• Job Type: Officer of Administration
• Regular/Temporary: Regular
• Hours Per Week: 35
• Salary Range: $135,000-$150,000

Position Summary

Columbia SIPA Center on Global Energy Policy seeks a Senior Policy Advisor to the Founding Director. The Senior Policy Advisor will report directly to the Founding Director and be responsible for ensuring the Founding Director is well-prepared for high-level engagements, convenings, and decision-making meetings. The Senior Policy Advisor will manage the portfolio of writing and analytical projects for the Founder's office, including policy focused briefs.

As Senior Policy Advisor, the incumbent will serve as the primary policy aide to the Founding Director where they will be expected to leverage proven energy, climate and foreign policy expertise for the management and development of policy briefings, speaker briefings, research assignments, and other writing tasks on behalf of the Founding Director, such as assistance with drafting speeches, remarks, talking points, op-eds, professional correspondence, and more. This position is also responsible for thoughtfully managing the logistics, coordination and substance for the Founding Director's internal and external engagements, including high-level convenings, speaking engagements, interactions with senior government officials, business executives and thought leaders. The Senior Policy Advisor will report to the Founding Director's chief of staff and perform these tasks in coordination with the Founding Director's chief of staff, special assistant, scheduling team, communications and policy team, and other leadership offices.

This role is not an entry-level position. Applicants must have proven experience serving as: an energy, climate, or foreign policy advisor to a senior government official; an energy-industry business executive and/or consultant or advisor to a senior business executive in a relevant industry; a senior advisor to an NGO leader; an academic administrator focused on public and foreign policy issues related to the energy sector; or other comparable professional experience and responsibility.

Responsibilities

• Conducts research and prepares detailed briefings for the Founding Director for major engagements including those with key partners, high-level convenings, reporters, and internal and external decision-making meetings.
• Directly supports the Founding Director on op-eds and short articles for publications such as Foreign Policy and the Financial Times; write and edit as needed; support other research needs.
• Maintains real-time awareness of current energy policy trends and developments, especially those related to CGEP's mission, work, and priorities.
• Takes the lead on speech writing and presentations for global and domestic convenings and other speaking engagements (e.g., keynotes, Center partners), including coordinating inputs from CGEP scholars and experts.
• In coordination with the Chief of Staff, serve as the Founding Director's office liaison with CGEP's communication and research teams; coordinate with the communications team on social media output and strategy for the Founding Director; follow up with the communications and research team as needed on behalf of Founding Director and Chief of Staff to ensure the Founding Director is well-prepared for engagements, convenings, and internal and external decision-making meetings.
• Leads special background research, synthesis, and analysis efforts and cross-functional CGEP projects in support of the Founding Director
• Tracks deliverables and follow-ups for the Founding Director; lifts up major priorities and decision points from assigned portfolios to the Chief of Staff; organizes related briefings and decision-making processes as needed
• Provides administrative management for highly confidential and complex items, including stakeholder meetings, report production, and coordination of logistics for special events such as high-level engagements and conferences.
• Interacts, liaises with and advises middle- and senior-level members of internal and external stakeholders from industry, corporate, non-profit NGO, government, and community officials without frequent oversight (particularly during preparation for internal decision-making meetings, vetting of external engagement opportunities, conference planning, etc.).
• Regularly staffs the Founding Director (with a focus on policy and non-development related engagements); take notes and ensure timely information flow and follow-up across CGEP
• Supports and fosters an inclusive workplace where diversity and individual differences are valued and leveraged to achieve the vision and mission of the organization.

Minimum Qualifications

• BA/BS degree and minimum of 5-7 years of relevant work experience, with at least one year of work related to energy policy.
• Strong data analytics, research and writing skills, and ability to prioritize and multitask complex initiatives.
• Strong time management organization skills; ability to work independently and handle complex situations and multiple responsibilities that simultaneously mix long-term deadlines with immediate demands.
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership skills. Must have the ability to collaborate with and achieve actionable results in partnership with others and to build strong and sustainable relationships with a variety of constituents, including senior administration, scholars, faculty, executive teams, and faculty, as well as operational staff.
• Excellent verbal, and written communication skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, use sound judgment in making decisions, balance multiple priorities, and communicate proactively with stakeholders about project risks or uncertainties.
• A deep commitment to promoting and enhancing diversity.
• Interest in the Center's mission and areas of focus.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree in public administration or related degree with a focus on energy.
• Work experience in project planning or program management.
• Ability to deal with highly confidential information and act as a liaison between key stakeholders, both internal and external.
• Exceptional project and task management skills, with demonstrated experience organizing cross-functional projects and tasks across teams.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making skills. Proven ability to independently and effectively manage and resolve issues, under a variety of circumstances and urgency, with insight, diplomacy, and sensitivity, as well as to coordinate and direct a multi-disciplined team that includes managers and peers.