Policy Principal - DMEE

Advanced Energy United is a national industry association representing businesses that provide the full range of advanced energy and transportation solutions. Our team works to educate, advocate, and activate in decision-maker venues across the country. We advocate for public policies that enable competition and work alongside our member companies to create economic opportunity, lower consumer costs, and bolster energy reliability and resilience. We work with decision makers at every level of government as well as regulators of energy markets to build progress toward an economy built on advanced energy.

If you’re an entrepreneurial, innovative, analytical, and thoughtful person looking to make an impact in the clean energy space, United might be the perfect place for you. Team members at United are given the trust and responsibility to make big things happen, with opportunities to learn new skills, explore new issue areas, and work with a broad cross-section of the clean energy community. Our collaborative approach means we learn from each other daily, and while our organization is fully remote, we pride ourselves on a people-focused culture. We work on serious issues, take our mission seriously, but never take ourselves too seriously.

About the role

The Policy Principal will help shape political strategy on our Decisionmaker Education and Engagement team (DMEE). The DMEE team builds relationships with governors, state regulators, state energy officials, and policymakers to equip them with information and resources about advanced energy products, services, and business models—as well as the policy and political solutions needed to unleash them. Through political events, conferences, and business roundtables, United engages key decision-makers around the benefits of advanced energy technologies and helps solve challenges in obtaining these benefits.

Reporting directly to the Policy Senior Director, the Policy Principal will cultivate relationships and inform strategies to achieve the DMEE team’s goals. The ideal candidate is energized by thinking about how political dynamics and relationships affect energy policy decisions. While you do not need to be a state energy policy expert, strong candidates will possess an interest in energy policy issues and be comfortable communicating with decision-makers regarding United’s state policy priorities. Travel to meet with key stakeholders is required approximately 1-2 times per quarter.

Responsibilities

• Own the political strategy for building relationships with key decision-makers in a portfolio of Midwest states
• Develop effective communication strategies that incorporate state-specific energy outlooks and political landscapes and deploy those strategies to represent United in front of state decision-makers
• Build, maintain, and own relationships with key stakeholders, including policymakers, advocacy groups, coalitions, industry experts, and regulators
• Use project management tools and systems effectively to deliver success on both short and long-term goals
• Maintain and organize information to contribute to program knowledge management and retention
• Communicate campaign progress, outcomes, and key metrics for internal and external stakeholders, including United’s member companies
• Contribute to strategy and tactic ideation and development to continuously improve program efficacy

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
• 3-6 years of professional experience, with ideally 2 or more years in roles that engage with elected officials
• A commitment to and track record of leading work that aligns with United’s Core Values
• Experience working on advocacy or policy affecting the advanced energy industry is a plus
• A knack for assessing your audience and tailoring engagement and communication strategies accordingly
• Ability to build rapport with key stakeholders quickly
• Aptitude for conveying the essential components of technical subject matters effectively to decision-makers
• Track record of successfully supporting multi-stakeholder programs or campaigns
• Independent self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit; comfortable working remotely, owning new projects, managing your own calendar, and delivering on high expectations
• Strong interpersonal skills; ability to enthusiastically develop and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders
• Existing relationships or background working in the Midwest is a plus, particularly in Illinois, Michigan, Minnesota, or Wisconsin
• Experience managing confidential information and intelligence
• Comfort working amidst ambiguity and quickly changing political dynamics
• Willingness to travel as needed (approximately 1-2 times per quarter)

Physical Requirements

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Regularly required to use hands and talk or hear
• Required to sit for long periods of time; reach with hands and arms; may need to balance, stoop, kneel or crouch, walk up and down stairs

Pay

Starting at $75,000

Schedule

Full-time, regular (residence in the U.S. required). Remote, with a preference for candidates based in IL, MI, MN, or WI. Start date: September 2026.

Benefits

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families (100% of medical premiums covered for employees)
• Flexible spending plans for health care and dependent care
• Profit-sharing opportunities and annual merit-based compensation increases
• $75/month personal wellness reimbursement
• $50/month phone stipend
• Up to $200 reimbursement for home office set-up
• Accrued Paid Time Off, 11 Federal Holidays, and an annual end-of-year closure
• Parental Leave
• Professional development reimbursement
• 401(k) plan (with matching incentives)
• WMATA Transit Smart Benefits (DMV employees)