A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Great Plains Institute is transforming the energy system to benefit the economy and environment.
We work on solutions that strengthen communities and provide greater economic opportunity through creation of higher paying jobs, expansion of the nation&rsquo;s industrial base, and greater domestic energy independence while eliminating carbon emissions.
GPI&rsquo;s goals for transforming the energy system are to
- increase energy efficiency and productivity
- decarbonize electricity production
- electrify the economy and adopt zero- and low-carbon fuels
- capture carbon for beneficial use and permanent storage

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Climate Solutions

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Transforming the energy system to boost the economy, create jobs, and achieve carbon neutrality.

Role:&nbsp;Development Manager
Location: WFH Flexible, Minneapolis, MN. GPI&rsquo;s headquarters are based at 2801 21st Avenue South, Suite 220 in Minneapolis, MN
Reports to: Executive Vice President
Type of Position: Full time position&nbsp;
Ideal start date: As soon as available, position will be open until filled&nbsp;
Compensation: Salary range: $85k-$110k, commensurate with experience. Benefits include a health plan, 401(k) retirement plan, LTD, STD, life, vision, dental, FSA/HSA, paid time off, professional development allowance, and a communication stipend.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
ABOUT THE GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE&nbsp;
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) is accelerating the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment. Increased demand for GPI&rsquo;s unique blend of energy expertise and consensus-derived solutions has driven organizational and programmatic growth. With headquarters in Minnesota, GPI&rsquo;s operations are national in scope while retaining a core competency in the Midcontinent region. GPI is powered by more than 50 professionals and is supported by some of the nation&rsquo;s most respected philanthropies.
&nbsp;
The following values inform the way we work both inside and outside of GPI. It is important to us to be trusted, inclusive, equitable, pragmatic, and transformative:
&nbsp;
Trusted.&nbsp;We base our approach and actions on trust, mutual respect, and accountability.
Inclusive.&nbsp;We achieve impact through inclusive and deliberate collaboration with a diversity of interests.
Equitable.&nbsp;We strive for equity in our approach and outcomes.
Pragmatic.&nbsp;We take a clear-eyed view of the world as it is, even as we seek to improve it.
Transformative.&nbsp;We are a bold and passionate catalyst for change.
&nbsp;
THIS POSITION&nbsp;
The Development Manager will play a proactive and strategic role in managing, coordinating, and supporting GPI&rsquo;s development and fundraising efforts to advance our mission. A core responsibility of this role is to systematize and optimize GPI&rsquo;s fundraising processes to make the highest and best use of each colleague&rsquo;s time and talents. The job will include prospecting, cultivating, and helping secure grants and donations from foundations, governments, corporations, and individuals, guided by GPI&rsquo;s strategic plan. The Development Manager will be responsible for working with program staff, the EVP, and CEO to identify funding priorities, research and evaluate potential funders, identify key relationships for GPI&rsquo;s CEO, EVP, and program staff to develop, help synthesize and write compelling grant proposals, and manage the proposal development and submission process. The job also entails coordinating with Communications and Finance &amp; Administration colleagues to ensure appropriate tracking, reporting and funder stewardship.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The successful candidate will be experienced, highly collaborative and expected to work both independently and with colleagues as needed. The ideal candidate will bring experience and a track record of fundraising success in the clean energy/climate nonprofit sector, and the ability to translate that experience to a dynamic, fast-paced environment. Hours may be flexible and are typically Monday through Friday during the business day. Work may take place remotely and/or at GPI&rsquo;s headquarters in Minneapolis depending on the needs of the work and the successful candidate. GPI is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
JOB DUTIES
The Development Manager will work with the EVP, CEO, and CFO to prioritize from among the tasks described below as the priorities may change over time based on organizational needs. The goal of this position is to make the highest and best use of each colleague&rsquo;s time and talents in the fundraising enterprise. In practice, this means ensuring that all aspects of the fundraising process are handled and well-coordinated even if the Development Manager is not the person performing each task.
&nbsp;
Fundraising Management &amp; Coordination
<ul>
<li>Minimize the amount of time that GPI colleagues with specific program content knowledge need to spend in getting funding proposals from concept to submission by developing and implementing internal processes that systematize and optimize GPI&rsquo;s fundraising efforts&mdash;including our fee-for-service work.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Work closely with Communications, Research, and Finance &amp; Administration colleagues to ensure that GPI&rsquo;s Development efforts are well integrated and coordinated with these other functions.</li>
<li>Monitor and work with Communications and Finance &amp; Administration, to maintain up-to-date information on relevant websites (GPI websites and other donor-related sites such as Charity Navigator, GuideStar, etc.)</li>
<li>Develop and maintain an understanding of GPI&rsquo;s programs and the evolving portfolio of work&nbsp;</li>
<li>Work with Program VPs, Program Managers, the EVP, and CEO to identify fundraising priorities</li>
<li>Develop and oversee a new corporate giving program at GPI and organically grow support from individuals.</li>
<li>Periodically evaluate the effectiveness of GPI&rsquo;s fundraising and recommend any improvements needed.</li>
<li>Coach and train GPI colleagues on fundraising best grant practices to &ldquo;build our bench.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
Funder Prospecting Research:
<ul>
<li>Support program VPs and managers in prospecting to match potential funders with program priorities, with an emphasis on foundations, government grants, corporations, and individuals</li>
<li>Provide program Teams with profiles of qualified funders and coordinate outreach across teams where a prospective funder may be interested in more than one GPI area of work.</li>
<li>Work with Finance &amp; Administration colleagues to ensure that these written funder summaries are accurately recorded and tracked in GPI&rsquo;s CRM.</li>
</ul>
Funder Cultivation
<ul>
<li>Support and sometimes lead the funder cultivation process, depending on the funder</li>
<li>Help identify the right program officer(s) with whom GPI staff and CEO should develop relationships.</li>
<li>Develop agendas for and lead monthly Fundraising Team meetings</li>
<li>Help produce compelling grant proposals, coordinating the proposal development process and engaging program colleagues when their content expertise is required.</li>
<li>Work with the Finance Team to ensure that grant proposal budgets and other materials are developed for timely submission of grant proposals and grant reports.</li>
<li>Work with Program colleagues, the CFO, EVP, and CEO to systematize the grant-seeking process.</li>
</ul>
Funder Stewardship
<ul>
<li>Ensure, and track, appropriate acknowledgement once grants and donations are made</li>
<li>Develop and maintain a calendar of grant-making cycles by funder</li>
<li>Manage annual grants calendar, including timely actions to secure funds and communicate with funders.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Write, maintain, and regularly update a catalog of short program and project descriptions, in coordination with Communications, which can be inserted into grants and other materials as needed.</li>
<li>Work with Program and Communications colleagues to regularly summarize program accomplishments for sharing with funders, demonstrating the impact of GPI&rsquo;s work.</li>
</ul>
Grant Tracking and Reporting:
<ul>
<li>Work with Finance &amp; Administration and Program colleagues to ensure that GPI is recording and tracking appropriately throughout the fundraising process, including proposals in process, submitted, awarded, and declined.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Ensure that appropriate colleagues are notified about upcoming reporting deadlines, and coordinate grant reporting process</li>
<li>Work with staff to ensure that GPI is maintaining meticulous historical records including up-to-date contact information for funders</li>
<li>Work with staff to organize and report relevant data for GPI&rsquo;s annual &ldquo;Impact Report.&rdquo;</li>
</ul>
Other job functions:&nbsp;Perform other duties as are obvious or assigned. The above position description is intended to describe the general content, identify the essential job functions, and set forth the requirements for the performance of the position. It is not to be construed as an exhaustive statement of job functions or requirements. The employee may be required to perform other job-related duties as requested. Position responsibilities are subject to change over time to accommodate changing organizational needs.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS&nbsp;
Qualifications:
<ul>
<li>A bachelor&rsquo;s degree or equivalent experience</li>
<li>5-10 years of fundraising/development experience</li>
<li>Educational or professional background related to clean energy and climate</li>
<li>Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work collaboratively and adapt to multiple work styles to build strong professional relationships</li>
<li>Excellent research, writing, typing and verbal communication skills.&nbsp;</li>
<li>Proactive problem-solver</li>
<li>Experience managing multiple projects with competing deadlines</li>
<li>High attention to detail and ability to work independently.</li>
<li>Excellent time, deadline, and project management skills.</li>
<li>Proficient in Microsoft Office suite</li>
<li>Commitment to the vision, mission, and values of the Great Plains Institute</li>
</ul>
Preferred Qualifications:
<ul>
<li>Knowledge of fundraising prospecting research methods, practices, and procedures</li>
<li>Experience writing foundation grants</li>
<li>Experience writing federal and state grants</li>
<li>Experience with corporate philanthropy</li>
<li>Experience with fee-for-service revenue models</li>
<li>Experience writing grants related to clean energy and/or climate</li>
<li>Experience working in a Constituent Relationship Software (CRM), particularly Salesforce</li>
</ul>
EQUIPMENT USED:&nbsp;
This position involves use of a desktop computer and/or laptop, copier, fax machine, calculator, printer, and telephone.
&nbsp;
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT:&nbsp;
This position requires working at a desk (either sitting or standing) for extended periods and extensive use of devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse), as well as usage of telephone/headset.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
HOW TO APPLY:&nbsp;
Required application materials&nbsp;include a resume and one-page cover letter.&nbsp;Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
BACKGROUND ON GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE:&nbsp;&nbsp;
GPI has a fast-paced entrepreneurial culture in which people enjoy both great freedom and great responsibility. People who thrive in this culture take personal responsibility for seeing what needs doing and getting it done. They are initiative-takers, problem-solvers, and quick to help others. They work hard because they believe in the mission and get to spend most of their time at the intersection of what they love to do and are good at. It&rsquo;s a working environment in which performance is judged more on results than on time spent in a chair. We aspire to make this the best job anyone has ever had.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Great Plains Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants.

Development Manager

Program/Role: Energy Systems Program Manager/Senior Program Manager
Location: WFH Flexible. GPI&rsquo;s headquarters are based at 2801 21st Avenue South, Suite 220 in Minneapolis, MN. Occasional travel may be required.
Reports to: Vice President, Energy Systems&nbsp;
Type of Position: Full time position
Ideal start date: August 1, 2023
Compensation: Salary range: Program Manager $80K-$93K, Senior Program Manager $90K-$104K, commensurate with experience. Benefits include a health plan, 401(k) retirement plan, LTD, STD, life, vision, dental, FSA/HSA, paid time off, professional development allowance, and a communication stipend.
&nbsp;
ABOUT THE GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE
A nonpartisan, nonprofit organization, the Great Plains Institute (GPI) is accelerating the transition to net-zero carbon emissions for the benefit of people, the economy, and the environment. Increased demand for GPI&rsquo;s unique blend of energy expertise and consensus-derived solutions has driven organizational and programmatic growth. With headquarters in Minnesota, GPI&rsquo;s operations are national in scope while retaining a core competency in the Midcontinent region. GPI is powered by more than 50 professionals and is supported by some of the nation&rsquo;s most respected philanthropies.&nbsp;
The following values inform the way we work both inside and outside of GPI. It is important to us to be trusted, inclusive, equitable, pragmatic, and transformative:
Trusted. We base our approach and actions on trust, mutual respect, and accountability.&nbsp;
Inclusive. We achieve impact through inclusive and deliberate collaboration with a diversity of interests.
Equitable. We strive for equity in our approach and outcomes.
Pragmatic. We take a clear-eyed view of the world as it is, even as we seek to improve it.
Transformative. We are a bold and passionate catalyst for change.
&nbsp;
ENERGY SYSTEMS PROGRAM AREA
The Energy Systems program area is focused on decarbonizing the economy by enabling collaboration and problem solving among electric and natural gas utilities and market operators, regulators, environmental advocates, consumer advocates, state and local governments, businesses, and other key stakeholders.
We work with groups of state governor&rsquo;s offices and environmental and energy regulators to develop and implement decarbonization plans; within the Midcontinent Independent Systems Operator stakeholder process on market rules and the transmission build-out; with states, utilities, and other interests to align utility business models with an affordable, reliable, and net-zero greenhouse gas energy system; with states, local governments, and other key actors to bring down the implementation costs of net-zero greenhouse gas technologies and increase consumer demand for net-zero greenhouse gas resources.
We foster collaboration and problem solving through complex stakeholder engagement processes. These often involve groups of 20-100 stakeholders that meet regularly over several months to develop a shared understanding of energy and climate policy and technology issues, discuss varying perspectives on those issues, and collaborate to identify actions to address those issues.
Our team has a fast-paced entrepreneurial culture in which people enjoy both great freedom and great responsibility. People who thrive in this culture take personal responsibility for seeing what needs doing and getting it done. They are self-starters, problem-solvers, and quick to help others. They work hard because they believe in the mission and get to spend most of their time at the intersection of what they love to do and are good at. It&rsquo;s a working environment in which performance is judged more on results than on time spent in a chair. We are committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply. We aspire to make this the best job anyone has ever had.
&nbsp;
THIS POSITION&nbsp;
This position will play a lead role in the Energy Systems program&rsquo;s work on utility and regulatory innovation for both electric and gas utilities. The goal of this work is to advance regulatory frameworks, utility business models, and utility initiatives that can support reducing greenhouse gas emissions while also addressing reliability, affordability, equity, safety, and a just transition.
In this work, GPI serves as a consultant to both utilities and utility regulators with stakeholder engagement, meeting facilitation, summarizing party comments, and general advising for complex regulatory proceedings or utility filings. In addition, GPI independently convenes groups of stakeholders to collaboratively develop solutions that can advance innovation among and decarbonization of electric and gas utility systems.
Importantly, GPI does this work as a neutral convener, facilitator, and advisor. Candidates for this position must have the ability to work with a variety of individuals and organizations that may have different perspectives from the candidate.
The ideal candidate will have experience as a meeting facilitator, knowledge of energy regulatory issues, and familiarity with organizations in this space. The ideal candidate will also have excellent interpersonal relationship skills that will support working with a variety of people on challenging issues. Applicants should have experience facilitating meetings of multiple sizes, experience managing projects and people, and strong written and oral communication skills.&nbsp;
The ideal candidate should also have the ability to exercise good judgment in a variety of situations, maintain a realistic balance among multiple priorities, use effective methods for time management and prioritization of tasks, maintain organization and attention to detail, and possess the ability to identify and address urgent and important needs in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.&nbsp;
Hours may be flexible and are typically Monday through Friday during the business day; evenings and weekends may occasionally be required.
&nbsp;
JOB DUTIES:
Programmatic leadership:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Serve as a programmatic lead for work on a variety of utility and regulatory issues, which may include resource planning, distribution planning, innovation frameworks, performance-based regulation, interconnection of distributed energy resources, rate design, and transportation electrification, among other issues.</li>
<li>Assist utilities with designing and implementing stakeholder engagement processes to inform complex filings that will be submitted to their regulator and made open for comment from stakeholders. These engagement processes may include series of meetings with interested parties, followed by developing process summaries that will be attached to the utility&rsquo;s final filing.</li>
<li>Assist utility regulatory commissions with designing and implementing stakeholder engagement proceedings to solicit input on complex regulatory issues. These proceedings may include meetings, public comment periods, surveys, and other channels for soliciting input.</li>
<li>Work with partners to independently develop and convene stakeholder engagement processes that are seeking to address utility regulatory issues towards reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector.</li>
<li>Recruit and manage subcontractors that will complete technical analyses needed to inform stakeholder discussions, such as long-term decarbonization scenario planning.</li>
<li>Maintain knowledge about a variety of issues in the utility regulatory space, and throughout the states that GPI is working in.</li>
<li>Maintain existing and develop new partnerships with organizations working in the utility regulatory space to enable GPI to partner with others where such a partnership would be of benefit.</li>
</ol>
Project development, fundraising, budget management:&nbsp;
<ol>
<li>Develop proposals to philanthropic funders to support the program&rsquo;s utility and regulatory innovation work.</li>
<li>Develop responses to requests-for-proposals from regulatory commissions seeking assistance with implementing regulatory proceedings or soliciting input from parties.</li>
<li>Develop proposals to assist utilities with designing and implementing stakeholder engagement processes to inform the development of major regulatory filings that will impact the utility&rsquo;s ability to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.</li>
<li>Collaborate with other program team members, other teams across GPI, and external partners on developing new work that aligns to GPI&rsquo;s mission and strategic priorities.</li>
<li>Manage budgets for multiple projects related to the program&rsquo;s utility and regulatory innovation work, including both grants and contracts.</li>
<li>Assist with developing the energy systems program&rsquo;s annual budget.</li>
</ol>
Meeting facilitation and execution:
<ol>
<li>Serve as the lead facilitator or co-facilitator for meetings of many different sizes and formats, from small team planning meetings, to medium-sized workgroup meetings, to large public meetings or forums.</li>
<li>Ensure high-quality meeting production by developing, or working collaboratively with team members to develop, meeting agendas, pre-read documents, slide decks, meeting summaries, and comprehensive process summaries.</li>
<li>Identify and recruit subject matter experts to present information in meetings to build the collective understanding of all participants and support robust, informed discussions.</li>
</ol>
Supervising and supporting:
<ol>
<li>Supervise staff members working on projects that fall under the focus of this position and support those staff members to success in their work and advance in their career.</li>
<li>Support all team members with advancing the Energy System&rsquo;s programmatic work and ensuring the success of the program and of GPI as a whole.</li>
</ol>
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:
<ul>
<li>Bachelor&rsquo;s and/or Master&rsquo;s Degree in a relevant field of study.</li>
<li>Prior experience (5+ years) working on electric or gas utility initiatives and regulation.</li>
<li>Experience facilitating meetings of many different sizes and formats</li>
<li>Experience designing stakeholder engagement processes to achieve a set of stated goals or outcomes,</li>
<li>Experience working with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of political perspectives</li>
<li>Experience developing and maintaining relationships</li>
<li>Experience supervising staff members and supporting them to succeed.</li>
<li>Experience working with different communication styles</li>
<li>Experience working on a diverse team</li>
<li>Self-motivated</li>
<li>Excellent time, deadline, and project management skills with ability to multi-task</li>
<li>Problem solving skills: ability to identify solutions to challenges that arise&nbsp;</li>
<li>Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint)</li>
<li>Commitment to the mission and goals of the Great Plains Institute</li>
<li>Willingness to travel</li>
</ul>
The Great Plains Institute is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply.
&nbsp;
EQUIPMENT USED:
This position involves use of a desktop computer and/or laptop, copier, fax machine, calculator, printer, and telephone.
&nbsp;
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT:
This position requires working at a desk (either sitting or standing) for extended periods and extensive use of devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse), as well as usage of telephone/headset.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
HOW TO APPLY: &nbsp;
Required application materials&nbsp;include a resume and one-page cover letter. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis.&nbsp;
&nbsp;
The Great Plains Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a wide diversity of applicants.

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