Tribal Engagement Fellow

Salary : $65,000.00 Annually

Position Summary

Western Resource Advocates (WRA) is hiring a Tribal Engagement Fellow. This position will be responsible for conducting outreach to key Tribal governments and Tribal utility authorities in WRA’s region, with a focus on building long-term partnerships, sharing information about grid regionalization efforts – energy markets and transmission expansion – and identifying areas of common interest around transmission planning and siting. This position will work closely with WRA’s Indigenous Peoples Engagement Manager and the Clean Energy Program’s Markets & Transmission team to identify areas of alignment and provide opportunities for Tribal perspectives to inform WRA’s advocacy related to energy market and transmission expansion issues. This is a 2-year fellowship. This position will start on or after January 13, 2025.

About Western Resource Advocates

WRA fights climate change and its impacts to sustain the environment, economy, and people of the West. We respect the different needs of diverse people and partner with them to develop a shared vision for progress—one that advances communities while protecting biodiversity.

Our team of policy experts, scientists, economists, and attorneys has a 30-year history of working where decisions are made, sweating the details, creating evidence-based solutions, and holding decision makers accountable. This on the ground work with policymakers and other advocates advances clean energy, protects air, land, water, and wildlife—and sustains the lives and livelihoods of the West.

Location

This position may work remotely in our seven-state region, in one of our six offices, or a hybrid of the two. Our seven-state region includes Arizona, Colorado, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Utah, and Wyoming. WRA has offices located in Boulder, CO; Carson City, NV; Denver, CO; Phoenix, AZ; Salt Lake City, UT; and Santa Fe, NM. Access to a major airport required, as this position involves some travel.

Responsibilities And Activities

• Develop and execute an educational and capacity building outreach plan for priority Tribes and Tribal utilities authorities that could be impacted by regional energy market and transmission expansion initiatives.
• Convene meetings of Tribal government and Tribal utility authority representatives to discuss impacts of regional energy market expansion.
• Meet with Tribal governments, Tribal utilities, and Tribal NGOs to find common ground and share information around energy market and transmission expansion issues.
• Relay the recommendations and concerns of Tribal governments and leaders to WRA.
• Work collaboratively with WRA’s staff to help identify strategic and mutually beneficial opportunities to partner with Tribal governments, Tribal utilities, and Tribal NGOs.
• Bring forward Tribal perspectives to inform WRA’s development of its own policy positions on regional markets and transmission expansion issues.
• Explore avenues and pathways for tribal interests to be communicated to regional market operators and state regulators.
• Travel to Tribal government and inter-tribal utility meetings and events generally within the Interior West.

Required Qualifications

Any equivalent combination of education, training, and experience, which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of this position, will be considered.  For example, the requisite experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities would include:

• A minimum of two years of educational or professional background in public policy, Tribal governance, Tribal partnerships, or Tribal economic development.
• Experience building coalitions with diverse stakeholders to advance public policy objectives.
• An understanding of the electric system and intellectual curiosity about regional energy market expansion and/or transmission expansion issues in the West.
• Understanding and appreciation for the cultural context within which Indigenous communities and Tribal governments function and operate.
• Experience working with Indigenous peoples in the Interior West, particularly in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico.
• Understanding of Indigenous sovereignty and governance.
• Strong verbal communication and listening skills.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship building skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relationships with Indigenous community leaders in the Interior West, particularly in Arizona, Colorado, Utah, Nevada, and New Mexico. 
• An existing understanding of regional energy market expansion issues in the West and/or transmission expansion issues in the West.

WORKING ENVIRONMENT AND PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The work environment and physical demands described here are representative of those required by an employee to perform the essential functions of this job with or without reasonable accommodations.

• The work environment is a typical office environment with minimal exposure to excessive noise or adverse environmental issues.
• Prolonged periods of time at a desk and working on a computer.
• Position requires substantial travel by automobile, airplane, etc.  

TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS:

• Travel to meetings, conferences, and other work-related events is required. This is in addition to travel required for retreats, and other internal organizational meetings within WRA’s region (approximately 25% to 35% depending on the location of work). 

Salary And Benefits

The salary for this position is $65,000. WRA’s excellent benefits package includes a 401(k)-retirement plan with up to 5% matching and health, dental, vision, and life & disability insurance with 100% of premiums paid by WRA. Annually, staff receive seventeen days paid vacation leave to start, twelve paid sick days, one paid volunteer day, twelve paid holidays, and WRA is closed for Winter Break between Christmas Day and New Year’s Day for additional paid time off. Employees are eligible for up to twelve weeks of parental leave, and after five years, staff are eligible for up to twelve weeks of paid sabbatical leave. Position is full-time exempt.