Policy Principal

About Advanced Energy United

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 decisionmaker 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 across the country. 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 to share your talents. Team members at United are given the trust and responsibility to make big things happen, and myriad opportunities to learn new skills, explore new issue areas, and work with a broad cross section of the clean energy community. Being a team member at United also means working with a talented and diverse group of people, some who bring decades of experience spanning advocacy, philanthropy, clean tech, government and more—and our collaborative approach means we get to learn from each other, expert and novice, every day. And while our organization is fully remote, we are proud of the people-focused culture we have built and the connectedness of our team.

We work on serious issues, take our mission seriously, but never take ourselves too seriously.

Position Description

Advanced Energy United (United) is currently seeking a Policy Principal to 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 the information and resources to understand advanced energy products, services, and business models – as well as the policy and political solutions we need to unleash them. Through political events, conferences, and business roundtables, United engages key decision-makers around the benefits that advanced energy technologies and services can provide to their constituents and helps to solve the challenges in obtaining these benefits.

Reporting directly to the Policy Senior Director, the Policy Principal will cultivate relationships and inform strategies to help achieve the DMEE team’s goals.

The ideal candidate is energized by thinking about how political dynamics and relationships affect energy policy decisions. Successful applicants must have experience related to political and/or advocacy campaigns, bolstered by exceptional project management, relationship building, and communication skills. While you do not need to be a state energy policy expert to be considered for this role, strong candidates will possess an interest in energy policy issues and be comfortable with communicating with decision-makers regarding United’s state policy priorities. The ideal candidate is entrepreneurial, proactive, comfortable with ambiguity, and flexible. Candidates will need to travel to meet with key stakeholders 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 our program efficacy

Required Qualifications

• 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 your engagement and communication strategies accordingly. Successful applicants must demonstrate the 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; candidates must be very comfortable working with colleagues in a remote environment, owning new projects, managing their own calendar, and delivering on high expectations.

• Strong interpersonal skills required; candidates must be able to enthusiastically develop and maintain productive relationships with key stakeholders, including policymakers, advocacy groups, industry experts, and regulators.

• 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. 

The employee is regularly required to use hands and talk or hear. The employee is 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.

Job type: Full-time, regular (residence in the U.S.required) 

Location:Remote, with a preference given to candidates based in one of the following states: IL, MI, MN, WI

Start date: November2026

Salary:Starting at $75,000

Advanced Energy United Perks include:

•    Medical, dental, and vision insurance for employees and their families

•    Flexible spending plans for health care and dependent care  

•    Profit Sharing opportunities, and annual merit-based compensation increases 

•    $75/month personal wellness reimbursement 

•    $100 month technology subsidy  

•    Up to $200 reimbursement for home office set-up 

•    Accrued Paid Time Off, 11 Federal Holidays, and an annual end-of-year closure 

•    12 weeks Parental Leave 

•    Professional development reimbursement 

•    401(k) plan (with matching incentives) 

•    WMATA Transit Smart Benefits (DMV employees)

Advanced Energy United is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in hiring or employment on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, sex, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state or local laws, regulations or ordinances. If reasonable accommodations are needed to participate in the job application, interview process, and/ or to perform essential job functions please contact the Talent Acquisition team at [email protected]. We are committed to the values of diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice across our organization (“DEIJ”). We also incorporate these values into our mission of making the energy we use secure, clean, and affordable. We know that varied perspectives and a commitment to social justice are needed to succeed in making the United States an advanced energy economy. We commit to building and supporting an inclusive workforce that represents different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints.