Manager, Rates and Electrification - Carbon-Free Buildings Program

Job Description:

RMI is seeking a Manager who is motivated to shape the future of clean energy and efficiency in the U.S. buildings sector. If you are familiar with energy systems at the building level and the utility level, are prepared to engage in a wide range of activities from quantitative analysis to facilitation to regulatory engagement, we invite you to join our Buildings program.

We strongly encourage individuals from underrepresented groups to apply. 

Application deadline: August 16th, 2026 at 11:59pm CST

Program Overview 

RMI's Buildings Program works to transform residential and commercial buildings for energy efficiency, electrification, reduce embodied carbon, and support a low-carbon electric grid. Our team supports regulatory and policy change, innovative market strategies, and new technology development and adoption, all to reduce emissions while improving affordability, resilience, health, and economic outcomes. 

Position Overview    

RMI is seeking a Manager to lead research, analysis, and collaboration projects aimed at improving the economics and adoption of clean energy and electrification in the U.S. buildings sector. While specific projects will vary over time, this Manager will be responsible for our rate design analysis and research, and should be familiar with electric rate design in the U.S. utility sector. The role includes conceptual research and thought leadership regarding the role of advanced rate design in supporting electrification and a clean energy transition while improving energy affordability, along with stakeholder engagement and technical assistance for state-specific or utility-specific engagements.

This position sits within RMI’s Buildings Program – including an emphasis on rate impacts on electrification and demand flexibility – but offers an opportunity to integrate rates work across sector-specific work at RMI, including implications for transportation electrification, electric system affordability, and industrial electrification and demand flexibility. This Manager may also support a variety of additional projects, from regulatory research to consulting with actors across the real estate and utility sectors and state governments.

This role will report to a Principal on the Buildings Program.

Core Responsibilities 

Thought leadership and project delivery

• Manage the long-term rates work stream for RMI, including developing strategic goals and tracking progress, planning and managing project execution and timelines, and delivering high quality outputs.

• Serve as a subject matter expert and thought leader on rate design opportunities, ensuring technical rigor and feasibility of solutions.

• Oversee the continued development, maintenance, and quality control of in-house analytical tools for rate analytics (built in Python and Excel), guiding junior staff on analytical modeling and method design.

• Develop presentations, research reports, articles, webinars, and other materials for external audiences.

• Synthesize complex technical and policy information into clear findings and actionable recommendations. 

Stakeholder engagement

• Facilitate working sessions with a mix of internal and external participants to build shared progress and knowledge.

• Build and maintain relationships with industry partners, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and national thought leaders to support durable solutions across this range of actors.

Donor and client support

• Contribute to grant reporting and progress tracking.

• Support proposal development for both philanthropic and fee-for-service opportunities.

People and project management

• Manage 1-3 junior staff, providing day-to-day guidance, technical coaching, and direct support for their professional growth.

• Oversee project budgets, work plans, and staffing allocations across multiple projects.

Required Qualifications 

• Experience & education: Bachelor’s degree in economics, engineering, public policy, finance, or a related quantitative field

• 6+ years of relevant professional experience (or an advanced degree plus 4+ years) in building decarbonization, utility regulation, electric rate design, or clean energy policy.

• People leadership & staff support: Direct experience managing staff or leading project teams, with a demonstrated ability to mentor junior team members, delegate effectively, provide constructive feedback, and support their professional development.

• Analytics & domain oversight: Demonstrated capability to oversee quantitative analysis—especially in electric rate design, utility cost-of-service, or building electrification economics—and translate complex technical results into actionable policy solutions.

• Project management: Proven track record of managing complex projects from scoping through final delivery, including budget, timeline, and quality control.

• Communication & content creation: Superior written and verbal communication skills, with a proven track record of creating high-impact deliverables (e.g., reports, policy briefs, slide decks) and presenting complex technical or policy concepts to non-technical external audiences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Advanced rate design & regulatory expertise: Direct experience engaging in state regulatory proceedings (e.g., public utility commissions) on innovative rate design, demand flexibility, or utility cost-of-service modeling.

• Stakeholder facilitation & engagement: Experience (or strong interest) in planning, co-designing, and facilitating multi-stakeholder workshops, collaborative working groups, or interactive dialogue across diverse energy and building sector partners.

• Real estate & commercial sector knowledge: Familiarity with commercial or residential real estate development, building energy performance standards, landlord-tenant utility dynamics, or public sector real estate portfolios.

• Business development & proposal scoping: Experience supporting fee-for-service client relationships, scoping project proposals, or contributing to grant/proposal development for public or private sector entities.

We encourage anyone who is interested in this role to apply, regardless of whether you feel you meet 100% of the qualifications. The top candidates will bring their own unique perspectives, experiences, and backgrounds from a variety of industries along with many but not necessarily all the skills listed above. We offer professional learning and training opportunities to help you develop the skills you may not have had the opportunity to cultivate yet.   

Visa Sponsorship

Please note: At this time, RMI is not able to sponsor employment visas or hire candidates who require visa sponsorship to work in the United States. All candidates must have current, independent authorization to work in the U.S. without present or future sponsorship from RMI. We will update our hiring pages if this status changes.

Location    

We are a remote-ready company with team members around the globe. Our beautiful and welcoming offices are available for meetings or focused work, whether you are traveling through or living nearby. Our U.S. offices are in New York City; Washington DC; Oakland, California; Boulder, Colorado, and Basalt, Colorado. This role can be located from anywhere in the United States.  

We provide you with the essential IT equipment plus a one-time home technology payment and a monthly work from home/commuter allowance to ensure you have a comfortable home office set up and necessary supplies.  

We love seeing each other in person! We occasionally gather for shared time together like retreats and learning experiences. Be ready to travel for occasional in-person meetings (and of course, we cover travel costs). Some roles may require more travel, which will be discussed during the hiring process. 

Compensation  

At RMI, we prioritize fairness in our pay practices. Salaries are determined based on a mix of experience, market benchmarks, and internal equity across similar roles. The salary range of this position is $105,230-$129,696. New hires typically start toward the lower end of the range, depending on experience and alignment with the role’s scope. In addition to base salary, this position includes an annual bonus target of 10% and eligibility for merit-based increases, which are tied to both individual and organizational performance. 

Benefits    

We offer an array of benefits including: 

• Medical, dental, vision insurance 

• 403b retirement match with immediate vesting 

• Group life, AD&D, and short- and long-term disability 

• Optional voluntary life, AD&D and accident plans 

• Health savings or flexible spending accounts 

• Fertility and hormonal health support 

• Mental health and wellness support 

• Comprehensive leaves of absence (including generous parental leave) 

• Generous paid time off and sick leave 

• Paid sabbatical leave 

• Regional holidays with at least one extended break in each geography  

• Work from home and home technology allowances 

• Learning & development opportunities (LinkedIn Learning and an annual individual professional development budget) 

• Potential for bonuses and merit increases 

• Discount marketplace (gym memberships, pet insurance, etc.)  

• Hybrid / remote work options 

• Team retreats and geographic meetups 

• Rewards and recognition programs 

Diversity      

We know that the diversity of our teams makes us stronger as an organization, and RMI is dedicated to the principles of equal employment opportunity as outlined in U.S. federal law. We prohibit discrimination against applicants, interns, and employees on the basis of any legally recognized basis, including but not limited to: age (40 and over), race, color, sex, pregnancy (including lactation, childbirth, or related medical conditions), religion, national origin, ancestry, physical or mental disability, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender expression/identity, uniformed service member status, veteran status, citizenship status, or any other applicable status protected by applicable law.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

RMI is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.