The City of Phoenix (City) is working to transition its municipal fleet to low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles as part of its broader climate and sustainability commitments. The FUSE Executive Fellow will lead the development of a strategic roadmap to guide this transition, with a focus on operational efficiency, infrastructure planning, and workforce readiness. This work will help the City meet its climate goals, reduce air pollution, and ensure city operations remain cost-effective, reliable, and responsive to the needs of all communities.

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

Transitioning to a clean and diversified municipal fleet is essential for cities to advance environmental resilience, protect public health, and ensure long-term operational sustainability. A strategic approach to vehicle electrification and alternative fuels can reduce harmful emissions, improve air quality, and lower maintenance costs across city services. Importantly, low-income communities and communities of color that are often located near heavy traffic corridors, maintenance yards, and industrial areas bear a disproportionate burden from fleet-related air pollution and heat exposure. A well-executed transition plan can address these inequities by prioritizing infrastructure investments and emission reductions in the most affected neighborhoods.

The City has committed to ambitious climate and sustainability goals through its 2021 Climate Action Plan and Transportation Electrification Action Plan. Internally, these goals include reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 50%, deploying 200 EVs citywide by 2030, and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. The City has established an EV Task Force, initiated vehicle electrification in select departments, and begun installing an internal charging infrastructure. To reach their goals, the City is working to address several key challenges: evolving technology for medium- and heavy-duty vehicles, infrastructure and maintenance readiness, interdepartmental coordination gaps, and the need to evaluate fuel-agnostic options such as hydrogen and compressed natural gas (CNG) in addition to EVs.

The City will partner with FUSE to create a comprehensive, justice-oriented strategy to guide the city’s low-emission and alternative-fuel fleet transition. The FUSE Executive Fellow will: conduct a benchmarking analysis of fleet strategies in peer cities; assess the City’s current fleet composition, infrastructure capacity, and workforce readiness; identify feasible pathways for electrification and alternative fuels; and develop a strategic roadmap to guide long-term investment and implementation. Ultimately, this project will help the City build a cleaner, more resilient municipal fleet that supports citywide climate goals and delivers long-term benefits for all communities.

PROJECT SUMMARY

Beginning in October 2025, the FUSE Executive Fellow will work with the City of Phoenix Public Works Department and other stakeholders to develop and begin implementing a practical, forward-looking roadmap for transitioning the city’s municipal fleet to low-emission and alternative-fuel vehicles.

The fellow will begin by conducting a comprehensive listening tour with stakeholders across city departments, including fleet managers, vehicle technicians, finance and procurement teams, the City Manager’s Office, Human Resources, the Office of Sustainability, and members of the EV Task Force. This engagement will surface insights into current challenges, infrastructure needs, and departmental priorities. The fellow will also conduct a landscape analysis that includes a review of city policies, fleet data, and infrastructure capacity.

The fellow will then conduct research on national best practices related to vehicle electrification, hydrogen, compressed natural gas (CNG), and other fuel technologies. They will produce a national benchmarking analysis of 10–15 peer cities on fleet types, fueling strategies, and infrastructure ownership. At the end of this phase, the fellow will present clearly defined project goals and deliverables for review and approval by Public Works leadership and other city decision-makers.

Building on these findings, the fellow will design a phased, fuel-neutral strategy for transitioning the fleet in a way that balances operational performance, cost efficiency, and environmental impact. This strategy will include recommendations tailored to different types of vehicles and service needs, identifying opportunities for piloting electric and alternative-fuel vehicles, and outlining infrastructure improvements needed to support adoption over time.

The fellow will also assess vehicle maintenance technician training needs and develop a workforce support plan to prepare city staff for maintaining and operating next-generation vehicles. To encourage coordination, the fellow will create internal tools to support fleet planning across departments and help align the work with ongoing capital investment cycles. Throughout this process, the fellow will emphasize practical solutions that meet the city’s operational requirements while improving service delivery and environmental outcomes.

By the end of the project, the fellow will deliver a clear, actionable roadmap for modernizing the city’s fleet. This will include a technology and vehicle replacement strategy, siting recommendations for fueling and charging infrastructure, cost modeling tools, and a workforce training framework. The roadmap will also recommend policies for full lifecycle management of fleet assets, including decommissioning and alignment with city sustainability mandates, as well as long-term alignment with the City’s Transportation Electrification Action Plan and Climate Action Plan. As time allows, the fellow will also support the launch of one or more pilot projects to test key elements of the plan.

To ensure long-term sustainability, the fellow will recommend processes for annual fleet planning updates, propose a structure for ongoing cross-department collaboration, and provide a framework for tracking results over time. This work will help the City strengthen its fleet operations, support cleaner air and healthier neighborhoods, and prepare for the evolving demands of modern city services.

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.