Sustainability Coordinator

City of Alexandria•Alexandria, VA

11d•Onsite

About The Position

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.

Requirements

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.
Possess strong commitment to serving the needs of a diverse population.
Proficiency in implementing successful programs to improve institutional performances regarding sustainability issues.

Nice To Haves

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.
Direct experience leading the development of major new programs.
Experience with developing and managing budgets.
Demonstrated understanding of municipal and state budget and operations.

Responsibilities

Understanding, updating, tracking and implementing Alexandria’s Environmental Action Plan 2040.
Coordinating across City of Alexandria departments to ensure smooth and effective development of programs for Alexandria residents and businesses.
Developing and managing programs to encourage voluntary actions by residents and businesses that help meet the City’s climate goals.
Assisting with the development of the Eco-City website and dashboard.
Developing and executing 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.
Developing programs aimed at incentivizing and promoting decarbonization by Alexandria businesses, including management of the Eco-City Business program.
Creating community-focused programs and campaigns aimed at achieving program participation goals and creating clear workplans.
Coordinating the planning and execution of events, including the Eco-City Festival, attending farmers markets, Community Cookouts and other community events.
Serving 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.
Coordinating with City departments on tracking and reporting progress on progress achieving the goals established in the Environmental Action Plan 2040.
Acting 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.
Keeping abreast of best practices of environmental management from other jurisdictions as well as innovations in environmental sustainability and assessing potential for their applicability in Alexandria.
Assisting in the coordination of Solarize Alexandria promotion to Alexandria residents and businesses.
Providing information, support and presentation materials to the department management, City Manager’s Office and City Council on environmental matters.
Performing other work as assigned.