Application Guide
How to Apply for Data Engineer
at Energy and Policy Institute
🏢 About Energy and Policy Institute
The Energy and Policy Institute is a unique watchdog organization dedicated to exposing the harms of fossil-fuel and monopoly utility interests. Working here means using your technical skills to advance climate justice, protect ratepayers, and strengthen democracy through data-driven advocacy.
About This Role
As a Data Engineer, you will build and maintain data pipelines from regulatory APIs and public records, design web-based tools for public-facing research, and apply AI to analyze filings and reports. Your work directly powers investigative reports and campaigns that hold powerful interests accountable.
💡 A Day in the Life
You might start by monitoring a new API for utility rate case filings, then build a Python script to ingest and clean the data. After lunch, you could refine a dashboard for a researcher, and later experiment with an LLM to extract key clauses from 50-page PDFs. The day ends with a team standup to align on upcoming investigative needs.
🚀 Application Tools
🎯 Who Energy and Policy Institute Is Looking For
- Strong software engineering background with end-to-end experience building data pipelines and tools, from ingestion to visualization.
- Proficient in Python and SQL, with hands-on experience ingesting data from APIs, web scraping, and parsing documents like PDFs.
- Skilled in building interactive dashboards or data visualization tools (e.g., using Plotly, D3.js, or similar).
- Passionate about using technology for social impact, with an interest in energy policy, climate justice, or investigative journalism.
📝 Tips for Applying to Energy and Policy Institute
Tailor your resume to highlight specific projects involving regulatory data, public records, or energy-related datasets.
In your cover letter, explicitly connect your technical skills to the mission of exposing fossil-fuel harms and protecting ratepayers.
Include links to public-facing tools or dashboards you've built, especially if they involve complex data pipelines or visualization.
Demonstrate experience with AI/ML applied to document analysis (e.g., NLP for parsing filings).
Mention any familiarity with US energy regulatory bodies (FERC, state PUCs) or open data initiatives.
✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter
["Your alignment with the organization's watchdog mission and commitment to climate justice.", 'Specific examples of building data pipelines from public APIs or scraping regulatory sites.', 'Experience creating interactive tools that make complex data accessible to non-technical audiences.', "How you've used AI or emerging tools to extract insights from unstructured documents."]
Generate Cover Letter →🔍 Research Before Applying
To stand out, make sure you've researched:
- → Read recent reports on EPI's website to understand their investigative style and data needs.
- → Research key issues like utility rate hikes, fossil-fuel disinformation, and monopoly power.
- → Familiarize yourself with FERC and state PUC data sources (e.g., FERC Form 714, eDocket).
- → Review EPI's current data tools (if any) to identify gaps you could address.
💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics
Based on this role, you may be asked about:
⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Submitting a generic application without referencing the organization's mission or specific projects.
- Overlooking the importance of public records and regulatory APIs – focus on these, not just generic data engineering.
- Failing to showcase end-to-end project ownership; they want full pipeline experience, not just piecemeal work.
📅 Application Timeline
This position is open until filled. However, we recommend applying as soon as possible as roles at mission-driven organizations tend to fill quickly.
Typical hiring timeline:
Application Review
1-2 weeks
Initial Screening
Phone call or written assessment
Interviews
1-2 rounds, usually virtual
Offer
Congratulations!
Ready to Apply?
Good luck with your application to Energy and Policy Institute!