Executive Director/CEO

DC Green Bank Executive Director/CEO Job Description

Apply directly at https://dcgreenbank.org/careers/

About the DC Green Bank

The District of Columbia leads the nation with clean energy and energy efficiency policy, green building development, solar installations, and public investment to fight climate change. The DC Green Bank is a new independent agency (established by the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018) with the charter to use public capital to leverage and accelerate private sector investment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and advance the District’s sustainability and resiliency goals. It is both part of the DC Government and an independent organization: its powers and limitations are defined by the District and relevant federal policies, and it has its own board of directors and additional flexibility, such as hiring, procurement, and ability to partner with the private sector.

The District of Columbia is a leading municipality on climate mitigation and clean energy efforts. American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) ranked Washington, DC 5th in the 2019 City Energy Efficiency Score Card, and Washington is the state with the highest number of Leadership in Energy Efficient Design (LEED) certified gross square feet per capita. The District has an established building energy benchmarking law, commercial property accessed clean energy (C-PACE) program, a robust solar deployment program, community solar laws, a building energy performance standard, and some of the most ambitious climate and decarbonization policies in the nation.

Using limited public funding and bonding authority, the DC Green Bank’s purpose is to attract private sector funding to advance the District’s goals of advancing clean energy and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. DC Green Bank financing will enable private capital to fill gaps by reducing real and perceived risk, absorbing transaction costs, and providing private investors the chance to learn about new market opportunities with the security of government partnership. An institutional goal is to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies by mitigating upfront costs, leveraging private investment, and increasing the catalytic impact of public dollars. In its start-up phase, the DC Green Bank will rely heavily on the leadership of its first Chief Executive Officer and initial staff, an 11-member board of mayoral appointees and District executives, and its partnership with the Department of Energy and Environment. It is currently set to be capitalized at $105 million through 2026.

Summary

The DC Green Bank seeks its inaugural Executive Director/Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to launch this cutting-edge, mission-driven organization. The Board of Directors welcomes applications from visionary, experienced, and resourceful leaders ready to roll up their sleeves and build an organization from the ground up that harnesses efforts and builds out the bold visions of the District community.

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the CEO will have overall strategic and operational responsibility for the DC Green Bank’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. In addition, the CEO will serve as the public face of the DC Green Bank with key partners and stakeholders. Importantly, as the inaugural CEO, the selected candidate will provide strategic leadership and guide the organization through its critical start-up phase and initial growth, including managing the recruitment of additional staff, and owning responsibility for the successful deployment of the organization’s first financial offerings.

Duties

Leadership and Management

The Chief Executive Officer will administer, manage, and direct the affairs and activities in accordance with the policies, control, and direction of the Board. The CEO will execute the mission and vision of the DC Green Bank, consistent with the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act of 2018.

• Comply with all legislated oversight requirements, including development of Performance Targets with public input, facilitating the annual public hearing, and overseeing the development, adoption, and execution of the Annual Report, Work Plan, and Budget.
• Work in coordination with, maintain, actively engage, and support a strong and effective Board of Directors.
• Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence, rigorous program evaluation, and consistent quality of finance and administration, fundraising, communications, and systems; propose timelines and procure resources needed to achieve the strategic goals.
• Hire, lead, coach, develop, and retain highly talented DC Green Bank staff.
• Actively engage with District staff and officials, stakeholders, partner organizations, and funders, to build and solidify support for the DC Green Bank.
• Manage the operations of a start-up organization

Financial Management

The CEO will provide planning, guidance, and support activities to responsibly manage the DC Green Bank’s investments and establish a pathway for financial sustainability.

• Develop annual and multi-year budgets to responsibly grow the organization with the goal of long-term sustainability.
• Work closely with DC’s Office of the Chief Financial Officer to establish financial management and accountability structures.
• Develop and implement a capital development plan that prioritizes raising funds that allow maximum flexibility, align with the mission, vision and goals of the organization, and fill the gaps left by initial capitalization.
• Design a strategic business planning process, financial projections and pro forma to inform Board and executive decision-making about DC Green Bank financial offerings.

Capital Deployment

The CEO will be responsible for supporting capital deployment by launching projects and programs that align with and support the mission of the DC Green Bank.

• In consultation with the Board and input from relevant stakeholders, develop and launch catalytic financial offerings (e.g., consumer financial products, co-lending with approved lenders, credit enhancements).
• Develop origination and servicing structures, underwriting requirements, lending terms, rates, and structures for financial offerings.
• Negotiate lending terms with financial institutions and finalize product terms and structures.
• Build and grow partnerships with key stakeholders (e.g., contractors, lenders, CDFIs, associations, outreach groups, advisory NGOs) to ensure financial offerings complement the market.

Outreach and Business Development

The CEO will be responsible for communication and outreach to key stakeholders, partners, and constituents for the purposes of developing a reputable brand and expanding DC Green Bank business opportunities.

• Deepen and refine all aspects of outreach and communications, from web presence to external relations, with the goal of creating a reputable and recognizable brand.
• Build partnerships in new markets, establishing relationships with mission-focused foundations, corporations, utility providers and as appropriate, public officials and agencies.
• Broadly communicate organization results and successes to the Board, funders, public officials, and other stakeholders and partners.

The Ideal Candidate

Candidates must have significant experience in public and/or private investment. Ideal candidates will have a background in clean energy and/or climate finance, blended finance, and the ability to design and deliver effective financial programs or other offerings. A commitment to engage and partner with relevant stakeholders, especially under-served communities, is also important in order to successfully deploy and mobilize third-party capital to catalyze low-carbon and resilient projects and programs in the District. They will likely have connections within and experience collaborating across the non-profit, financial, energy, affordable housing, and public sector industries.

As a leader, the ideal candidate will be an experienced manager with a demonstrated ability to coach staff, and develop and manage high-performance teams, especially in a start-up environment. They will have experience setting and achieving strategic objectives with a talented Board and garnering and organizing staff and organizational resources to support those objectives.

A successful candidate will be able to seamlessly work across the strategic, operational, and administrative aspects of the CEO role. They will be willing to take on additional responsibilities to fill in the needs of the DC Green Bank, including but not limited to marketing, public relations, communications and fundraising; procurement, hiring, and contracting; training, outreach, and education.

The DC Green Bank CEO will have the vision, leadership, and genuine commitment to developing a successful private-public start-up that will dramatically scale investment in clean energy, sustainability, and greenhouse gas reductions in the District. They will demonstrate a genuine personal and professional commitment to tackling climate change issues at a local level for global impact, a commitment to equity, and a drive to bring their full entrepreneurial, creative, and leadership talent to scale the opportunity the DC Green Bank represents for the District and beyond.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree. Advanced degree preferred, ideally in business administration or relevant field.
• 10 years of experience with a demonstrated track record of effectively leading and scaling a performance- and outcomes-based organization and staff; considerable senior management experience a must.
• Proven leadership, coaching, and stakeholder engagement experience.
• Residency Requirement: Per the Green Finance Authority Establishment Act , the CEO is required to be a resident of the District of Columbia. Therefore, all candidates must live within the District of Columbia or be willing to commit to moving their permanent residency to the District within 180 days of their appointment.

Position Details

Status: Full-time

Location: Washington, D.C., with regular local travel in and around the District

Salary and Benefits: Commensurate with experience and qualifications

To Apply

Interested applications should email jobs[at]dcgreenbank.org with (1) a detailed cover letter expressing their interest and fit for the position, and (2) a CV/resume clearly outlining experience, abilities, and qualifications satisfying the needs of the organization.

The posting will close on January 10, 2020.

Job Type: Full-time

Work Location:

• One location

Benefits:

• Health insurance
• Dental insurance
• Vision insurance
• Paid time off
• Flexible schedule

This Job Is Ideal for Someone Who Is:

• Innovative — prefers working in unconventional ways or on tasks that require creativity
• Achievement-oriented — enjoys taking on challenges, even if they might fail

This Company Describes Its Culture as:

• Innovative — innovative and risk-taking