Sustainability Coordinator

City of Alexandria, VA; Alexandria (VA); On-site; USD 65,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

The City of Alexandria, VA seeks a Sustainability Coordinator to lead programs under the Office of Climate Action and support the Environmental Action Plan 2040. You will drive community outreach, coordinate across departments, and manage voluntary programs for residents and businesses to advance decarbonization goals.

You will develop and manage campaigns, track progress, and provide materials to City leadership and the public, with opportunities to influence local environmental policy.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Engineering, or related field.
• At least five years in environmental work with diverse disciplines.
• Experience communicating environmental concepts to the community.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement Environmental Action Plan 2040 initiatives across City departments.
• Engage residents and businesses to achieve plan metrics.
• Manage Eco-City Homes and Eco-City Business programs.
• Coordinate events and outreach campaigns.
• Serve as Grant Manager for local, state, and philanthropic grants.
• Create program workplans and dashboards.
• Travel within Alexandria as needed.

Skills

Project management

Community engagement

Grant management

Public speaking

Education

Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science or Engineering

Job description

Sustainability Coordinator

An Overview

The City of Alexandria has been at the forefront of progressive environmental change and action at the local level. affirming our commitment to being a model of sustainability through our work to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the City created the Office of Climate Action. The Sustainability Coordinator serves in the Office of Climate Action within the City Manager’s Office and is responsible for several programs and actions in implementing the goals of the Environmental Action Plan 2040 and the Energy and Climate Change Action Plan.

Overall work includes managing the Office’s voluntary-action programs, Eco-City Homes and Eco-City Business, and engaging with the community to achieve key metrics listed in the Environmental Action Plan 2040. The Sustainability Coordinator is a community-facing position in the Office of Climate Action, giving you an opportunity to work directly with the people we serve, and see the immediate impact of the work.

The City of Alexandria has set ambitious goals of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 80% to 100% by 2050. With more than 95% of GHG emissions outside the direct control of the City government, inspiring action by individual residents, visitors, and businesses is necessary to achieve these goals. The Sustainability Coordinator is the primary position responsible for encouraging participation in programs that lead to individual action.

If you are a collaborative project manager with experience directly engaging the community on climate-related initiatives, the Sustainability Coordinator may be a great fit.

What You Will Do

The work of this position involves understanding, updating, tracking and implementing Alexandria’s Environmental Action Plan 2040, and coordinating across City of Alexandria departments to ensure smooth and effective development of programs for Alexandria residents and businesses. The Sustainability Coordinator will develop and manage programs to encourage voluntary actions by residents and businesses that help meet the City’s climate goals. This position will also assist with the development of the Eco-City website and dashboard.

The Opportunity

• Develop and execute strategies to enhance ongoing outreach program aimed at promoting Eco-City Alexandria to all residents, including promotion and management of the Eco-City Homes program
• Develop programs aimed at incentivizing and promoting decarbonization by Alexandria businesses, including management of the Eco-City Business program.
• Create community-focused programs and campaigns aimed at achieving program participation goals and create clear workplans.
• Coordinate the planning and execution of events, including the Eco-City Festival, attending farmers markets, Community Cookouts and other community events.
• Serve as the Office of Climate Action’s primary Grant Manager for local, state, federal and philanthropic grants. ?This work includes developing, applying for, and ongoing grant management.
• Coordinate with City departments on tracking and reporting progress on progress achieving the goals established in the Environmental Action Plan 2040.
• Act as City's liaison to external partners including but not limited to, businesses, Alexandria City Public Schools, and MWCOG to create policies, promote sustainability, and participate in community-wide sustainability projects.
• Keep abreast of best practices of environmental management from other jurisdictions as well as innovations in environmental sustainability and assess potential for their applicability in Alexandria.
• Assist in the coordination of Solarize Alexandria promotion to Alexandria residents and businesses.
• Provide information, support and presentation materials to the department management, City Manager’s Office and City Council on environmental matters.
• Substantial travel in and around Alexandria will be required.
• Performs other work as assigned.

About the City Manager’s Office and Office of Climate Action

The City Manager's Office coordinates the preparation of policies and programs for City Council consideration and manages the daily operations of City government including overseeing the preparation of the annual operating and capital budgets, appointing heads of departments and employees of the City, and carries out administrative functions. If you are interested in learning more about the Alexandria City government click here, or for a broader view of the City of Alexandria click here.

Located within the City Manager’s Office, the Office of Climate Action is the City’s office dedicated to achieving the goals in the Environmental Action Plan 2040. The Office recommends policy, reviews department work plans to ensure commitments to environmental justice, and provides the community with clear, actionable steps to achieve the City’s climate goals: https://www.alexandriava.gov/Communications

Bachelor’s degree and experience

Bachelor degree in Environmental Science or Engineering or equivalent with at least five years of professional experience in the environmental field. Three years of experience in managing environmental resources across different environmental disciplines in a public or private setting, and possess strong commitment to serving the needs of a diverse population, and proficiency in implementing successful programs to improve institutional performances regarding sustainability issues.

To be considered an ideal candidate, an applicant will have extensive experience in communicating environmental concepts to the community. A bachelor’s degree in environmental science, engineering, or related technical field, or a communications degree with experience developing environmental programs and campaigns, along with direct experience leading the development of major new programs, experience with developing and managing budgets, and a demonstrated understanding of municipal and state budget and operations.