Kearns & West Inc

Role Description Kearns & West seeks an experienced Program Manager to lead day-to-day management of an expanding Appliance Upgrade Program (AUP), funded by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Home Electrification and Appliance Rebate (HEAR) program and the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI). This is a contractor position and is contingent upon contract award. This role has the potential to transition into a full-time permanent position as the contract evolves. - Oversee internal staff, implementation contractors, and statewide retailer and contractor networks. - Guide program expansion to new appliances, funding streams, and customer segments. - Manage federally funded utility or appliance upgrade incentive programs. - Ensure compliance, documentation, reporting integrity, and performance optimization. Qualifications - Located in New York State, or remote. - Program Management experience, especially managing state or federal energy efficiency incentive programs. - Prior experience managing or implementing utility incentive programs, or similar federally funded programs (DOE, NYSERDA, or similar). - Strong understanding of audit readiness, documentation standards, and performance tracking under federal funding structures. - Background in appliance rebates, electrification programs, or energy efficiency markets. - Proven experience managing complex incentive or market transformation programs with multiple implementers and partner networks. - Demonstrated ability to oversee contractor performance and deliver results on schedule. - Ability to move seamlessly between high-level strategy and detailed implementation. - Skilled in prioritization, workplan development, and cross-functional coordination. - Meticulous attention to detail; strong planning and critical thinking skills. - Ability and appetite to learn and assimilate new information and think holistically through complex problems. - Strong experience with Salesforce Lightning or comparable systems. - Advanced proficiency in Excel, Word, and PowerPoint. - Ability to translate programmatic needs into technical specifications. - Superior written and verbal communication skills. - Ability to engage diverse stakeholders, including contractors, advocates, and municipal officials. - High integrity, customer orientation, and professional judgment. Requirements - Manage daily operations of AUP, including oversight of 4–5 full-time staff, two implementation contractor teams, and pools of Participating Retailers and Contractors. - Coordinate statewide program delivery to ensure coverage, customer access, and operational continuity during expansion. - Direct implementation contractors to meet performance targets, reporting requirements, and federal compliance standards. - Ensure alignment with DOE HEAR requirements and applicable federal funding rules. - Quantify and document program activities; assess progress against established performance metrics and strategic goals. - Maintain meticulous adherence to NYSERDA processes and internal controls. - Continuously refine program strategy based on market data, evaluation findings, and stakeholder insights. - Identify and remove operational bottlenecks while strengthening retailer/contractor engagement. - Lead and participate in Salesforce Lightning system enhancements, requirements development, user acceptance testing (UAT), reporting, and dashboard design. - Develop clear documentation for customers, partners, and internal stakeholders. - Build and maintain productive relationships with retailers, contractors, implementation partners, and internal teams. Benefits - Compensation: $52.00 - $76.00 per hour.