Sustainability Manager

City of Raleigh NC; Raleigh (NC); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

City of Raleigh seeks an experienced Sustainability Manager to lead the Office of Sustainability in implementing climate action, social advancement, and resilience initiatives. You will guide cross-department teams, manage resources, and represent the City’s sustainability progress with executive presence.

In this management role, you’ll report to the Sustainability Officer, supervise multiple direct reports, and support staff across buildings, energy, transportation, land use, and resilience

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a related field and 7–9 years of strategy, innovation, or human-centered design experience.
• Experience leading cross-department teams and managing budgets within a municipal context.
• Certified or trained in change management, PMP, LEED, or related sustainability credentials are a plus.

Responsibilities

• Leads and develops the Sustainability team with clear direction and support.
• Oversees program organization, CCAP-aligned project execution, and tracking.
• Manages budgets and resources for sustainability initiatives.
• Cultivates relationships with internal and external partners to advance climate, resilience, and social goals.
• Strengthens systems to improve workflows and scalable climate action.
• Serves as a key leader, stepping in for the Sustainability Officer when needed.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic thinking

Systems thinking

Change management

Operational clarity

Budget stewardship

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science, Design Studies, Psychology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Public Administration, Urban Planning

Job description

The City of Raleigh is seeking an experienced Sustainability Manager to join its Office of Sustainability. This role leads the team implementing climate action, social advancement, and resilience in Raleigh, working with city departments and community partners to implement high-impact strategies from the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP).

This role includes people leadership, cross-departmental project management, process optimization, budget planning, and serving as a visible representative of the City’s sustainability progress. This role supports staff across all program areas (buildings & energy, transportation & land use, and resilience) rather than owning a single topic, ensuring each team member has the supported needed to advance their work.

As part of the Office of Sustainability, an award-winning team within the City Manager’s Office, you’ll shape Raleigh’s leadership in climate action, turning ambitious goals into measurable impact. This position will operate in a management capacity, reporting to the Sustainability Officer with multiple direct reports. This position also serves in the absence of the Officer as needed.

About You:

You are a thoughtful, people-centered leader who brings clarity, structure, and momentum to complex sustainability work. You know how to build and support high-performing teams, manage resources with intention, and create systems that help others excel. You’re energized by bringing order to complexity; strengthening processes, improving workflows, and designing structures that make ambitious goals achievable. With a talent for coordinating across departments and aligning diverse contributors, you ensure work moves forward smoothly and clearly. Your executive presence – steady, confident, and impact-focused – makes you a trusted representative of the City’s sustainability efforts. Whether presenting to leadership, engaging with community partners, or navigating competing priorities, you bring strategic thinking, understanding, and a commitment to turning Raleigh’s climate and resilience goals into tangible progress.

About Us:

At the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability, we collaborate to drive climate action, social advancement, and resilience for a thriving community. Through ambitious initiatives guided by the CCAP, we work with City departments, residents, community and regional partners to advance sustainability.

Our team leads and supports various high-impact sustainability initiatives, fosters innovative solutions, and collaborates with regional peers and partners. Since the Office was established in 2012, we have earned national recognition for our impactful work. Today, we tackle more intricate challenges, prioritizing scalable and enduring solutions that create long-term impact for our growing community. We also provide staff support to Raleigh’s Environmental Advisory Board, a Council-appointed public board.

The City of Raleigh values diversity and encourages applicants from all backgrounds—especially those historically underrepresented in sustainability. This position is hybrid, with teleworking 20% of the week. Some evening and weekend engagements may be required for public events, presentations, and board meetings.

• Leads and develops the Sustainability team by providing clear direction, coaching, and support, ensuring staff have the resources, structure, and guidance needed to deliver high-impact work. This includes managing team meetings, annual planning processes, and time allocations for team
• Oversees program organization and execution, ensuring projects are well-structured, aligned with CCAP priorities, and progressing toward identified outcomes through consistent tracking and communication
• Manages budgets and resources for the Office and sustainability initiatives, aligning spending with strategic goals, forecasting needs, and adapting to shifting priorities in a dynamic municipal environment
• Cultivates strong relationships with internal and external partners, representing the City in meetings, collaborations, and community engagements to advance climate, resilience, and social advancement objectives
• Strengthens organizational systems and processes to improve workflow, enhance coordination across departments, and create structures that support efficient, clear, and scalable climate action
• Serves as a key leader in advancing the Office’s work, stepping in for the Sustainability Officer as needed, representing the Office in meetings and presentations, helping communicate progress, and reinforcing the City’s sustainability priorities with professionalism and executive presence
• Performs related work as required

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science, Design Studies, Psychology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or a related field; 7 to 9 years’ experience in the application of strategy, innovation, and human centered design methods, tools, and frameworks, or a related field; OR Any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be substituted

Preferred Education and Experience:

• Experience in one or more of the following areas: sustainability, project management, data analytics, energy management, planning, public policy, process improvement, facilitation, business or public administration
• Strong project management experience, process improvement, organizational skills and/or certification such as Lean Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP) desired

Preferred Licenses and Certifications:

• Behavior change and/or change management training or certification
• Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
• Energy Management certification
• Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement training or certification
• Community engagement certification
• Social advancement and/or resilience trainings and certifications
• LEED or equivalent certification
• Planning and/or urban design certifications
• Design thinking training or certification

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Leadership, supervision, and executive presence— experience managing staff, facilitating group discussions, building consensus, and representing the Office with confidence, professionalism, and sound judgment
• Strategic and systems thinking— the ability to see patterns, anticipate impacts, connect the dots across policies and operations, and translate complex challenges into clear, actionable direction
• Adaptability and change management –the capacity to navigate shifting priorities from executive leadership and officials, guide teams through change with steadiness and clarity, and adjust plans with composure in a dynamic environment
• Operational clarity— skill in bringing structure to ambiguity, improving workflows, and creating systems that help teams move from idea to reality.
• Resource and budget stewardship— proficiency in managing department and project budgets, allocating resources strategically, and aligning financial decisions with organizational priorities
• Stakeholder engagement, communication, and organizational awareness –strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to build relationships across diverse communities, navigate issues and opportunities, and operate effectively within a complex political and organizational landscape

Work Environment and Physical Effort:

Sedentary: Exerting up to 10 pounds of force occasionally, a negligible amount of force frequently, and/or constantly having to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body.

Work Environment:

Work is typically performed in an office or similar indoor environment. This role will occasionally work in an outdoor environment.

Work Exposures:

Work in this position does not require frequent environmental exposures.

City of Raleigh is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) employer. Accommodations for individuals with disabilities are provided upon request.