GOVERNOR'S OFFICE OF POLICY INNOVATION AND THE FUTURE

LIMITED PERIOD POSITION

Opening Date: November 26, 2024

Closing Date:  January 2, 2025

Job Class Code: CA30
Grade: 30
Salary: $71,843.20 - $101,587.20/Annually
Position Number: 095001142

Position Description

The State of Maine’s "Lead By Example" initiative includes policy and programs by state government agencies in support of the state’s four-year plan climate action, Maine Won’t Wait.  The Climate Policy Advisor in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future (GOPIF) will support the state’s “Lead by Example” initiative with a specific focus on building decarbonization. This role offers a unique opportunity to work across public agencies and with stakeholders to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and energy use in buildings, and to ensure that state agencies and their operations are resilient to the impacts of climate change.

JOB DESCRIPTION:

The state’s 4-year climate action plan, Maine Won’t Wait aims to Reduce Maine’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions, Make Maine More Resilient to the Impacts of Climate, Foster Economic Opportunity and Prosperity, and Advance Equity through Maine’s Climate Response. The Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future is coordinating the work of the Maine Climate Council and works collaboratively with other State agencies and key stakeholders on policy issues related to climate and energy, including building decarbonization. The Climate Council is required by statute to deliver an update to the climate action plan by December 1, 2024; the updated state climate action plan will contain accelerated building decarbonization climate goals for state buildings.

Heating and cooling of residential and commercial buildings contributes 31 percent of Maine’s greenhouse gas emissions from fossil fuel combustion. Lowering these emissions and reducing energy costs will require modernizing buildings to use cleaner energy, increase energy efficiency, improve resilience to climate impacts like heatwaves and extreme storms, and use lower-carbon building materials.

In 2024, Maine issued its second Lead by Example report, accompanied by 1) a new executive order focused on electrifying state owned and leased buildings and 2) a series of directives from Governor Mills to state agencies to develop formal plans to meet “Lead by Example” fleet, building, and waste related goals. In addition, the state recently joined the federal Department of Energy’s Better Buildings Challenge, and committed to develop a plan to achieve at least a 50% reduction in emissions and a 25% reduction in Energy Use Intensity across the state-owned building portfolio by 2033.  

There are significant opportunities in the federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the Inflation Reduction Act to support accelerated action to accomplish Maine’s ambitious climate goals, with many resources focused on actions which accelerate building decarbonization.

The Climate Policy Advisor will support these two interrelated fields of work:  

1. Supporting building decarbonization analysis and policy across sectors, including for example, zero emissions buildings codes, considering and advancing building performance standards, and pursuing increasingly ambitious decarbonization actions across statewide building stock; and
2. Supporting Maine state agencies to “Lead by Example” with significant climate and energy actions, including an emphasis on building decarbonization and current federal funding opportunities.

This is a two-year limited period position reporting to the Deputy Director, Climate Planning and Community Partnerships in the Governor’s Office of Policy Innovation and the Future. This position will collaborate closely with staff in other offices including the Governor’s Energy Office, Maine Department of Administrative and Financial Services and the Bureau of Buildings and General Services, the Maine Department of Education’s Green Schools Program, the Community Resilience Partnership at GOPIF, the Maine Office of Community Affairs, and more. This position will be a hybrid position headquartered in Augusta, Maine, with travel through the state as necessary and appropriate. 

JOB TASKS AND OUTCOMES:

In supporting building decarbonization policy and state “Lead By Example” policy and programs, the Climate Policy Advisor may support the following outcomes:

• Conducting analysis of policy pathways to building decarbonization, including advanced and zero-energy building codes, building performance standards, benchmarking, and coordinated delivery of federally funded programs including HOMES/HERR rebates, solar for all, and other residential-focused interventions;
• Development of policy options for new or accelerated building decarbonization strategies in the state’s updated climate action plan;
• Coordination of Lead by Example policy and programs;
• Planning, and coordination of technical assistance from federal agencies and national labs, to help the state achieve its commitments under the DOE Better Buildings challenge;
• Working with state agencies to establish green teams and develop building and fleet electrification plans;
• Amplifying successful models of public energy projects, including building retrofits or fleet transitions, with private sector partners seeking to take action on climate;
• Organizing educational webinars and events which support technical needs across different types of entities;
• Researching and coordinating with public and private financing partners to develop mechanisms for long-term finance of clean energy and energy efficiency investments, especially for state government and other public entities like schools and municipalities; and
• Conducting “lead by example” emission and action reporting on an annual basis, including support for reporting through building portfolio tracking programs.

To accomplish these outcomes, this position may:

• Develop policy and program recommendations;
• Facilitate cross-agency coordination;
• Coordinate with external stakeholders;
• Monitor the progress of “lead by example” and climate strategy implementation and support data collection on results; and
• Complete other tasks as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Successful candidates for this position will have a combination of both applied and analytic experience in the areas of climate and decarbonization policy. Candidates should have experience developing, researching, or analyzing climate or decarbonization policy; and planning for or implementing climate or building decarbonization projects. Candidates should demonstrate this experience in their application materials.

• Graduate-level training in public policy, climate science, building sciences, or related fields; and
• At least two years of relevant professional work experience

Top candidates may come from a variety of backgrounds. In addition to the experience above, top candidates may demonstrate many of the preferred qualifications below:

• Strong analytical, research, and leadership skills;
• Strong organizational skills, including project and task management, and the ability to multitask and prioritize;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to digest and communicate technical or complex information for both general and expert audiences;
• Ability to navigate complex organizations, develop trust with senior leaders, and build trusted relationships among diverse groups of colleagues and stakeholders.

You must submit a cover letter, a resume, and one writing sample (less than 5 pages, an excerpt is fine) to be considered for an interview.

Benefits of working for the State of Maine:

No matter where you work across Maine state government, you find employees who embody our state motto—"Dirigo" or "I lead"—as they provide essential services to Mainers every day. We believe in supporting our workforce's health and wellbeing with a valuable total compensation package, including:

• Work-Life Fit – Rest is essential. Take time for yourself using 13 paid holidays, 12 days of sick leave, and 3+ weeks of vacation leave annually. Vacation leave accrual increases with years of service, and overtime-exempt employees receive personal leave.
• Health Insurance Coverage – The State of Maine pays 85%-95% of employee-only premiums ($11,196.96 - $12,514.32 annual value), depending on salary. Use this chart to find the premium costs for you and your family, including the percentage of dependent coverage paid by the State. 
• Dental Insurance – The State of Maine pays 100% of employee-only dental premiums ($387.92 annual value).
• Retirement Plan – The State contributes the equivalent of 18.09% of the employee's pay towards the Maine Public Employees Retirement System (MainePERS). 

State employees are eligible for an extensive and highly competitive benefits package, covering many aspects of wellness. Learn about additional wellness benefits for State employees from the Office of Employee Health and Wellness.

Note: Benefits may vary somewhat according to specific collective bargaining agreements and are prorated for anything less than full-time.

There's a job and then there's purposeful, transformative work. Our aim is to create a workplace where you can learn, grow, and continuously refine your skills. Applicants demonstrate job requirements in differing ways, and we appreciate that many skills and backgrounds can make people successful in this role. 

As an Equal Opportunity employer, Maine State Government embraces a culture of respect and awareness. We are committed to creating a strong sense of belonging for all team members, and our process ensures an inclusive environment to applicants of all backgrounds including diverse race, color, sex, sexual orientation or gender identity, physical or mental disability, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, familial status or genetics. 

If you’re looking for a great next step, and want to feel good about what you do, we’d love to hear from you. Please note reasonable accommodations are provided to qualified individuals with disabilities upon request.

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