Climate Workforce Specialist

Climate Workforce Specialist

Organization: Brendle Group

Posted: May 15, 2026 \u2022 Deadline: May 18, 2026

About Brendle Group

Brendle Group is a sustainability consulting firm committed to solving the problems our clients face today while accelerating equitable climate solutions for the future. Our goal is to collaborate on meaningful projects that have measurable impacts. Since our founding in 1996, our company's purpose has been to create lasting impacts that inspire and sustain our communities and our world.

Our portfolio includes innovative projects that address energy, climate, and water challenges for clients in the public and private sectors. We believe our team members bring a unique blend of technical expertise, innovation, and agility to help anticipate and solve new sustainability challenges. We are a Certified B Corporation and a public benefits corporation (PBC) that not only walks the talk in our own operations but also pioneers new frontiers in sustainability in areas such as greenhouse gas management and accounting, net zero energy, climate resilience, and workforce development.

Brendle Group's work supports building decarbonization and transportation electrification by connecting stakeholders and developing equitable climate solutions for our clients. The demand for skilled, well-trained employees working on energy efficiency, building electrification, renewable energy, and transportation electrification is increasing significantly. Active collaboration between workforce development centers, employers, contractor trade networks, community-based organizations, local government, and state agencies are needed to address that increased demand.

Position Summary

Brendle Group seeks a full-time Climate Workforce Specialist to join our Planning & Engagement team. We are seeking a workforce specialist with at least three years of experience building career pathways for climate- related jobs in partnership with industry. The ideal candidate brings experience designing competency-based training and credential pathways, and has a background in workforce development, human resources, labor or employment, economics, or education/training. This role requires a Colorado or Minnesota-based candidate to support local and regional customers (see additional location requirements below).

Are you passionate about climate action and workforce development and do you see yourself removing systemic workforce barriers? If this sounds like your kind of challenge, roll up your sleeves with us! There's so much important work to be done. Learn more at BrendleGroup.com.

Position Responsibilities and Estimated Time Allocation

Career Pathway Systems Design and Implementation (70%)

• Design and support industry-driven, competency-based career pathway systems in climate-related trade jobs that align education, training, workforce, community-based organizations, and employers.
• Conduct labor market analyses for climate-related occupations to inform pathway development.
• Support development of career pathway frameworks, including coordinating stackable credentials, work-based learning, and advancement opportunities.
• Support clients in launching and implementing workforce programs and initiatives.
• Integrate equity-focused strategies to expand access and remove barriers for disadvantaged populations.
• Convene and facilitate cross-sector partners, including employers, training providers, workforce agencies, government offices, funders, and community organizations.

Support other Planning and Engagement Activities (10%)

• Contribute to the development of plans, strategies, and policies for a variety of other sustainability topics that intersect with workforce development (e.g., energy efficiency, transportation electrification, climate resilience, etc.).
• Manage and support tasks for client and internal projects.
• Facilitate and support workshop delivery with cross-functional teams.

Support the Company and other Service Teams (10%)

• Support the implementation of tactics to embed workforce development principles and best practices across company and client projects and programs.
• Support development, tracking, and reporting of workforce development outcomes at the company level.
• Support capacity-building efforts for colleagues at Brendle Group to grow workforce development skills.
• Participate in company-wide meetings and other collaboration opportunities.

The remaining 10% time is assumed to be allocated to holidays, personal time off, sick time, and other overhead activities.

Required Qualifications and Experience

• Three or more years of combined experience working in workforce development, career pathways, or education with a minimum of one year's experience in developing career pathways for climate-related jobs at the community, regional, or state scale.

• Degree, certification, or training in economics, labor/employment, human resources, education/training and/or workforce development.

• Experience in industry-led workforce initiatives, specifically career pathway design including apprenticeships, sector strategies, or talent pipeline development.

• Strong facilitation, communication, and project management skills.

• Specific expertise in residential and commercial HVAC workforce for energy efficiency and building electrification.

• Passion for climate justice and equity, helping to remove systemic workforce barriers and developing channels for greater diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in the workforce including access to and success in the climate workforce.

• Access to a personal vehicle and possession of a valid driver's license.

• Experience collaborating directly with people from diverse racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.

• Ability to present to, and engage with, diverse audiences in ways that are culturally appropriate and connect to lived experiences while also representing program objectives.

• Ability to communicate by phone, email, online video platforms, in person in one-to-one, or group settings.

• Experience with Microsoft Office programs (Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Excel, Teams, SharePoint).

• Comfort with statewide/regional community engagement and travel (Colorado or Minnesota).

• Experience with report writing.

Preferred Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge of competency-based education, hiring, or credentialing models.
• Experience with analytical approaches and tools to support planning and engagement (e.g., surveys, response coding, qualitative and quantitative data analysis).
• Bilingual proficiency in Spanish/English in both written and verbal communication.
• Background serving on boards, advisory groups, or committees focused on workforce development.
• Experience working or collaborating with local and/or state agencies supporting workforce development.
• Experience with curriculum design.
• Experience developing and delivering customized trainings to upskill the workforce to implement climate solutions at scale.
• Experience conducting feasibility and cost-benefit analyses for a variety of innovative energy, GHG reduction, and other sustainability solutions.
• Ability to communicate technical concepts and project updates clearly to clients, partners, and team members.
• Experience with energy advising services to multifamily, commercial, industrial and institutional customers providing clear and actionable recommendations.
• Demonstrated ability to use generative AI and other analytical tools responsibly to improve research, writing, and data analysis while protecting confidential information, mitigating bias, and following company and client policies.

Attributes of Ideal Candidates

• Exhibits professional empathy, perspective, and cultural competence.
• Demonstrates excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Passionate about equity and sustainability.
• Well organized and reliable.
• Problem solver and critical thinker.
• Adaptive to evolving responsibilities.

Salary and Benefits

Brendle Group offers a flexible and collaborative workplace with a competitive salary and a generous benefits package. Based on position requirements and candidate experience, the annual base salary range for this role is $75,000-$95,000. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt position. Benefits include:

• Employer-paid health, dental, vision, and disability insurance.
• SIMPLE retirement plan with employer match.
• Flexible schedule, with summer hours (providing extended weekends) and hybrid work options (mix of in-person and remote schedules).
• Paid time off, accumulating from your first day.
• Paid holidays (nine per year) and two annual floating holidays.
• Annual bonus and salary adjustments.

Location, Schedule and Position Conditions

The project portfolio for this position is concentrated in Colorado and Minnesota. Therefore, this role requires candidates to be based in Fort Collins, CO; Denver Metro Area, CO; or Twin Cities Metro Area, MN. We are not currently considering fully remote candidates. We operate as a hybrid organization offering flexible schedules and a mix of in-office and remote work, with regular in-person collaboration as a core part of how we work together.

Brendle Group full-time staff are expected to be available during the company's core hours (9 am to 3 pm); flexible schedules and arrangements outside of these core hours are available. Our team is committed to sustainable workloads and will work diligently to ensure work weeks do not become excessive or require prolonged periods that significantly exceed 40 hours per week for full-time employees.

This position requires reliable transportation.

Application Process

Please submit your application using the link below. You will be asked to provide:

• Resume.
• Three professional references.
• Salary expectations.
• Schedule and office location preference.
• A compelling cover letter explaining how your experience meets our job requirements and why you would be a great addition to our team.

Apply here: Brendle Group Climate Workforce Specialist \u2013 Fill out form Posting Dates: May 4-18, 2026

Phone screening: May 26-28, 2026

Interviews: In-person interviews are planned for week of June 1, 2026. For Minnesota-based candidates, final interviews may take place virtually.

Targeted Start Date: June 29, 2026

Applicants can expect the hiring process to include an initial applicant screening call, an in-person interview, background and reference checks. Employment eligibility is verified through the federal E-Verity system, which confirms authorization to work in the United States.

We believe that diverse perspectives strengthen our organization and help us better serve our community. Our team is committed to maintaining an inclusive workplace and encourage candidates of all backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives to apply.

We are committed to inclusive and equitable hiring practices, recognizing historic inequities in the engineering, planning, and sustainability professions. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply for jobs unless they believe they can perform every job description task. We encourage you to think broadly about your background and if you meet some, but not all the qualifications, yet bring strength in crucial areas, you may be a perfect candidate!

Our team is most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may come from a less traditional background. If you feel your qualifications complement those set forth in this posting and are interested in Brendle Group, please contact us at hr@brendlegroup.com for additional discussion, referencing this posting.