and other services.
Provide day-to-day leadership, mentoring, and performance management to a team of direct reports in the successful implementation of a Residential Solar Pilot, Home Repair and Upgrades Pilot, any future similar pilots or initiatives, Grassroots Education, ILSFA Advisory Committee, and other key strategic partnerships.
Provide staff guidance and ensure that processes, protocols, and standard operating procedures are developed, adhered to, and improved.
Oversee team budgets, ensuring that program deliverables, timelines, work activities, and milestones meet expectations.
Lead consumer complaint processes, working across teams on resolution and reporting updates internally and externally to IPA.
Lead strategic initiatives to enable income-eligible and environmental justice communities across Illinois to benefit from solar, recommending changes to program structure, policies, and processes.
Ensure Elevate’s work across internal teams with all community groups and stakeholders is streamlined, aligned, and connected.
Work with the Marketing and Communications teams to create new materials and strategic, targeted campaigns to reach eligible communities across Illinois with information on ILSFA and increase participation in the residential and other sub-programs.
Work proactively with the team to identify risks and opportunities for continuous improvement and to implement any required changes to the program strategic initiatives.
Collaborate with internal stakeholders across the organization on strategic planning activities to support the program’s expansion.
Ensure pilot communications and program data management protocols are effective and adhered to, including Salesforce, website, and call center communications.
Represent Elevate and the ILSFA program at community events and presentations.
Support the professional development of direct reports on relevant technical, industry, and energy program delivery best practices.
Collaborate with the ILSFA team in delivery, reporting, and evaluation efforts as needed.
Stay current on solar and clean jobs policy, available financial and program offerings for participants in ILSFA.
Participate in department planning, provide budget recommendations and resource planning, and monitor performance for the accomplishment of committed results.
Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Skills

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
Minimum of five to seven (5-7) years of experience in program management or community engagement and three to five (3-5) years of people management experience
Experience in project coordination and management, community engagement and strategic planning and partnerships, and/or contractor or vendor management
Experience building and managing program budgets of a similar size as the ILSFA partnerships
Excellent attention to detail and capacity to oversee large and complex datasets
Excellent written and verbal communication
Exceptional organizational and coordination skills
Proficiency in MS Office applications (Outlook, Word, Excel, Access, Visio, etc.)
Experience with Salesforce preferred
Ability to work well independently and collaboratively within a complex matrixed organization
Ability to independently leverage critical thinking skills to address project challenges
Ability to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines with a high degree of accuracy
Willingness to be a flexible team player, adapting to priorities as needed
Demonstrated attention to detail

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.

Compensation

The total compensation for this position includes health and welfare benefits (medical, dental, vision, etc.), defined contribution benefit (401k with contribution), professional development, generous paid time off policies, and a flexible schedule. This is an exempt people manager position with a salary range of $85,000 – $95,000, based on experience.

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.

ADA Accommodation

Elevate will reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with a disability so that they can perform the essential functions of a job unless doing so causes a direct threat to these individuals or others in the workplace, and the threat cannot be eliminated by reasonable accommodation, or if the accommodation creates an undue hardship to Elevate. Contact the People Team with any questions or requests for accommodations.

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 Manager, Strategic Partnerships – ILSFA” 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.