[Hiring] Tribal Clean Energy Specialist @State of Washington

Role Description

This position is dedicated to advancing state energy and climate policy by working directly with tribal communities and tribal governments across Washington. The primary focus is on fostering collaborative relationships, supporting the development and deployment of clean energy solutions, and ensuring that tribal perspectives and priorities are integral to policy analysis, design, and implementation.

As a statewide convener, this role brings together diverse stakeholders—including tribal leaders and elected officials, legislators, experts from state and local agencies, advocacy organizations, businesses, and program managers within Commerce.

The policy subject area centers on clean energy initiatives for tribal communities and tribal lands, emphasizing partnership, technical assistance, education, and capacity-building. The position functions across the division, supporting energy policy and programs that are developed in close collaboration with tribes, ensuring alignment with state climate goals and honoring tribal sovereignty and leadership.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in economics, public/business administration, public policy, or a closely related field (Additional professional level experience in public policy, energy policy, or climate policy may substitute for education year for year)
• Minimum five years of experience in public policy, energy policy, or climate policy
• Strong written, verbal and presentation skills, including the ability to communicate energy and climate issues to non-technical audiences
• Ability to work with a wide range of stakeholders
• Sensitivity to public attitudes and concerns
• High-level facilitative, collaborative and marketing skills
• Knowledge of regulatory and economic environment in Washington
• Demonstrated experience working within the tribal governments and political environments, including clear understanding of tribal consultation processes, the legislative process, influencing the continuation and maintenance of resources and policy development, and decision-making that impacts programs.

Requirements

• Accountability—Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, and meets attendance/punctuality requirements.
• Customer Service—Handles customer questions and complaints, communicates with customers, handles service problems politely and efficiently, always available for customers, follows procedure to solve customer problems, understands company products and services, maintains pleasant and professional image.
• Integrity—Deals with others in a straightforward and honest manner, is accountable for actions, maintains confidentiality, supports company values, and conveys good news and bad.
• Leadership—Lead through change and adversity, makes the tough call when needed, builds consensus when appropriate, motivates and encourages others.
• Teamwork—Meets all team deadlines and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, helps team leader to meet goals, welcomes newcomers, and promotes a team atmosphere.
• Interpersonal Skills—Has good listening skills, builds strong relationships, is flexible/open-minded, negotiates effectively, solicits performance feedback and handles constructive criticism.
• People Development—Provides feedback and coaching, rewards hard work, risk taking, takes mentoring role, challenges and develops employees, accepts mistakes, provides visibility/opportunity.
• Results Focus—Targets and achieves results, sets challenging goals, prioritizes tasks, overcomes obstacles, accepts accountability, sets team standards and responsibilities, provides leadership/motivation.
• Communication—Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.
• Organizational Savvy—Operates within the organization’s formal and informal structures, builds allies and relationships across departments, uses allies to build consensus and create results, is appropriately diplomatic, understands others’ roles and perspectives, can sell projects and ideas across organization.
• Computer Skills—Skilled in the use of computers, adapts to new technology, keeps abreast of changes, learns new programs quickly, and uses computers to improve productivity.

Benefits

• Medical and dental insurance benefits
• Retirement and deferred compensation plans
• 11 paid holidays each year
• 14-25 vacation days per year (depending on length of employment)
• 8 hours of sick leave per month (if full time employed)
• Bereavement leave
• Employee assistance program
• Other benefits