TRANSPORTATION & FUELS PUBLIC POLICY MANAGER

Great Plains Institute (GPI) seeks a bright, outgoing, and highly motivated individual to co-develop and lead the Transportation & Fuel program’s public policy, engagement, and outreach efforts. The full-time public policy manager will be responsible for cultivating and deepening relationships, outreach and education, policy advocacy, meeting facilitation, and more. To succeed in this role, you need to be self-motivated, community-driven, enthusiastic, and a team player. Our work is fast-paced, and our hardworking staff is passionate about GPI’s mission and the environment in general. The Transportation & Fuels team is committed to building a diverse staff and strongly encourages candidates from all backgrounds to apply.  

JOB DUTIES:

1. Relationship cultivation: The Manager will spend the majority of their time building, maintaining, and expanding relationships with key stakeholders in the region, including those in the agriculture and biofuels industries, NGOs, electric and gas utilities, automotive manufacturing, electric vehicle charging, etc., and with policy leaders at the state and federal levels. Cultivating and growing these relationships is critical to supporting Transportation & Fuels priorities.
2. Outreach & Education: The Manager will work with the Transportation & Fuels Vice President to develop, lead, and carry out an outreach plan that supports program priorities. Activities may include attending and speaking at large and small events, webinars, conferences, and others as appropriate. Additionally, the Manager will collaborate with Transportation & Fuels, Research, and Communications teams at GPI to develop materials that support outreach efforts. 
3. Policy Advocacy: The Manager will lead Transportation & Fuels policy advocacy efforts through the following activities:
   1. Attend convenings of policy leaders such as the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, National Association of State Energy Officials, Caucus of Environmental Legislators, American Legislative Exchange Council, Caucus of State Legislators, and others to build and maintain relationships with policy leaders in the region and build support for Transportation & Fuels priorities
   2. Testify at legislative hearings as needed
   3. Educate decision makers on Transportation & Fuels policy priorities
4. Meeting & Committee Facilitation: The Transportation & Fuels team convenes many stakeholder groups for its work including Drive Electric Minnesota, Midcontinent Transportation Electrification Collaborative, Clean Fuels Policy Initiative, Bioeconomy Coalition of Minnesota, and others. When needed, the Manager will provide leadership at these meetings through the following activities:
   1. Develop agendas
   2. Line up speakers
   3. Attend meetings and provide content expertise
   4. Facilitate or co-facilitate
   5. Lead small group discussions
5. Fundraising: The Manager will prepare narrative and budget for grant and contract proposals and reports as appropriate.
6. Travel: It is anticipated this individual could travel as much as 50% of the time when it is safe to do so following the COVID-19 pandemic.
7. Other programmatic assistance: As requested by the Vice President, including recommendations on strategy and budget.

DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS:

• Bachelor’s Degree or relevant proven skills and experience
• Prior experience (3+ years) working on public policy, federal or otherwise
• Demonstrated experience working with policy makers and/or decision makers a plus
• Experience testifying or lobbying a plus
• Experience with campaign strategy and execution in public policy, political and/or other contexts a plus.
• Experience, professional or otherwise, coordinating stakeholders in coalitions, organizing events, and attending meetings or public events on behalf of an organization.
• Experience working with people from a variety of backgrounds and with a variety of political perspectives—be able to work with people different from yourself and build and maintain a network
• Experience considering the impacts of the work on multiple communities, including underrepresented communities   
• Experience working on a diverse team 
• Experience working with different communication styles 
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships
• Self-motivated
• Excellent writing and public-speaking skills
• Excellent time, deadline, and project management skills with ability to multi-task
• Problem solving skills: ability to identify solutions to challenges that arise
• Proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint, SharePoint)
• Commitment to the mission and goals of the Great Plains Institute
• Willingness to travel

EQUIPMENT USED:

Desktop computer and/or laptop, copier, fax machine, calculator, printer, telephone

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENT:

Requires working at a desk (either sitting or standing) for extended periods. Extensive use of devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse), as well as usage of telephone/headset. May require lifting of boxes up to 20 pounds on occasion. 

HOW TO APPLY:  

Send your application materials including a resume, two-page writing sample, and one-page cover letter, with the subject line: Public Policy Manager - [your surname]” to careers@gpisd.net. A single PDF of all materials is preferred. Deadline for application is 9 AM Central Time, March 15, 2021.

BACKGROUND ON GREAT PLAINS INSTITUTE:

The Great Plains Institute (GPI) is a tax-exempt 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation based in Minneapolis, MN, and dedicated to transforming the energy system to benefit the economy and environment. We specialize in using consensus-based strategies to solve our energy and environmental challenges. Through research and analysis, consensus policy development, technology acceleration, and local action, we are leading the transition to clean, efficient, and secure energy:  www.betterenergy.org.

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 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’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.