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ABOUT BURCH ENERGY

Burch Energy Services is a Portland-based, COBID-certified minority-owned clean energy firm specializing in energy efficiency consulting, program implementation, and technical quality assurance for residential and commercial facilities. We partner with utilities, community organizations, program administrators, and contractors to deliver real, measurable reductions in energy use and carbon emissions.

We are a growth-stage company with deep roots in the Pacific Northwest energy landscape. Our work spans Energy Trust of Oregon program delivery, building performance analysis, and community-centered retrofit programs that serve underserved and historically disadvantaged households. If you want your technical skills to matter at every level—project, program, and community—you’ll find your place here.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Burch Energy was selected as the Quality Assurance Provider (QAP) for the Portland Clean Energy Fund (PCEF) Energy Friendly Homes Program. This 3000 house program delivers whole-home retrofits—heat pump systems, insulation, air sealing, and more—to income-qualified homeowners across the Portland metro area. Your job is to make sure every single project is done right.

As Residential Technical Lead, you will own the quality assurance function end to end: reviewing contractor Scopes of Work in SnuggPro before installation begins, validating projected energy savings and cost estimates, conducting post-installation field inspections, and providing hands-on feedback that helps contractors continuously improve. This is a hybrid role approximately 70% desk work and 30% field inspections across the Portland metro area.

You will work closely with the program's Central Administrators (CAs), Burch's internal program team, and a network of participating contractors. As the program scales toward 800 homes per year, your QA systems, judgment, and contractor relationships will be a direct driver of program quality and impact.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

A. Quality Assurance — Scope Review (Core Function)

• Review and approve contractor-submitted Scopes of Work (SOWs) in SnuggPro prior to installation, ensuring technical accuracy and program compliance.

• Validate projected energy savings and cost-effectiveness calculations using program cost calculators and modeling tools.

• Assess proposed measure packages—heat pumps, insulation, air sealing, windows, and more—against program eligibility, efficiency, and critical repairstandards.

• Return clear, actionable feedback to contractors on incomplete or non-compliant scopes; track revisions through to approval.

• Identify patterns in scope deficiencies and escalate systemic issues to program leadership for resolution and contractor education.

B. Field QA & Post-Installation Verification

• Conduct post-installation QA field inspections across Portland metro residential sites, using standardized and program-specific inspection protocols and software.

• Verify that installed measures match the approved Scope: equipment specifications, installation quality, air sealing completeness, HVAC system airflow/control, duct repairs, and system configuration.

• Perform or oversee diagnostic testing as applicable, including blower door testing, combustion safety, duct leakage testing, and heat pump commissioning checks.

• Document findings accurately and completely in QA reporting systems; communicate required corrective actions to contractors promptly.

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Navigate attics, crawlspaces, and mechanical rooms with professionalism and physical confidence.

C. Contractor Support & Engagement

• Serve as a trusted technical resource for participating contractors—available to answer questions on measure design, installation standards, and program requirements.

• Provide one-on-one and group feedback sessions, helping contractors understand deficiencies and improve scope quality over time.

• Build collaborative relationships that raise the floor on installation quality across the program’s contractor network.

• Participate in contractor onboarding and orientation as the program grows.

D. Program Coordination & Reporting

• Coordinate closely with and program staff on project status, scheduling, and QA workflows.

• Maintain accurate, timely QA records, inspection reports, and documentation in program management systems.

• Contribute to monthly and quarterly program reporting, flagging quality trends and recommending process improvements.

• Stay current with program policy updates, PCEF requirements, and applicable energy efficiency standards.

QUALIFICATIONS

Required

• Minimum 5 years of hands-on residential energy efficiency, home performance, or building science experience.

• Demonstrated field experience auditing a minimum of 100 residential homes through a utility, government, or nonprofit energy efficiency program.

• Demonstrated experience with residential retrofit measures: heat pumps (ducted air source and/oror ductless mini-split), insulation, air sealing, duct systems, and related equipment.

• Strong analytical mindset with the ability to evaluate energy savings projections, cost estimates, and technical specifications.

• Experience reviewing, approving, or managing project scopes in a QA or technical oversight capacity.

• Comfortable working independently with minimal supervision across both desktop and field environments.

• Valid driver’s license, current auto insurance, and reliable vehicle.

• Physical ability to access crawlspaces, attics, and confined spaces; occasional lifting of 30–40 lbs of field equipment.

Preferred

• BPI Energy Auditor or equivalent credential.

• Proficiency with SnuggPro or comparable residential energy modeling software.

• Experience with GoAudits, Salesforce, or similar inspection/CRM platforms.

• Familiarity with PCEF, Energy Trust of Oregon, or Oregon-based residential energy programs.

• Experience delivering technical training or mentoring to installation trades.

• Professional proficiency in a second language is a meaningful plus—many households we serve are multilingual.

WHO YOU ARE

You believe that energy-efficient homes should be available to everyone—not just those who can afford premium retrofits—and you want your technical skills to be the mechanism that makes that happen at scale. You take quality seriously, not because someone is watching, but because you understand that a heat pump installed correctly in January means a warmer family and a lower bill for the next twenty years.

You are likely to thrive in this role if you:

• Bring structure and rigor to your review process without losing sight of the practical realities contractors face on the job.

• Communicate technical feedback in a way that educates rather than frustrates—building trust with trades, not creating adversarial dynamics.

• Are equally at home in an energy model as you are in a crawlspace checking for air sealing completeness.

• Approach complexity with curiosity: when you see a system behaving oddly, you want to understand why.

• Are deeply organized; you are comfortable managing a pipeline of 10+ active project reviews without letting things slip.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Salary: $75,000 – $95,000 annually, based on experience and qualifications.

Benefits include:

• Health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Paid time off plus paid holidays.

• Retirement plan with employer contribution.

• Mileage reimbursement for field work.

• Professional development support—certifications, training, and continuing education.

• Flexible hybrid work arrangement.

WHY JOIN BURCH ENERGY

You won’t be a number here. As a small, growing firm in an expanding program, you will have real ownership over how quality assurance is done. The work is meaningful: over the next few years, the PCEF Energy Friendly Homes Program will touch thousands of Portland households, most of them in communities that have long been underserved by the clean energy economy. The quality of what you do will show up directly in their comfort, their health, and their energy bills.

Burch Energy is COBID-certified and mission-driven. We prioritize equity, quality, and results—and we’re building a team that reflects those values. If you want to grow your career in residential building performance while doing work that genuinely matters, this is the role.