Cary, a forward-looking and diverse community, is seeking a passionate public servant with collaborative leadership skills to further develop and lead Cary’s energy management and emissions reduction programs. This role requires strong capabilities in building coalitions, facilitating consensus, communicating in a way that brings others along, and cultivating an environment of trust and transparency. This position also requires engineering-related experience with energy management, energy audits, supply side and demand side energy management, electric grid layout and design, and alternative energy systems such as solar; and overall energy management principles including renewable energy programs and associated incentives, rates schedules, interconnection agreements, power purchase agreements, net metering, and renewable energy credits.

Cary is a community of nearly 180,000 people extending 60 square miles in the heart of the Research Triangle region. Cary’s population is diverse, nearly one-quarter is foreign-born originating from over 60 different countries, and the citizenry values high educational attainment. This is reflected in more than two-thirds of adults holding a college degree and one-fourth having advanced degrees. Cary is nationally recognized for its high quality of life and high-caliber municipal services. It is known as one of the best midsize communities in the nation to live, work, find a home, start a business, raise a family, or retire. Building on a legacy of excellence that extends community-wide, Cary pushes to improve and challenge conventions on how a local government should operate. Through our interactions and initiatives, we seize opportunities to experiment, learn, and adapt to create a better future. This role will help create an even better tomorrow, as we ensure that our extraordinary natural environment is here for generations to come.

Cary has a long history of environmental protection and recently has increased focus on the broad impacts of emissions on our community and quality of life. Cary recently acquired a 1.8MW solar facility at our South Cary Water Reclamation Facility, to accompany the many other state-of-the-art sustainable features. Cary is also in the process of upgrading our energy monitoring system and installing solar in multiple locations, including at USA Baseball, a premier sports facility. We are transitioning to a fully electric fleet of vehicles, including Police Department Teslas, piloting an electric sanitation truck, and retrofitting our fire trucks with idle-reduction technology, all of which bring greater demands on our energy supply and charging capabilities.

The Energy Manager will focus on energy management and emissions reduction and perform a variety of responsible professional duties addressing policy, plan development, and resource allocation to define and implement Cary's approach to community-wide municipal energy management and emissions reduction including administration and oversight of activities. This position will focus on best management principles and practices for Cary’s overall energy portfolio, which includes power, solar, and natural gas energy sources, along with advising senior staff engaged with planning for Cary’s energy future. This will include program management for renewable energy sources, emissions reductions, innovative technology reviews and selections, and managing Cary’s participation in various energy incentive programs such as Duke Energy’s Energy Efficiency and Demand-Side Management program. This position will also focus on energy efficiency management including energy audits, improved power optimization, and coordination with staff on engineering evaluations for tracking and monitoring carbon emissions reduction. Cary is currently engaged in multiple plans and studies to further advance this work.

The Energy Manager is responsible for ensuring alignment with short-term and long-term Town and Council goals and objectives. Additionally, this position is responsible for ensuring programs and projects are consistent with the recommendations of the Imagine Cary Community Plan and with community needs.

Work is performed in a team environment under the general supervision of the Assistant Town Manager and in collaboration with various Department Directors and their teams.

Creates and maintains highly effective, positive working relationships with Town staff, other local governments, non-profit partners, and appropriate state and federal representatives;

Builds relationships across all town departments and relevant stakeholders to gain understanding and address related issues, concepts, plans, and policy and/or procedure amendments to support emissions reduction and energy management objectives; provides technical assistance in understanding and amending policy as applicable;

Manages and operates in a dynamic, fast-paced environment with high expectations for producing work, clearly articulating expectations, holding others accountable, and listening effectively while being honest, open, and transparent;

Recommends policy approach, develops programs, and identifies strategies to ensure successful implementation of emissions reduction, climate action, and energy initiatives; analyzes relevant data, including best practices for municipal operations and private property improvements, and recommends systems for assessing programs and tracking outcomes;

Designs, launches, and manages new initiatives, programs, and projects based on community needs, timelines, and applicable resources; Monitors and communicates emerging and evolving trends and issues in climate action, energy management, and emissions reduction; documents outcomes in an annual report;

Analyze demand and viability of Electric Vehicles (EVs), ZEVs, low emission, or alternative fuel vehicles and their infrastructure and develop a plan for the installation of the infrastructure;

Creates measurable objectives to track, evaluate and modify programs and initiatives based on applicable feedback; Identifies opportunities for cross-functional collaboration in environmental initiatives, including climate action, energy management, and emissions-reduction programs;

Advises key stakeholders of program activities and the impact of energy efficiency-related community initiatives and presents ongoing status updates to Town leadership and the Environmental Advisory Board;

Monitors and advises on environmental policy, orders, and directives resulting from State legislative actions, State agencies, and Federal actions impacting emission reduction and energy management program development;

Develops and implements community climate action and municipal emissions reduction pathways, strategies, and plans; monitors and communicates progress toward meeting plan objectives; works with departments to provide technical support regarding energy efficiency, alternative energy sources, and energy demand related to electric vehicle conversion; coordinates staff training; Develops standard operating procedures and/or best practices;

Prepares annual operating and capital budget requests, financial forecasts, and tracks program expenditures; analyzes expenditures with budgets; Coordinates with Finance and Legal Offices on budgets, accounts payable, contract development, and procurements; Manages and prepares various plans and reports as required by applicable federal, state, and regional policy. Pursues grants, when applicable; Maintains all related data and records according to retention requirements

Fosters community education and outreach efforts related to emissions reduction, climate action, energy management and related topics; translates complex issues into easily understandable concepts for a variety of audiences;

Participates in and leads collaborative and consensus-building activities and program initiatives as a team leader and team member with multiple colleagues, including Parks, Recreation & Cultural Resources; Public Works; Utilities; Planning; Capital Programs; and other Environmental staff members and outside partners, including Triangle J Council of Government (TJCOG), non-profit partners, schools, neighborhood associations, and volunteer groups; Provides guidance and supervision to subordinate personnel;

Performs other job-related tasks as required.