Managing Director of Emerging Climatetech

Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $180,000 – $190,000 per year, dependent on experience and education
Benefits: 457b plan and matching; Medical coverage and 100% deductible coverage through HRA; Dental coverage; Vision coverage; Life insurance; Paid time off; Parental leave; Tuition Reimbursement; Remote Work Stipend; Supplemental Retirement Plan; and more.
Schedule: Monday to Friday
Work Location: Hybrid – home and Boston office, some travel to events within Massachusetts

Job Overview:

We are seeking a seasoned and dynamic leader with deep knowledge of the climate technology (“climatetech”) industry to be our Managing Director of Emerging Climatetech (“MD”) and serve as a key member of the Leadership Team. The Emerging Climatetech team helps new climate-focused businesses grow faster by backing a vibrant community of researchers, startups, and established industry players, creating an ecosystem where they connect and thrive, leading to economic development and job creation across the Commonwealth. Working alongside the CEO, this role will shape the growth, development, and execution of the state’s plan to become the climate innovation lab for the world.

The MD will provide leadership to and guide the strategic growth of the teams within Emerging Climatetech, which includes the Innovation team and the Investments team. MassCEC’s Innovation programming consists of new and well-established grant programs that support the founding and growth of early-stage startup companies, with the goal of accelerating the advancement of technology and economic development in Massachusetts. This includes programs that support founders and university researchers (Climatetech Studio/ Catalyst & Diversity in Cleantech Early Stage), early-stage climatetech companies (Catalyst & DICES/ InnovateMass/ AmplifyMass), as well as ecosystem organizations such as accelerators and incubators (Innovation Ecosystem Program). The MD will also oversee the 2030 Fund, a commitment to invest $50M in debt and equity securities of early stage climatetech companies by 2030 through equity and venture debt investments. Through its Investments programming, MassCEC supports its portfolio companies as they de-risk their technology, reach early commercial milestones, and attract growth funding. Finally, the MD will have a significant opportunity to shape and grow the Emerging Climatetech team and its scope through the development of a suite of new programs to support and attract later stage (“scale-up”) climatetech companies to the Commonwealth.

The successful candidate will have substantial experience leading strategic growth of programs or organizations and strong people management skills. Familiarity with all stages of the startup life cycle, as well as experience with investment funds is strongly preferred. The candidate will thrive leading in a fast-paced environment, while demonstrating a pragmatic and collaborative work and management style. This MD will report to the CEO and oversee 3-4 Director level direct reports, each with their own teams of program managers, program coordinators, and fellows (interns).

Job Duties:

Innovation Grant Programs Management and Support: Work closely with the Director of Tech-to-Market and her team to support the robust performance and outcomes of the early-stage grants program portfolio.

• Serve as manager and mentor of the Director of Tech-to-Market Programs. Provide mentoring and guidance to team members to support management of the grant programs; and
• Ensure accurate tracking and reporting of milestones and deliverables and collection of metrics for grant programs.

Investments Portfolio Management and Support: Work closely with senior team members on the Investments team as we engage with and provide support to companies that we have already invested in.

• Supervise and mentor senior team members to assist with advising, and managing investments in portfolio companies;
• Represent MassCEC and attend board meetings of portfolio companies, as a board director or observer; and
• Oversee measurement and monitoring of portfolio performance, including both on an absolute basis and on a relative basis against appropriate benchmarks.

New Investments and Transaction Execution: Oversee staff who run the process to identify promising clean energy companies and execute new investments to grow our portfolio. That work includes:

• Identify, track, analyze, and evaluate new clean energy investment opportunities;
• Manage investment due diligence, including business plan evaluation and general, financial, and technical due diligence;
• Manage the delivery and presentation of investment recommendation presentations for senior management and the MassCEC Investments Committee and Board; and
• Prepare and negotiate term sheets and investment documents, and manage closing investments, in collaboration with the team and legal counsel.

External Engagement: Build a strong network across the clean energy space through proactive engagement with co-investors, ecosystem partners, and other stakeholders.

• Represent MassCEC at meetings, conferences and working sessions, including speaking engagements;
• Manage, coordinate, and conduct regular engagement with key ecosystem partners and co-investors in support of Director-level staff;
• Expand and strengthen existing and form new partnerships with incubators and accelerators throughout the Commonwealth;
• Seek to form direct partnerships with leading academic labs and key researchers in the Commonwealth who are most prolific in spinning off startups;
• Attend events to identify new opportunities to support the ecosystem, potential grantees, and portfolio companies as well as new investment partners;
• Stay abreast of developments in startup support programming, investment trends, and the climatetech industry;
• Engage frequently with researchers, startup, and scale-up companies including potential, existing and past grantees, or portfolio companies to ensure relevancy of MassCEC offerings;
• Foster relationships with other energy-leading states and federal agencies (i.e., U.S. Department of Energy/ARPA-E, NYSERDA, California Energy Commission, etc.) to maintain Massachusetts’ position and exposure as a thought leader on a national level; and
• Engage with administration or legislative officials as requested by the Chief of Staff or CEO.

Other Duties: 

• Uncover and realize untapped synergies that can be realized through the combination of the grant-making and investment arms of the innovation team;
• Develop, optimize, and manage MassCEC’s Emerging Climatetech programs, including updates and changes to existing programs, as well as the creation of new programs in response to market needs;
• Develop and support emerging and innovative new programs focused on later stage climatetech startup companies;
• Oversee communication of the team’s work to multiple audiences, including internally and externally, such as to the administration, legislature, and the press, working closely with the Marketing & Communications team;
• Oversee the collection and development of metrics to assess the performance of investments and grant programs;
• Develop an annual budget and ensure accurate financial reporting for the Emerging Climatetech team in close partnership with the Finance Team;
• Serve as a member of the MassCEC executive leadership team, preparing management reporting as needed;
• Respond to data and information requests from within the organization; and
• Other tasks as directed by MassCEC’s CEO.

Position Qualifications:

Education:

• MBA and/or other relevant graduate degree and/or equivalent relevant experience; and
• Education or experience in business, engineering, science, and/or environmental studies preferred.

Experience: 

• Eight to ten + years total relevant work experience, including working with startup companies at all stages of the startup lifecycle;
• Experience in venture capital investment, strategy consulting and/or corporate positions, with exposure to climatetech, energy, power, or clean energy industry, preferred; and
• Mix of private and public sector experience, preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Three to five years of decision-making experience in areas such as startup ecosystem support and development, investment management or as a founder or executive of a startup business;
• Strong leadership skills and proven ability to build, manage, and motivate teams;
• Proven experience in developing, implementing, and monitoring new programs, initiatives, or organizations;
• Interest and expertise in climatetech and a demonstrated aptitude to understand complex and new products, systems, innovations, and business concepts as well as market opportunities and challenges;
• Knowledge and experience working with entrepreneurs and startup /early-stage companies;
• Ability to network effectively across a broad range of constituencies and build and maintain strong working relationships with diverse stakeholders;
• Demonstrated ability to obtain and review complex information and clearly articulate conclusions and associated recommendations;
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple priorities effectively;
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, including a track record of delivering high-quality public presentations to professional audiences and public stakeholder groups;
• Outstanding organizational skills and ability to manage multiple deadlines and priorities at one time;
• Excellent relationship-building and negotiation skills; and
• Strong and extensive network within the Massachusetts climatetech industry.

About the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center

MassCEC is a state economic development agency dedicated to accelerating the growth of the clean energy sector across the Commonwealth to spur job creation, deliver statewide environmental benefits and to secure long-term economic growth for the people of Massachusetts. MassCEC works to increase the adoption of clean energy while driving down costs and delivering financial, environmental, and economic development benefits to energy users and utility customers across the state.

MassCEC is committed to creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization where everyone is welcomed, supported, respected, and valued. We are committed to incorporating principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and environmental justice in all aspects of our work to promote the equitable distribution of the health and economic benefits of clean energy and support a diverse and inclusive clean energy industry. MassCEC strives to lead and innovate in equitable clean energy and climate solutions.

To apply                                                                                                                                    

Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit a resume and cover letter through our Online Career Center.

Applicants with diverse backgrounds, experiences, abilities, and perspectives are encouraged to apply.