Sustainability Associate

The Tower Companies; Rockville (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental and vision coverage

401(k) plan

Job summary

The Tower Companies is seeking a Sustainability Associate to join its Sustainability Department. You will partner with engineering, property management, construction, and accounting teams to advance energy, water, waste, and healthy building goals across the portfolio.

Responsibilities include coordinating benchmarking and certification efforts (LEED, ENERGY STAR, Fitwel), gathering data for greenhouse gas inventories, supporting regulatory compliance, and preparing case studies and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, construction, sustainability, or a related field.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of work experience in real estate, energy services, or sustainability.
• LEED Green Associate, LEED AP, or Fitwel Ambassador credential preferred.

Responsibilities

• Provide project management support across the portfolio for energy, renewables, water, waste, IAQ, health, and materials.
• Manage benchmarking and third‑party certification efforts (LEED, ENERGY STAR, Fitwel, UL Verified Healthy Building Mark).
• Gather data for the annual greenhouse gas inventory and support verification.
• Update inputs to support ENERGY STAR certifications with vendors and property teams.
• Assist with budget creation, vendor contracts, and invoices.
• Develop case studies and presentations for industry events.

Skills

Project management

Data analysis

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business/engineering/construction/sustainability

Tools

Microsoft Word

Outlook

PowerPoint

Excel

Job description

The Sustainability Associate is an integral member of the Sustainability Department and partners with teams across the organization to advance The Tower Companies’ sustainability, building performance, and healthy building goals. The Tower Team strives to be a leader in health and environmental responsibility in the real estate industry by developing and managing high-performance properties and serving as a regional leader by sharing our innovative practices and experiences.

The Sustainability Associate will report to and work closely with the Senior Director of Sustainability. The successful candidate will collaborate with departments throughout the organization, including engineering, property management, construction, and accounting teams. This work spans project management, data gathering in support of industry-leading commitments, idea generation and due diligence, employee and tenant engagement, certification assessment and management, and thought leadership. Successful candidates are confident and collaborative—comfortable working independently and managing multiple priorities simultaneously.

Job Responsibilities:

• Provide project management support, including engagement with team members throughout the organization for new and ongoing sustainability-related activities across the portfolio, such as energy, renewables, water, waste, IAQ, health, and materials.
• Manage aspects of new and existing benchmarking and third‑party certification efforts such as LEED, ULI Greenprint, Fitwel, UL Verified Healthy Building Mark, ENERGY STAR, and other sustainability and healthy building programs.
• Gather data to prepare the annual greenhouse gas inventory and support the verification process.
• Update data inputs to support annual ENERGY STAR certifications, working with vendors and property management teams.
• Review and support carbon offsets and renewable energy credit purchases.
• Identify, track, and manage the documentation process for green building‑related rebates and tax incentives.
• Assist with budget creation and management, vendor contracts, and invoices.
• Help prepare case studies and presentations and, as appropriate, represent the Company at industry events.
• Support Tower’s compliance efforts with Building Energy Performance Standards regulatory frameworks in Montgomery County, Maryland, and Washington, D.C.
• Develop programming and outreach materials to engage and communicate with Company employees, building tenants, and residents to encourage sustainable practices.
• Assist Company employees with questions related to sustainability best practices.
• Research emerging technology offerings and prepare associated financial analyses to support ongoing Scope 1 and Scope 2 greenhouse gas reduction efforts and healthy building goals.
• Other duties as assigned.

Position Requirements

Preferred Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, engineering, construction, sustainability, or a related field; relevant work experience may be considered in lieu of a listed degree.
• Minimum of 3–5 years of work experience; experience in real estate, energy services, or sustainability strongly preferred.
• LEED Green Associate, LEED AP, or Fitwel Ambassador credential preferred.
• Experience benchmarking GHG emissions using industry frameworks
• Ability to translate technical findings into clear recommendations for engineering, property management, and leadership audiences.
• Understanding of sustainability metrics and tracking methodology across topic areas such as climate, energy, water, waste, and transportation
• Experience successfully managing projects with internal and external team members
• Familiarity with LEED and other sustainability and healthy building certifications and best practices for new and existing buildings
• Proficient in Microsoft Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint – with high level of aptitude working in Excel
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills; confident public speaker
• Outstanding attention to detail and strong analytical skills
• Ability to prioritize projects to meet multiple deadlines in a fast‑paced, team environment
• Eager learner and self‑starter, interested in staying on the cutting edge of sustainability and healthy building topics and programs
• Ability to be flexible, proactive, and highly motivated with strong organizational skills

Candidates under consideration for hire must submit to, and pass, a background check and drug screening according to The Tower Companies’ hiring standards.

• The Tower Companies and its affiliates are equal opportunity employers and offer a collaborative and exciting work environment, competitive salary and excellent benefits, which include medical, dental and vision coverage, as well as a 401(k) plan

About the Organization

For three generations, the family‑owned Tower Companies has maintained a commitment to responsible development and envisions a world where buildings inspire and enrich the lives of their occupants, and create positive social change. The green building leader owns, develops, and manages over 5 million square feet in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area consisting of office buildings, office parks, lifestyle centers, regional malls, eco‑progressive live‑work‑play communities and hotels with over 8,000,000 SF in the development pipeline. The Tower Companies is recognized as an international authority in the industry, and to have been recognized for its commitment to sustainability and energy independence by numerous national organizations and federal agencies, including US Green Building Council, US Department of Energy and the US Environmental Protection Agency.

EOE Statement

We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position is currently accepting applications.