Greater New Orleans, Inc. is a nonprofit regional economic development organization serving the 10-parish Greater New Orleans region.  Our mission is to serve as a catalyst for wealth creation in the Greater New Orleans region.  GNO, Inc. accomplishes this by pursuing an aggressive agenda of business development, marketing the region, and product development, improving regional business conditions through policy, workforce, and research initiatives.  

The GNO, Inc. vision is for the Greater New Orleans region to fulfill its potential as one of the best places in the country to grow a company and raise a family.  The ultimate indication of success for GNO, Inc. will be the presence of a robust and growing middle class in Southeast Louisiana.  More information can be found at www.gnoinc.org.  

Overview 

On September 2nd, the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) awarded a $50 million federal grant to H2theFuture, a 25-organization partnership with representation across South Louisiana.  H2theFuture will develop a new energy cluster in South Louisiana, spanning the clean hydrogen life cycle, from R&D at Louisiana universities, to an end-use project at the Port of South Louisiana. Read more about the announcement here. 

As the lead applicant on the grant, GNO, Inc. is hiring a Director of Future Energy to steer the long-term strategy comprised of complementary projects with two main goals:  

1. Reducing the price of renewable hydrogen; and 
2. Transforming South Louisiana into the Hub of Green Hydrogen production.   

The strategy revolves around five pillars which will drive research and innovation, industry and job growth, workforce development, and business development. The Director of Future Energy is responsible for leading these strategies forward daily and working with a wide range of stakeholders.   

To accomplish these key objectives, the Director of Future Energy will design and implement strategies to: 

• Collaborate with state and regional higher education partners to promote and support transitional research of low carbon hydrogen technologies 
• Oversee the development of a physical center that will be the programmatic hub of the cluster, designed to promote collaboration and coordination between stakeholders and to attract corporate tenants 
• Direct a series of partnerships and programs intended to:
• • Enhance the diversity of a qualified talent pool  
  • Promote entrepreneurial ideation in the cluster 
  • Foster close partnerships and collaboration with industry and employers in the clean hydrogen value chain 
• Partner closely with state and regional partners, and the GNO, Inc. Business Development team, to attract and grow businesses across the hydrogen value chain 
• Support the development of demand-driven workforce training for displaced workers, rural citizens, and minorities, working in close partnership with GNO, Inc.’s workforce development team as well as state and local training partners, particularly community and technical colleges 
• Facilitate public-private partnerships that de-risk low carbon hydrogen investments at a commercial scale 

Qualifications and Experience  

• 8-10 years of professional experience 
• Experience implementing large, complex projects or initiatives 
• Strong analytical and critical thinking skills 
• Strong relationships with companies in the energy supply chain across South Louisiana 
• Ability to work closely with higher education leadership 
• Exceptional written, oral, and presentation communication abilities  
• Bachelor or advanced degree in business, economics, communications, economic development, or a related discipline  
• Clarity of thought, comfort with ambiguity, and ability to put forward articulate and compelling strategic arguments