Training Associate, Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy

Inclusiv is the largest network of community development financial institutions (CDFIs) with a mission to promote financial inclusion in low-income communities across the country. Through our network of more than 500 community-based lenders, Inclusiv reaches more than 20 million consumers with limited incomes and residing in historically redlined communities.

The Inclusiv Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy was created in 2019, in partnership with the Center for Impact Finance at the Carsey School of Public Policy at the University of New Hampshire. The climate finance training program was launched with generous grant support from the U.S. Department of Energy. The Center provides training and technical assistance in climate finance to Community Development Financial Institutions, Minority Depository Institutions, Low-Income Designated Credit Unions, green banks, and other mission-driven and community-based lenders. In just four years, the Center has trained and guided over 700 lending professionals to develop accessible and affordable financing solutions for clean energy, energy efficiency, electrification, resiliency, and other green improvements.

The training program has grown rapidly, and Inclusiv is expanding its training team. Inclusiv has been selected to receive and manage the deployment of capacity building grants through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Communities Investment Accelerator (CCIA), a program of the EPA’s Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund (GGRF). Inclusiv intends to deliver capital to credit unions that lend in low-income and disadvantaged communities (as defined by Justice40) to reduce carbon emissions, build healthier communities, create jobs in a greening economy and improve the financial security of consumers, households and small business.

Inclusiv seeks a passionate, dynamic, experienced professional with background in clean and green energy solutions, finance, and adult learning to support the Climate Finance Training program at Inclusiv’s Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy. The Training Associate will be responsible for supporting all aspects of the climate finance training program. The ideal candidate will have a demonstrated interest in training lending professionals in creating flexible financing vehicles to stimulate and grow the availability and deployment of clean and green energy solutions, particularly among low- and moderate-income residents and communities. This person will support and advise on in-person and online training curriculum for lenders, engage community lending professionals in a learning network, and support and guide the implementation of green lending programs.

The Training Associate is a key member of Center for Resiliency team, with responsibilities for building and delivering lending capacity at 100-150 financial institutions each year. Specifically, the Training Associate will report to the VP, Center for Resiliency and Clean Energy to support all aspects of training program design and implementation, working in close partnership and coordination with the University of New Hampshire and colleagues at Inclusiv.

The ideal candidate should live within commuting distance of the New York City office and be able to work on-site in the local office in compliance with Inclusiv’s hybrid work schedule (2 days in-office, 3 days remote). Occasional travel will be required for conferences, site visits, and all-staff gatherings.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the VP, Center for Resiliency, and train instructors with the logistics of building new courses (including, but not limited to, coordinating and project managing course curriculum, fact-checking PowerPoint lectures, testing course user experience of the LMS, etc).
• Organize and prioritize time to meet deadlines based on overall training schedule.
• Conduct internet research as needed to assist instructors in developing curriculum for new courses and refreshing existing courses.
• Provide project management support for all courses (currently three different courses that each run 8-10 times per year). More information on these courses can be found here: https://carsey.unh.edu/center-for-impact-finance/education-and-trainings/solar-green-lending-professional-training-virtual-series;
• Execute communications and outreach plans to recruit applicants for the training program through speaking engagements, social media, email campaigns, website, and other channels.
• Review hundreds of student applications each year to identify lending professionals that qualify for the courses.
• Interview top student candidates to screen them for readiness to launch green loan programs.
• Implement the student enrollment process and track detailed enrollment information to prepare qualitative and quantitative reports for grants and investors. • Collect data for quarterly training goals and outcomes, including commitments to government grant programs, philanthropic supporters, investors, and other funders.
• Partner with VP, Center for Resiliency and the Director of Development to produce grant reports.
• Partner with the Center for Resiliency Training Alumni Director to transition students from training to alumni program during and after each cohort.
• May include occasionally representing Inclusiv during webinars; and other duties as needed and as projects evolve.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s Degree preferred in clean energy, climate finance, and/or related fields.
• At least 1 year of relevant work experience in clean energy, adult learning, project management and/or community development finance.
• Commitment to Inclusiv’s mission to help low- and moderate-income people and communities achieve financial independence.
• Preference for candidates who have a commitment to, and, ideally, experience working with communities of color.
• Strong project management and organization skills; experience effectively managing multiple projects across different internal and external constituents to drive results.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and build relationships with a diverse array of people and organizations.
• Excellent communication and writing skills, including spelling, grammar, punctuation, composition, editing and proofing.
• Detail-oriented, with the ability to rapidly review and edit written documents, including curriculum plans, lecture notes, PowerPoint decks, etc.
• Ability to work well in teams as well as independently; working comfortably across units and leading teams to achieve program goals.
• Preference for candidates comfortable thriving in a rapidly evolving program and shifting work priorities in response to changing conditions.
• Dedication to always producing the highest quality work and motivated to constantly seek new and better ways to reach goals.

Inclusiv is an equal opportunity employer that works with member credit unions which serve ethnically, economically, and geographically diverse markets and communities. We value our diverse staff and membership and seek to maintain that tradition of diversity in all of our recruitment efforts. It is the policy of Inclusiv to provide equal opportunity in all aspects of employment to all employees or applicants for employment without discrimination on the basis of regard to sex, race, color, religion, age, ancestry, national origin, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status and any additional categories protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.