Phoenix, Arizona is working to expand its Resource Innovation Campus (RIC) to advance renewable materials recovery and support citywide sustainability goals. The FUSE Executive Fellow will develop strategic recommendations to guide the next phase of RIC development, including tenant attraction, pilot project implementation, and performance tracking. This will support the city’s efforts to expand renewable energy infrastructure, reduce fossil fuel dependency, and support the development of a more sustainable and resilient local economy.

Fellowship Dates: October 27, 2025 – October 23, 2026

Salary: Executive Fellows are FUSE employees and receive an annual base salary of $80,000. Fellows can also access various health, dental, and vision insurance benefits. Compensation for this year of public service is not intended to represent market-rate compensation for the experienced professionals in our program.

ABOUT THE FUSE EXECUTIVE FELLOWSHIP

FUSE is a national nonprofit dedicated to increasing the capacity of local governments to work more effectively for communities. We embed private sector executives in city and county agencies to lead projects that improve public services and accelerate systems change. Since 2012, FUSE has led over 400 projects in 58 governments across 26 states, impacting a total population equivalent to 1 in 10 Americans.

When designing each fellowship project, FUSE works closely with government partners and community stakeholders to define a scope of work that will achieve substantive progress toward high-priority local needs. Projects address today’s most pressing challenges and opportunities, including affordable housing, economic mobility, climate resilience, public safety, infrastructure, technology, and more.

FUSE conducts a full executive search for each individual project to ensure that the selected candidate has at least 15 years of professional experience, the required competencies for the role, and deep connections to the community being served.

Executive Fellows are embedded in government agencies working with senior leaders for at least one year of full-time work. Prospective responsibilities may include thorough data analytics and research, developing enhanced operations and financial models, building change management and strategic planning processes, and/or building broad coalitions to support project implementation efforts. Executive Fellows are data-driven and results-oriented and able to effectively manage complex projects. They build strong relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, foster alignment within and across various layers of government, and build partnerships between governments and communities.

Throughout the fellowships, Executive Fellows receive training, coaching, and professional support to help achieve their project goals.

PROJECT CONTEXT

City-led strategies to manage renewable and electronic waste are increasingly vital for promoting environmental sustainability, public health, and economic opportunity. As cities confront rising volumes of hard-to-recycle materials—including electronics, solar panels, and electric vehicle batteries—they must find innovative ways to divert waste from landfills while creating local pathways for recovery and reuse. These efforts are especially important for communities located near landfills and industrial corridors, which are often lower-income neighborhoods that face disproportionate environmental and health burdens. Circular economy strategies that promote local reuse and safe disposal practices can reduce these disparities and support a cleaner, more resilient urban environment.

In Phoenix, Arizona, the Public Works Department has taken significant steps to lead on sustainable materials recovery. Through the city’s 2021 Climate Action Plan, Phoenix has committed to achieving 50% waste diversion by 2030 and reducing its dependence on landfilling. Central to this effort is the expansion of the Resource Innovation Campus (RIC), a 40-acre site co-located with the city’s transfer station, compost facility, and materials recovery center. The RIC is designed to attract private-sector companies focused on renewable material recovery, such as e-waste processors, solar panel recyclers, and lithium-ion battery recovery firms. However, the city is still working on infrastructure and a business model to systematically capture and reuse materials from the coming wave of first-generation solar systems and EVs. In 2024, the city launched a design competition to guide future development of the RIC and has partnered with Arizona State University (ASU) and other stakeholders to align the project with Phoenix’s broader circular economy and decarbonization vision. Phoenix now seeks to expand work at the RIC to position its circular economy infrastructure as a key enabler of renewable energy growth.

Phoenix will partner with FUSE to develop a clear and actionable strategy for advancing the next phase of the Resource Innovation Campus. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a landscape analysis and stakeholder listening tour, identify industry best practices in renewable materials recovery, develop criteria and key performance indicators for tenant selection, manage pilot projects, and propose strategies to track environmental and economic impact. Ultimately, this project will help Phoenix reduce environmental harm, increase the reuse of materials from clean energy systems, and support renewable energy development through circular infrastructure that reduces the city’s long-term dependence on fossil fuels.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in October 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Phoenix Public Works Department and other key stakeholders to support the development and implementation of a strategic roadmap to advance the next phase of the Resource Innovation Campus (RIC). This project will help the city to identify necessary strategies to attract businesses capable of recovering and recycling or reusing critical materials from solar and EV waste, reducing fossil fuel dependency, and creating the business case, partnerships, and KPIs needed to support long-term decarbonization.

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour involving stakeholders from across city departments and partner institutions, including Public Works, the Office of Environmental Programs, Economic Development, ASU, and community-based organizations. The fellow will also engage with existing and potential private-sector partners—particularly in the renewable materials recovery, e-waste, and recycling industries—to understand current infrastructure needs, business model barriers, and partnership opportunities. This process will surface insights on environmental, economic, and operational considerations related to expanding the RIC and positioning it as a cornerstone of Phoenix’s broader strategy for circularity, waste diversion and renewable energy resilience.

The fellow will also conduct a landscape analysis of national best practices, focusing on hard-to-recycle materials such as lithium-ion batteries, solar panels, and electronic waste. Particular attention will be given to approaches that integrate circular recovery into clean energy systems and reduce dependence on virgin fossil fuel inputs. At the conclusion of this phase, the fellow will develop specific project goals and deliverables for review and approval by Public Works leadership.

Building on these early findings, the fellow will design a strategy to scale circular economy operations at the RIC. This will include mapping key stakeholders, identifying market gaps in the regional waste-to-value ecosystem, and recommending high-impact tenant types that align with city waste streams and decarbonization goals. The fellow will help refine criteria and processes for evaluating and attracting new tenants and establish key performance indicators to measure landfill diversion, job creation, fossil fuel reduction, and environmental impact. In collaboration with internal and external partners, the fellow will manage two priority pilot projects: one with the Water Department on converting biosolids to new products such as biochar and liquid fertilizer, and another focused on processing for hard-to-recycle plastics and municipal solid waste into new products such as naphtha and biochar. These pilots will serve as early demonstrations of the RIC’s potential to support both circular recovery and renewable infrastructure development and will inform broader program design and implementation.

The fellow will use the collected insights, research, and analyses to create a strategic roadmap for the Resource Innovation Campus that includes stakeholder engagement strategies, tenant targeting recommendations, pilot project outcomes, and a metrics framework aligned with Phoenix’s goal of 50% waste diversion by 2030 and fossil fuel reduction. The roadmap will provide the City with actionable steps to guide RIC expansion, strengthen internal coordination, and build long-term resilience in waste management and renewable energy systems.

The fellow will also produce tools to support future tenant evaluation and performance tracking, and, as time allows, support the launch of new partnerships that extend the impact of the RIC model. To ensure long-term sustainability, the fellow will recommend structures for continued cross-sector collaboration, monitor ongoing implementation progress, and propose pathways to integrate the RIC strategy into broader citywide climate and economic development initiatives.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS

  • Executive Sponsor: Mario Paniagua, Deputy City Manager
  • Project Supervisor: Felipe Moreno, Public Works Director

QUALIFICATIONS

  • Synthesizes complex information into clear and concise recommendations and action-oriented implementation plans.
  • Develops and effectively implements both strategic and operational project management plans.
  • Generates innovative, data-driven, and result-oriented solutions to complex challenges.
  • Respond quickly to changing ideas, responsibilities, expectations, trends, strategies, and other processes.
  • Communicates effectively verbally and in writing and excels in active listening and conversing.
  • Fosters collaboration across multiple constituencies to support more effective decision-making.
  • Establishes and maintains strong relationships with diverse stakeholders, both inside and outside of government, particularly community-based relationships.
  • Embraces differing viewpoints and implements strategies to find common ground.
  • Demonstrates confidence and professional diplomacy while effectively interacting with individuals at all levels of various organizations.

FUSE is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage candidates from all backgrounds to apply for this position.