Senior Associate – European Power and Climate Policy RAP

The Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP) is seeking to hire an experienced Senior Associate with a background in energy and environmental policy, with a particular focus on electric power and natural gas market design, climate policy, and/or utilities regulation. The Senior Associate will provide a high level of expertise and seasoned professional experience to help guide RAP’s work in Europe, and to deliver policy and technical assistance to governmental and industry decision-makers. Reporting to RAP’s Regional Director, the Senior Associate will join RAP’s six-person European team, and work closely with the RAP Principal lead in Berlin. While RAP works across Europe, we are now looking for an Associate with experience in Germany in particular. Experience in other Member States in continental Europe is also desirable.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The Senior Associate will:

• Help design and implement RAP’s strategic plan, so as to focus German, EU-wide and Member State policy initiatives on those that have the greatest potential to deliver sustainable energy and environmental outcomes.
• Help create public policy ideas, select best practices for public and industry consideration, and open opportunities to affect public policy-making throughout the region. Potential topics include power market reform, energy efficiency obligations, transmission cost allocation, environmental regulation of power options, among others.
• Provide expert professional and technical assistance to RAP, our policy partners and to governments, regulators, and industry.

Skills and Qualifications
The successful applicant will possess the following skills and qualifications:

• Senior-level experience in energy industries, renewable power, energy regulation, climate/environmental regulation, and/or relevant governmental service.
• Experience with, and knowledge of, European power and/or gas systems, operations, and regulations.
• Broad understanding of the economic, political, and technical conditions shaping European policies for sustainable energy.
• Proficiency in English and German, including proficiency in reading and writing at a professional/technical level. Additional language skills will be a plus.
• Excellent qualitative research skills and strong quantitative skills, including the ability to understand and critically evaluate climate and/or economic modeling and analysis.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, intellectual creativity, and a demonstrated ability to work effectively in teams and to take initiative when appropriate.

Compensation and Benefits
This position can be structured either on a full-time or part-time basis, depending on circumstances. This is a permanent position to start as soon as possible in 2012. The location can be somewhat flexible, but will in any event require substantial time in the Berlin office, and will require travel in the region.

RAP offers a highly competitive salary/benefits combination that is commensurate with experience.

To Apply
Please send a letter of interest, together with a detailed CV to: Robin Barton at rbarton@raponline.org

Deadline:
Those who apply before November 15 may have the chance for an early interview 22-24 November in Berlin, though we will be accepting applications until December 20 with further interviews thereafter.

About the Regulatory Assistance Project (RAP).
RAP is a growing, high impact NGO focusing on the sustainable development of the power and natural gas sectors. We provide research, analysis, and technical assistance to public officials globally on a broad range of issues in those sectors, including electric and gas utility structures and markets, utility regulation, end-use energy efficiency and demand management, renewable resources, pricing, transmission and distribution, and intersections with carbon markets and policies. RAP has worked extensively in the US since 1992, in China since 1999, and throughout Europe since 2009. We have assisted governments in more than 25 nations and 50 states and provinces. See www.raponline.org for more information.

In addition to the expertise of its own staff, RAP coordinates a network of high-level experts and consultants working around the globe. RAP continues to expand operations worldwide, with newer programmes in Europe and India joining our well-established US and China programs. Much of our work in Europe is coordinated with the European Climate Foundation (ECF), which has major offices in The Hague, Brussels, and Berlin, and program officers in several other European venues. Our goal is to assist government officials and power and gas enterprises to identify and implement policies to increase energy efficiency, reduce emissions, and improve the overall economic and environmental performance of Europe’s power and gas sectors. While RAP’s advice to governments is always independent, we also advise and work with other stakeholders, including business associations, and NGOs.