Careers at the University of Massachusetts Lowell

The Municipal Fellow will support a municipality or agency that supports municipalities within Massachusetts with energy transition projects as part of the Massachusetts Clean Energy and Environment Legacy Transition (CELT) Initiative. This opportunity is open to all students statewide, regardless of their college/university, location, or field of study. The role is central to supporting the state’s transition to clean energy solutions, particularly within environmental justice communities, through partnerships with universities and municipalities. 

The fellow will be assigned to a municipality or regional municipal organization based on a matching process involving proximity, skill set, and background. Fellow will be assigned to projects or initiatives within that entity. These projects may include but are not limited to direct sustainability work (solar, EV, geothermal advancement), data consolidation or reporting, community outreach, marketing/strategic communications/social media, grant writing/application, research, or finance. The goal of the fellowship will be to collaborate with stakeholders within the town and across the state, and to engage with community members to advance clean energy initiatives. Fellows will attend meetings within the fellowship cohort, contributing and sharing ideas, while also attending ongoing Professional Development.  

 Key Responsibilities: 

• Complete a comprehensive onboarding and training program to ensure readiness to start in the placements. 
• Support projects and initiatives as outlined by the Municipality or agency. 
• Build and maintain relationships with municipalities and state agencies, including the MA Green Communities Division, to support municipal energy transition projects. 
• Attend regular cohort meetings and professional development sessions facilitated by the Program Manager. 
• Continuously evaluate program success using KPIs designated by the Program Manager as well as the municipality/agency, ensuring goals within the municipality are being met. 
• Other related duties as assigned including supporting both the mission of the University of Massachusetts Lowell as well as the mission of the municipality or agency as applicable 

• Credits toward an Associate’s, Bachelor’s or graduate degree in sustainability, environmental, engineering, business, finance, sciences, policy or related field depending on projects.
• Ability to travel on site to placement location in Massachusetts (placement will be determined in part by proximity)
• Behavioral competencies include ability to work independently and as part of a team, problem-solving ability, customer service and diplomacy skills, and excellent communication and organization skills. 
• Commitment to learning and growth. 
• Demonstrated experience with Microsoft Office, data management, querying, and spreadsheet development as pertains to work-related tasks and deadlines, including, for example, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, PowerBi and/or other data and metrics management/tracking programs 

• Experience developing, implementing, and managing projects and/or programs related to sustainability, energy system operations and management, building operation and management, power plant operations and management, finance, or GIS mapping. 
• Demonstrated experience with organization, project management, stakeholder engagement, event and meeting planning