Sustainability Manager

City of Raleigh North Carolina • Raleigh, NC

10h • Hybrid

About The Position

The City of Raleigh is seeking a Sustainability Manager for its Office of Sustainability, an award-winning team within the City Manager’s Office. The role leads the team implementing climate action, social advancement, and resilience, coordinating with city departments and community partners to advance high-impact strategies in the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP). The manager supports staff across buildings and energy, transportation and land use, and resilience programs rather than owning a single topic area.

This management position has multiple direct reports and reports to the Sustainability Officer. It serves in the Officer’s absence as needed and represents the Office in meetings, presentations, collaborations, and community engagements. The role encompasses people leadership, cross-departmental project management, process improvement, program organization, and budget and resource planning. The position is hybrid, with teleworking 20% of the week; some evening and weekend engagements may be required for public events, presentations, and board meetings.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Science, Design Studies, Psychology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or a related field; alternatively, an equivalent combination of training and/or experience may be substituted.
• Seven to nine years of experience applying strategy, innovation, and human-centered design methods, tools, and frameworks, or experience in a related field; alternatively, an equivalent combination of training and/or experience may be substituted.
• Experience managing staff, facilitating group discussions, building consensus, and representing an office with confidence, professionalism, and sound judgment.
• Ability to think strategically and systemically, anticipate impacts, connect policies and operations, and translate complex challenges into clear, actionable direction.
• Ability to navigate shifting priorities, guide teams through change, and adjust plans in a dynamic environment.
• Skill in structuring ambiguous work, improving workflows, and creating systems that help teams execute ideas.
• Proficiency in managing department and project budgets, allocating resources strategically, and aligning financial decisions with organizational priorities.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills and ability to build relationships across diverse communities and operate effectively in a complex political and organizational landscape.

Nice To Haves

• Experience in one or more of sustainability, project management, data analytics, energy management, planning, public policy, process improvement, facilitation, business administration, or public administration.
• Strong project management experience, process improvement skills, organizational skills, and/or a Project Management Professional (PMP) certification.
• Behavior change and/or change management training or certification.
• Energy Management certification.
• Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement training or certification.
• Community engagement certification.
• Social advancement and/or resilience training or certifications.
• LEED or equivalent certification.
• Planning and/or urban design certifications.
• Design thinking training or certification.

Responsibilities

• Lead, develop, coach, and support the Sustainability team, ensuring staff have the direction, resources, structure, and guidance needed to deliver high-impact work.
• Manage team meetings, annual planning processes, and staff time allocations.
• Oversee program organization and execution, ensuring projects are structured, aligned with CCAP priorities, and progressing toward outcomes through tracking and communication.
• Manage budgets and resources for the Office and sustainability initiatives, aligning spending with strategic goals, forecasting needs, and adapting to changing priorities.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external partners, representing the City in meetings, collaborations, and community engagements to advance climate, resilience, and social advancement objectives.
• Strengthen organizational systems and processes to improve workflows, coordination across departments, and scalable climate action.
• Serve as a key leader in advancing the Office’s work and step in for the Sustainability Officer as needed.
• Represent the Office in meetings and presentations, communicate progress, and reinforce the City’s sustainability priorities.
• Perform related work as required.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager