Location: Preferred locations for candidates include Minneapolis, MN or other Midwest locations with a priority for Iowa, Indiana, and Illinois, with accessibility to airport hubs for ease of travel.

Reports To: Executive Director

Manager, Local Siting Description

This role will expand Clean Grid Alliance's (CGA) local siting program to build favorable sentiment and effective frameworks that facilitate the siting and permitting of solar, wind, battery, and transmission projects. CGA is searching for a relationship-driven, strategic professional to serve as a trusted liaison with local decision-makers and key stakeholders who shape renewable energy project siting outcomes. The Manager would also serve as a connector with CGA's internal teams that also work on siting. The ideal candidate combines campaign-level strategy and experience with practical, locally grounded execution. This is a public-facing role requiring a confident public speaker who can present fact-based information credibly to both community audiences and key decision-makers. This individual must be proactive, collaborative, and able to balance a broad network of relationships and multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

About Clean Grid Alliance

Clean Grid Alliance is a coalition of 80+ partners, based in Minneapolis, shaping the regional energy landscape, supporting hundreds of successful wind, solar, storage, and transmission projects to advance clean energy in the Midwest through innovation and expert leadership. Clean Grid Alliance advocates for public policies, intervenes in regulatory processes, educates and empowers the public, and supports a fair and competitive energy market at the region's transmission operator. Communications and stakeholder engagement are a critical part of the work Clean Grid Alliance conducts to fulfil its mission and create success for its members. Clean energy offers the lowest-cost, fastest-to-market solution to meet rapidly increasing energy demand while reducing consumer costs and driving economic growth.

Clean Grid members are comprised of wind, solar and battery storage developers and manufacturers, transmission developers, non-profit environmental, public interest and clean energy advocacy organizations and other businesses that support clean energy. Clean Grid's primary footprint includes nine states: North Dakota, South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, and Missouri but also collaborates with national partners to advance clean energy across the United States.

Primary Responsibilities

• Educate and engage county commissioners and other local decision-makers about renewable energy through 1:1 meetings and community events; cultivate local champions of renewable energy.
• Build and steward relationships with key state, regional, and local stakeholders, including NGOs (conservation, labor, and others), and, where appropriate, state Farm Bureaus, Chambers of Commerce, and Economic Development Organizations.
• Serve as a connector across internal teams, coordinating closely with Advocacy, Regulatory, and Strategic Communications so that local siting insights inform, and are informed by, state policy, regulatory strategy, and communications.
• Supervise the Communications Associate, Siting; Coordinate with external consultants.
• Support the Land & Liberty Coalition (L&LC) partnership and program operations.
• Own budget management for the local siting program overall, including related grant support such as funder reporting and reconciliation

Job Requirements

• 5–10 years of experience in stakeholder engagement, community or government relations, public affairs, advocacy, or the energy/renewables industry.
• Familiarity with renewable energy development (solar, wind, storage, and transmission) and siting/permitting processes; familiarity with regional transmission organizations (e.g., MISO) and the Midwest energy policy landscape strongly preferred.
• Willingness to travel within priority states (30-40% travel).
• A strong understanding of political and community dynamics. Demonstrated relationship-building skills, with the ability to establish trust and credibility with diverse stakeholders.
• Excellent written, verbal, and public speaking skills, with the ability to translate complex technical, policy, and regulatory issues into clear, persuasive, fact-based education for audiences with varying levels of energy knowledge.
• Experience supervising staff or managing consultants as well as managing program or project budgets and grant-related reporting.
• Bachelor's degree in public policy, political science, communications, environmental studies, business, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience.

Salary and Benefits

The salary range for the role is $80,000-90,000, commensurate with experience and qualifications. Clean Grid Alliance provides excellent benefits, including 100% employer paid health, dental, and vision insurance, long- and short-term disability, flexible work environment, 11.5 paid holidays, sick leave, and retirement plan with generous employer contribution after one year of employment.

To Apply

Please submit a brief cover letter and resume to tbrown@cleangridalliance.org with "Manager, Local Siting" in the subject line.

Clean Grid Alliance/Association is an equal opportunity employer.