Associate - School District Technical Assistance

This position is remote-eligible and only for consideration within the United States where WRI is state registered. Existing work authorization is required at the time of application submission. WRI is unable to sponsor any visa work sponsorship for this position.

About the Program: WRI Ross Center builds on WRI’s global and local experience in urban planning and mobility and uses solutions and tools to increase building and energy efficiency, manage water risk, encourage effective governance and make the fast-growing urban environment more resilient to new challenges. In collaboration with partners and communities, WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative aims to build unstoppable momentum toward an equitable transition of the entire U.S. school bus fleet to electric by 2030, bringing health, climate and economic benefits to children and families across the country and normalizing electric mobility for an entire generation.

Job Highlight: In this role, you will help achieve the goals of the WRI Electric School Bus Initiative. You will be a member of the Ross Center for Sustainable Cities eMobility team and will be part of the group that will provide technical assistance to U.S. school districts with the goal of creating demand for electric school buses and reducing the barriers that districts face when transitioning to electric fleets. You will support our work with technical and managerial staff at school districts to ensure they have the understanding and tools needed to accomplish successful electric school bus procurement processes. You will be responsible for providing in-depth technical assistance to school districts on topics such as charging infrastructure planning, electric utility coordination, market and product analysis, operational planning, procurement preparation, driver and fleet manager training, fleet testing, among others, depending on topics demanded by school districts. This work will include conducting case study interviews, coordinating with the Research Data and Innovation and Communications teams for writing and publication, assisting with the creation of tools and workplans, coordinating and managing event planning and stakeholder convenings. This work will be carried out centering equity to ensure that the benefits of electrification first reach the communities that need it the most. In addition to direct technical assistance to school districts, you will work closely with other staff and subgrantees to scale support to over 4,000 school districts nationwide. You will be responsible for assisting in the facilitation of workshops. Experience coordinating and/or delivering trainings and developing tools and resources will also be necessary for this work. Ideally, you will understand and have experience working either with school districts, especially as it relates to bus procurement, or on bus electrification projects on topics such as procurement or planning. This initiative is very intentional in its effort to center equity so your commitment to operationalizing this through your work is essential. Being excited to work with schools on an opportunity to improve children’s health outcomes is also a plus! You will report to the Senior Manager for School District E-Mobility Technical Assistance and Engagement.

**What will you do:

**Electric School Bus Initiative (80%):

• Coordinate engagement with new School Districts including initial outreach, ongoing technical assistance and close out impact measurement analysis

• Provide guidance, and informed transportation planning perspectives to WRI’s Electric School Bus Initiative team and on necessary projects and tools

• Work with the Scaling Manager to plan and deliver technical assistance at scale to over 4,000 school districts through activities such as training, workshops, webinars and others

• Work with the Technical Assistance Managers to research identified topics of interest to school districts and develop technical materials and capacity within the Initiative’s team and school districts

• Communicate with transportation and planning experts within the WRI offices and external contractors

• Help organize internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences, and other distribution activities related to bus electrification

• Develop briefs, reports, blogs, tools, and other knowledge products

• Present status updates and lessons learned to internal team members

• Manage research and publication of knowledge products

• Work with other members of the Initiative to identify new school district engagement opportunities

• Manage junior staff to accomplish technical assistance activities

General management (20%):

• Be an active team member of our Electric School Bus Initiative and ensure coordination with the other areas of the Initiative

• Manage and mentor junior staff

• Manage contractors and partner organizations

• Contribute to fundraising efforts

• Organize internal and external meetings, workshops, conferences, and other distribution activities

What will you need:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in engineering, city planning, transportation, or a related field degree with two years of additional relevant work experience)

• Experience: Minimum of 5+ years of relevant, full-time work experience

• Experience working at or with school districts, especially as it relates to vehicle procurement, OR Experience on bus electrification projects, related to planning or procurement

• Ability to work well in multi-disciplinary and multi-cultural teams, manage multiple priorities, and work under tight deadlines

• Demonstrated project management experience

• Demonstrated personnel management experience

• Collaborative problem solver who can take initiative and set priorities

• Excellent oral and written communication skills and demonstrated research and writing experience

• Ability to present complex information in a clear and concise manner

• Detail-oriented, organized, and independent thinker

• Fluent in English

• US work authorization required for this position

• Desired Qualifications: Previous experience providing technical assistance to public-sector stakeholders. Fluency in a second language, especially Spanish

Potential Salary:  The salary range for this position is 84,000 to 95,000.

How to Apply:

Please submit a resume with cover letter by the date of April 27, 2023. You must apply through the WRI Careers portal to be considered.

What we offer:

• A competitive salary

• Access to the WRI global network with the opportunity to exchange with and learn from passionate colleagues working at the cutting edge of their fields across Asia, Africa, Europe, Latin America and the US.

• The chance to have an impact and to develop your career within a mission-driven organization with access to varied learning and training opportunities.

• A workplace that strives to put diversity and inclusion at the heart of our work.

• The opportunity to join and get involved in different working groups and affinity groups to shape the future of WRI.

• Long-term commitment to hybrid working model with flexible working hours.

• Generous leave days that increase with tenure.

About Us:

Founded in 1982, World Resources Institute (WRI) is an independent, nonprofit global research organization that turns big ideas into action at the nexus of environment, economic opportunity, and human well-being. We are working to address seven critical challenges that the world must overcome this decade to secure a sustainable future for people and the planet: climate change, energy, food, forests, water, sustainable cities, and the ocean. WRI has a global staff of over 1,800 people with work spanning 60 countries. We have offices in Africa, Brazil, China, Europe, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Colombia and the United States, as well as a growing presence in other countries and regions.

The foundation of our work is delivering high-quality research, data, maps, and analysis to solve the world’s greatest environment and international development challenges and improve people’s lives. We work with leaders in government, business, and civil society to drive ambitious action and create change on the ground. Equally important, we bring together partners to develop breakthrough ideas and scale-up solutions for far-reaching, enduring impact.

Our mission and values:

WRI’s mission is to move human society to live in ways that protect Earth’s environment and its capacity to provide for the needs and aspirations of current and future generations.

Our values are shared ideals that bind us together: Integrity, Innovation, Urgency, Independence, Respect.

Our culture:

WRI is committed to advancing gender and social equity for human well-being in our mission and applies this principle to our organizational and programmatic practices. We are committed to providing equal opportunities in employment, we embrace all diversity and encourage women, the LGBTQ+ community, persons with disabilities, Afro-descendants, and Indigenous people to apply. Recognizing our strong commitment to gender equality, WRI has also been awarded EDGE certification.

Our team in Human Resources carefully reviews all applications.