Host: Inland Regional Energy Network (I-REN) & Western Riverside Council of Governments
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Energy Efficiency, Energy Workforce Development
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Relationship Management, Stakeholder Engagement, Workforce Development,

Remote or On-Site Placement

Hybrid – 1-2 days / week in the office, remainder can be accomplished working from home. There are opportunities for flexibility even in the 1-2 days (in-office) days, however, flexibility on the fellow’s part is also appreciated as there may be weeks that require more than 1-2 in-office days.

Service Needs & Plans

The Inland Regional Energy Network (I-REN) supports its member agencies, the 52 cities and 2 counties across the Inland Empire (Riverside and San Bernardino counties) with a variety of energy efficiency resources. This fellow will support providing the much-needed capacity that many of our member agencies need, which is specific support toward energy efficiency projects. This includes projects like designing and implementing tomorrow’s energy workforce programs – tailored for our unique subregion – today.

Building local talent with a focus on energy efficiency will support state environmental goals as well as local economic development goals.

This Fellow will support I-REN member agencies in “leading by example” by assisting in various energy efficiency projects, and by providing that sustainability expertise to the surrounding communities. Additionally, fellows will create relationship with local communities and provide outreach of additional I-REN energy initiatives (workforce trainings, certification/accreditation programs) and city resources to the communities (underserved, rural, hard-to-reach) that need them most.

Project Description

Overarching goal of the project and role of the Fellow is to work with the current team on the development of an energy focused workforce assessment and gap analysis that will identify the existing energy resources and opportunities currently available across the Riverside and San Bernardino counties, identify gaps in coverage, and develop recommendations of programs that need to be enhanced or developed to fill the gaps.

This assessment will then be utilized, by the Fellow, to design and implement the next phase of programs deployed by I-REN across Riverside and San Bernardino counties. These programs will support in providing connections and pathways to high-road careers in the energy efficiency space in the region.

Desired Skills

In addition to Community Engagement and Relationship Management, having strong public speaking skills will support the aforementioned. Additionally, our region has a large amount of Spanish speaking communities, as such bilingual is also a good skill for this project, but not required.

Organization & Workplace Highlights

I-REN is a consortium of three regional agencies (Western Riverside Council of Governments, Coachella Valley Associated Governments, and the San Bernardino Council of Governments) that represent over 50+ public agencies in the Riverside and San Bernardino Counties. The fellows will receive the opportunity to demonstrate their own commitment to equitable and inclusive energy expertise to communities and areas that most need those resources. Their participation in the I-REN Energy Fellow will make them part of a group of like-minded individuals that will encourage frequent relationship building, peer learning, and sharing lessons learned and best practices.

Community Highlights

The Inland Regional Energy Network brings a wide range of energy efficiency resources to 52 cities, 78 unincorporated county areas, and 17 tribes across Riverside and San Bernardino counties — totaling 11% of California’s population. At 27,000 square miles, the I-REN community is roughly the size of South Carolina. I-REN’s geography has created an exciting regional atmosphere where each city, community, has its own unique interested, needs, and perspectives.