Director of Sustainability, University of Richmond – Virginia

Organization: University of Richmond

Position Title: Director of Sustainability

Location: Richmond, Virginia

Hours and Compensation: Full-time; Pay Grade 8 – To see more detailed salary information please review the University of Richmond’s Compensation Structure.

Application Deadline: Open until filled

Description: The University of Richmond is currently accepting applications for the Director of Sustainability position. Building on a strong foundation of campus sustainability progress, the Director of Sustainability will convene diverse campus and community stakeholders in an effort to integrate the themes of sustainability, adaptation, and resilience into administrative, operational, and academic functions of the University. Reporting directly to the Vice President for Business and Finance with “dotted-line” responsibility to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs, the Director will be responsible for providing visionary leadership and support to the University of Richmond community as it charts a far-reaching course for sustainability and pursues its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment. Achieving these goals will require the Director to possess excellent short and long-range strategic planning skills; stakeholder engagement capacities with a mind for inclusivity and community member empowerment; and innovative design, implementation, management and evaluation abilities.

Responsibilities: In collaboration with campus sustainability stakeholders, the Director will provide visionary leadership and guidance as the University integrates sustainability into short and long-range planning efforts. Core responsibilities include:

Visionary Leadership:
*  Collaborating with campus stakeholders to map the community’s assets and build and implement a cohesive new sustainability vision.
*  Serving as a catalyst for sustainability who facilitates the integration of sustainability into the roles and responsibilities of campus stakeholders.
* Supporting meaningful progress toward the University’s strategic sustainability goals, including its ambitious climate neutrality goals as part of the American College and University Presidents’ Climate Commitment.
* Researching and maintaining a working knowledge of sustainability best practices, innovations, and lessons learned at peer and aspirant institutions.

Academic and Operational Integration, Cultural Change, and Educational Outreach:
* Providing support to faculty development of curricular initiatives that works to ensure that University of Richmond students are “sustainability literate.”
* Providing support to the University’s Facilities Division and other operational stakeholders in developing and implementing innovative solutions in the areas of procurement; waste management; energy and water management; building design, construction, and maintenance; dining; and transportation among others.
* Developing creative educational behavior change campaigns utilizing strategies such as community-based social marketing to expand sustainability awareness and grow a culture of sustainability.
* Collaborating with the Center for Civic Engagement to build a “living-learning program” that leverages the rich academic assets of the University by engaging faculty and students in research and hands-on learning rooted in issues directly affecting campus and the City of Richmond.
* Potentially instructing or co-instructing sustainability-focused courses (no more than one per year), and possibly serving as the academic supervisor for sustainability internships.

Initiative Management and Reporting:
* Creating communication strategies to promote broad awareness of sustainability and develop a University-wide process and organizational structure to support sustainability inquiry, change, and assessment.
* Managing the budget and operations of the Office of Sustainability, including its existing programs and student interns.
* Developing or adopting metrics, tracking progress, and evaluating the effectiveness of all campus sustainability initiatives to ensure the University is prepared to meet its goals and shift course where needed.
* Managing the Sustainability Internship Program and implementation of the Sustainability Internship Seminar aimed at providing students a background in sustainability and support for running campus based programs; and exploring opportunities for keeping intern alumni engaged.
* Completing and submitting STARS, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate action plan reports.
* Promoting the University’s sustainability programs to both internal campus constituencies and external audiences.

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in environmental studies, policy, planning or science; architecture; landscape architecture; engineering; land use planning; or other relevant field or commensurate experience. PhD preferred.
• At least five years of relevant experience. Seven or more years preferred. Experience in higher education sustainability administration preferred.

How to Apply: To apply visit http://jobs.richmond.edu