CEJA PRIMES PROGRAM ADMINISTRATOR

Position Overview

Under the administrative direction of the Illinois Department of Commerce & Economic Opportunity (DCEO), the Primes Program Administrator leads the statewide implementation of the Clean Energy Primes Contractor Accelerator Program. This role manages three regional delivery areas (Northern, Central, and Southern Illinois), supervises staff and partner organizations, and coordinates mentorship and funding opportunities. The Administrator ensures program equity, compliance, and long-term growth outcomes for participating contractors, working closely with regional partners to deliver impactful services.

Essential Functions

• Directs all statewide activities of the Clean Energy Primes Program in accordance with CEJA legislative mandates.
• Manages and supports the Regional Primes Program leads to ensure consistent delivery across regions.
• Develop cohort selection criteria; oversees selection and onboarding of contractors every 18 months. 
• Designs and manages a 2-year mentorship program, including selection and oversight of mentor companies and stipend levels. 
• Develops and maintains an 18-month program budget and 6-year financial forecast. 
• Coordinates grant disbursement and collaborates with Illinois Finance Authority and Climate Bank to provide loan access. 
• Collects, analyzes, and reports performance metrics quarterly; overseas tracking of long-term participant outcomes for up to 10 years. 
• Implements equity-related remedies recommended by the Illinois Power Agency’s disparity study. 
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated above. 

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four (4) years of college, preferably with courses in business or public administration. 
• Requires two (2) years of responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization. 
• Requires five (5) years of experience leading a contractor-based business or major clean energy or public-sector program. 
• Requires two (2) years’ experience working with equity investment eligible communities.

Specialized Skills

• Requires two (2) years’ experience in executive-level program leadership, including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and oversight of statewide initiatives in the clean energy sector. 
• Requires two (2) years of experience in implementing complex policies or regulatory mandates into operational strategies and ensuring compliance across multi-regional programs at the state level. 

Preferred Qualifications

• Prefers two (2) years’ experience in executive-level program leadership, including strategic planning, stakeholder engagement, and oversight of statewide initiatives in the clean energy sector. 
• Prefers two (2) years of experience in implementing complex policies or regulatory mandates into operational strategies and ensuring compliance across multi-regional programs at the state level. 
• Prefers two (2) years of experience overseeing multimillion-dollar grant programs or managing complex budgets with public or grant funding. 
• Prefers two (2) years’ experience with certification or compliance processes such as supplier diversity programs (e.g. MBE/WBE) or experience managing vendor qualification or approval systems or similar regulator or programmatic compliance frameworks. 
• Prefers two (2) years of experience translating disparity study recommendations into actionable policies or implementing equity-focused procurement practices. 
• Prefers two (2) years’ experience developing and maintaining long-term financial forecasts and program budgets. 
• Prefers two (2) years’ experience collecting, analyzing, and reporting program performance metrics, including longitudinal tracking. 
• Prefers two (2) years’ experience building partnerships with financial institutions, government agencies, and community organizations to advance program goals. 

Conditions of Employment

• Requires completion of a background check and self-disclosure of criminal history. 
• Requires ability to travel in the performance of duties, with overnight stays as appropriate. 
• Requires appropriate, valid driver’s license. 
• Requires completion of CEJA-specific training within 90 days. 

The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties listed in the job description. 

About the Agency

The mission of the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) is to create equitable economic opportunities across the State of Illinois. By attracting and supporting major job creators, investing in communities, strengthening Illinois’ world-class workforce, fostering innovation, and ushering in the new clean energy economy, DCEO works to fortify Illinois’ reputation as a global economic powerhouse while ensuring Illinois is the best state to live, work and do business.