Director of Campus Sustainability & Energy Strategy

City Colleges of Chicago; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 81,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Excellent health and welfare benefits

Pension plan with SURS; 403(b) & 457(b

Tuition reimbursement

Job summary

City Colleges of Chicago seeks a Director of Sustainability and Energy Management to lead district-wide sustainability and energy reporting. You will collaborate with engineers, facility managers and staff to advance energy efficiency, recycling, and green initiatives across seven colleges and five satellite sites.

The role focuses on acquiring grants, managing contracts, and driving energy reductions, with strong emphasis on data, reporting, and stakeholder engagement across campuses.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree with four years of relevant experience; Master’s preferred.
• Experience with sustainability/energy programs in higher education or public institutions.
• Knowledge of sustainability issues and best practices.
• Understanding of facilities management and building operations in complex organizations.
• Knowledge of building commissioning/retro-commissioning processes.
• Project management skills for retro-commissioning projects.
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel across the District to campuses.
• Willingness to work weekends and evenings.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft 365 (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams).

Responsibilities

• Develops and implements a District-wide sustainability plan.
• Manages contracts with utility providers and analyzes usage and rates.
• Leads participation in utility curtailment programs and rebates.
• Identifies funding opportunities and assists with grant applications.
• Oversees landscaping contracts and promotes green campus practices.
• Manages waste hauling and recycling initiatives across campuses.
• Oversees environmental consulting contracts.
• Projects manage retro-commissioning of HVAC systems for efficiency.
• Provides sustainability expertise to project managers on new construction and retro-commissioning.
• Coordinates green activities with student groups and staff across campuses.
• Advocates for sustainability in the District’s strategic plan.
• Maintains records and annual sustainability reports.

Skills

Project management

Verbal communication

Written communication

Presentation skills

Collaboration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Management, Sustainability, Urban Planning, or related field

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

City Colleges of Chicago seeks a Director of Sustainability and Energy Management to lead district-wide sustainability and energy reporting. You will collaborate with engineers, facility managers and staff to advance energy efficiency, recycling, and green initiatives across seven colleges and five satellite sites.

The role focuses on acquiring grants, managing contracts, and driving energy reductions, with strong emphasis on data, reporting, and stakeholder engagement across campuses.