Policy Advocate, Municipal Electric Utilities & Clean Power – Environmental Law & Policy Center

The Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC), the Midwest’s leading environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization, seeks to hire a policy advocate/organizer. This advocate will work with ELPC program staff to conduct a direct advocacy campaign encouraging municipal electric utilities and joint energy purchasing agencies to increase their use of clean renewable energy and energy efficiency, and to decrease their purchases of electricity from and investments in new coal plants that produce significant pollution. This is a full-time position, based in Chicago, involving work in Illinois and other Midwest states.

ELPC is a regional public interest environmental legal advocacy and eco-business innovation organization working throughout the Midwest and the Great Plains, and on key national issues. ELPC’s major program areas include: promoting clean energy development strategies that solve global warming problems and reduce environmental degradation by encouraging energy efficiency and renewable energy alternatives to coal and nuclear power plants; promoting innovative transportation approaches, such as the development of a Midwest high-speed rail network, that will lead to cleaner air and more jobs, and proposing “smart growth” alternatives to sprawl-inducing new highway projects; and developing sound environmental management practices that protect and preserve natural resources and improve the quality of life in our communities. One of ELPC’s premises is that environmental progress and economic development can be achieved together. ELPC’s multidisciplinary professional staff includes 30 public interest attorneys, M.B.A.s, policy advocates and communications specialists. ELPC was established in 1993 and has $5 million annual budget.

Responsibilities:
The Policy Advocate will organize public support and meet with municipal utility managers to promote their purchase and use of renewable energy and energy efficiency resources and to discourage purchase and use of power generated by new coal plants. The Policy Advocate will engage in public education and outreach, policy research and development, policy advocacy and grassroots organizing, along with other members of ELPC’s multidisciplinary Energy Project team. ELPC policy advocates also work on “hot” statewide, regional and national campaigns as needed. This position requires occasional travel throughout the Midwest. The Policy Advocate will work out of ELPC’s headquarters office in downtown Chicago.

Qualifications:
• Excellent speaking and writing skills.
• Strong analytic abilities and a demonstrated interest in public interest advocacy.
• Smart self-starter with track record of initiative and success.
• At least three years of experience organizing public advocacy campaigns.
• Should have substantive knowledge in the clean energy or clean air fields.
• Should understand and enjoy multifaceted public policy strategic advocacy that involves media, legislative, policy analysis and organizing approaches coordinated with strong and effective legal advocacy.
• An inspired and demonstrated commitment to public interest advocacy and an ability to work productively as a member of a team of skilled professionals is required.

Salary: The salary range is $37,500 – $50,000, depending on experience, plus excellent benefits.

To Apply: Applicants should send a cover letter, resume and professional references to:

Jackie Jutting
Environmental Law and Policy Center
35 East Wacker Drive, Suite 1300
Chicago, IL 60601
FAX: (312) 795-3730
jjutting@elpc.org

Telephone inquiries are discouraged. The Environmental Law and Policy Center is an equal opportunity employer and is continually seeking to diversify its staff.