Assistant Specialist; Director, Industrial & Energy Policy Research – Initiative, Institute Energy Efficiency

Assistant Specialist (Director, Industrial & Energy Policy Research) – 2035 Initiative, Institute for Energy Efficiency

Position overview

Position title:

Director, Industrial & Energy Policy Research

Salary range: A reasonable estimate that the University expects to pay for this position at 100% time is $66,400 - $100,000

Percent time: 100%

Anticipated start:
August 2026 or later

Position duration: 1-year initial appointment, with the possibility of renewal based upon performance and/or funding.

Application Window

Open date:
June 23, 2026

Next review date:
Tuesday, Jul 7, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date:
Tuesday, Dec 1, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

Position description

Through the UCSB Institute for Energy Efficiency, the 2035 Initiative is seeking an Assistant Specialist (Director, Industrial Energy Policy Research) who will work closely with Principal Investigators, researchers, and the 2035 Initiative's Director on domestic and international projects. The 2035 Initiative brings together engineers and social scientists to clean up our energy systems and address the climate crisis. We use cutting-edge empirical research, policy development, and media engagement to support transformational policy change in the United States and across the planet.

We are looking for a mission-driven Director, Industrial Energy Policy Research with deep expertise in energy and climate policy research, strong project management capabilities, and the ability to work effectively across engineering and social science teams. The Director, Industrial Energy Policy Research will serve as a key intellectual contributor and operational anchor for the Initiative's research portfolio—leading and managing projects from inception through publication, coordinating across internal and external collaborators, and helping translate empirical findings into actionable policy recommendations.

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Manage a portfolio of technical and policy research projects end-to-end, including scoping, milestone planning, coordination across research teams, and delivery of final products on time and to a high standard
• Lead and co-author policy research reports, working papers, and memos on topics including industrial decarbonization, clean energy policy, and regulatory strategy, translating complex empirical findings for policy and public audiences
• Coordinate multi-disciplinary project teams composed of faculty, postdoctoral researchers, and graduate and undergraduate students, providing direction, feedback, and day-to-day oversight
• Contribute substantively to technical and policy analyses, including collecting and processing energy, political, and regulatory data at the global, national, and state levels
• Design and conduct quantitative and qualitative research, including survey research, to assess the policy landscape and public or stakeholder attitudes on climate and energy issues
• Provide statistical analysis and coding support for Initiative research projects, primarily in R and/or Python
• Collaborate with engineering and social science research teams to ensure technical analysis is policy-relevant and that findings are communicated clearly to non-technical audiences
• Present research findings to government clients, policy audiences, and partner organizations
• Engage with external stakeholders, policy advocates, and partner organizations as relevant to ongoing research projects
• Broadly lend support to the Initiative team where needed and tackle special projects where appropriate

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Bachelor's degree in political science, public policy, economics, environmental science, environmental studies, data science, statistics, or a related field.

Preferred qualifications

Advanced degree (PhD or Master's) in political science, public policy, environmental policy, or a related social science or environmental field

• Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-component research projects involving multiple collaborators, timelines, and deliverables
• Substantial experience contributing to and leading policy research on climate, energy, or environmental topics, including authorship of published reports or peer-reviewed work
• Experience coordinating and providing direction to teams of researchers, including graduate and undergraduate students
• Proficiency in statistical programming (R and/or Python) for data analysis and visualization
• Knowledge of industrial decarbonization strategies and policy pathways, including clean heat, electrification, and emerging energy technologies
• Knowledge of U.S. and international clean energy policy landscapes, regulatory frameworks, and political dynamics
• Experience designing and analyzing survey or other empirical…