Composting Jobs in Virginia (NOW HIRING)

Department: Facilities & Campus Operations
Classification: Program Admin Specialist 1
Job Category: Classified Staff
Job Type: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)
Location: Fairfax, VA
Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible
Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship
Pay Band: 04
Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience (not more than $ 70,000 annually)
Restricted: Yes
Criminal Background Check: Yes
Motor Vehicle Records Check: Yes
Important Eligibility Requirement
Employees in this position are required to operate university vehicles in accordance with George Mason University Vehicle Use Policy 1411. Applicants must possess and maintain an active, valid driver's license that satisfies university requirements. Final candidates are subject to a Motor Vehicle Report (MVR) review, and successful completion of the review is a condition of employment.
Minor or major driving violations may affect eligibility for employment. Applicants with prior driving infractions need to review the Eligibility & MVR Review Information ( English / Spanish ) before applying.
About the Department:
George Mason University Facilities and Campus Operations ensures a quality physical environment supporting the mission of the university. We will be the technical and business experts of choice with the total trust and confidence of our students, faculty, and staff.
About the Position:
Fantastic new opportunity at George Mason University. If you're ready to start a new career, then we are ready to hire you! You'll be a State employee of Virginia, work at our beautiful Fairfax campus with 677 acres of wooded land, and become part of the George Mason University patriot team.
We've got the work. We now need an additional team member to help in our busy environment. We want someone reliable who takes pride in their work and will make a noticeable contribution to the educational facilities at George Mason. Your manager can trust that you will get the job done.
George Mason's Facilities & Campus Operations department is committed to providing a safe, functional, and clean community experience at the university. So, what's in it for you?
Great benefits for you...

• Lots of leave, including paid annual leave, paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid two-week winter break ( please note - the break employees often receive during the holiday season is not regularly guaranteed and is subject to annual approval);
• Free tuition, up to 12 credit hours during the academic year, and professional development. Yes, you can earn a college education while earning a salary;
• Commuter Choice Transit Benefit;
• Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Plan; and
• Patriot Perks discounts to restaurants, events, and more!

For you and your family...

• Health/dental/vision benefits; and
• Tuition dependent benefit (restrictions apply).

The Compost Coordinator position leads the planning, implementation, and assessment of composting-related activities at George Mason University as part of the Facilities Services and Logistics' Recycling and Waste team. This position reports to the Recycling and Waste Manager and works with University Sustainability to increase compost diversion in support of George Mason's Zero Waste goals. The position is responsible for developing more efficient and effective operational composting plans and procedures, coordinating the logistics of compost collections and hauling at the university, and reducing compost contamination rates through the improvement and expansion of composting infrastructure. This position collaborates closely with institutional stakeholders and partners including Mason Dining, the Food Recovery Network, the Student Support and Advocacy Center's Patriot Pantry, and Facilities and Campus Operations teams to coordinate systemic improvements. The Compost Coordinator also leads George Mason's Food Rescue and Composting Working Group and supervises relevant part-time wage positions to coordinate action with aligned food waste reduction and food rescue activities. The position serves as a subject matter expert with responsibilities in strategic planning and evaluation, composting operations, compliance monitoring and reporting, and leading staff trainings for on-campus vendors and partners.
The position requires experience with, and knowledge of, managing administrative and operational aspects of composting programs; compostable product purchasing practices, including compliance with third-party certification standards; developing policy and procedural recommendations for composting program improvement; composting collection route planning and execution; coordinating with university and local community partners; coordinating with commercial composting facilities and haulers; and coordinating with dining services and facilities teams to drive more waste from trash to compost. Preferably, familiarity with zero waste concepts and practices, especially as they relate to food systems. This role will be responsible for high-impact composting strategy, including developing plans, trainings, pilots, optimizing routes, and stakeholder collaboration. As the primary lead for the Food Rescue and Composting Working Group, the position is responsible for supervising relevant part-time wage positions and offering direction, explaining requirements, and building consensus among stakeholders.
Responsibilities:
Compost Program Operations Management

• Oversees institutional compost program operations, including food waste collection, transport, and logistics for the disposal of food and compostable waste at the university's partnering industrial composting facility;
• Coordinates with university departments, vendors, and composting partners to improve operational efficiencies for food waste diversion;
• Collaborates with F&CO Recycling and Waste and Dining Services staff by carrying out contamination monitoring, training, audits, and inventories to support effective composting implementation at on-campus buildings and sites;
• Coordinates daily composting processes by monitoring and reporting the status of Work Requests, food waste collection services, procedures, and equipment;
• Implements guidelines and initiatives with Recycling and Waste team members and oversees supportive wage staff and volunteers;
• Maintains compliance with internal and external standards, regulations, and guidelines for compost collections and facility acceptance;
• Ensures, implements, and follows all safety and training principles and precautions applicable to operations; and
• As needed, but up to a maximum of 30% of essential responsibilities may include operating a university vehicle to support food waste collection, transport, and disposal.

Compost Strategy Development

• Oversees development of compost improvement and expansion strategy, including a critical 1-year period of audits, inventories, stakeholder and community engagement, and operational assessments to inform implementation;
• Drafts and annually updates process documentation, such as Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), plans, training documents, etc., to support effective and safe compost operations at the institution;
• Drafts a phased Composting Improvement and Expansion Plan based on initial and ongoing assessment of George Mason's opportunities for compost expansion and tracking of operational threats and limitations;
• Develops strategy to mitigate issues based on best practice and expertise; pilots solutions and performs audits and site checks to evaluate efficacy of pilot solutions in George Mason's specific context;
• Co-leads and coordinates recurring meetings and collaborative planning actions for advancing the Composting Program's goals through George Mason's Food Rescue and Composting Working Group;
• Monitors and reports inbound/outbound food waste tonnage and compost equipment inventories to supervisor and in response to stakeholder requests;
• Contributes recommendations for optimizing and improving access to campus compost bins/stations, messaging, and waste processing equipment for both back-of-house and front-of-house operations to inform university leadership, stakeholders, and vendors decision making; and
• Contributes to compost-related subaward/grant related document updates/proposals, and drafts Composting Program assessment and reporting content with minimal oversight.

Compostable Product Standards Compliance and Quality Control

• Verifies and reports compliance with compostable product standards; ensures compostable product standards are followed by conducting on-site checks and reviewing digital purchasing inventories in collaboration with on-campus vendors and partners, such as Mason Dining staff, institutional purchasers, Approved Caterers, etc.;
• Collaborates with the University Sustainability office and Auxiliary and Business Services' Director of Dining Services to support Mason Dining staff, on-campus vendors, and other on-campus partners' compliance with George Mason's compostable product standards for third-party certified compostable foodservice ware;
• Identifies non-compliant compostable product purchasing issues and works with on-campus partners, such as managers and vendors, to implement solutions;
• Coordinates waste audits and inventories to improve composting infrastructure, waste contamination reduction efforts, and promote food waste diversion practices within various staff units;
• Assists with staff training and education about compostable product standards and purchasing third-party certified products, including training Mason Dining staff, on-campus vendors, and other partners; and
• Assists with staff training and education about appropriate waste sorting practices to reduce food and compostable materials' trash disposal and compost contamination rates, including training Mason Dining staff, on-campus vendors, and other partners.

Food Rescue and Composting Working Group

• Develops and fosters partnerships and collaborations to improve compost diversion, access, and compost contamination rates as a member of the Food Rescue and Composting Working Group;
• Contributes feedback and recommendations to recurring Working Group meetings, following up with members about tasks and planning actions;
• Oversees two student-wage Food Rescue Specialist staff positions, including their scope of work and hours/wage considerations; and
• When needed, assists with administrative tasks, including serving as an additional staff contact for the Food Rescue and Composting Working Group, monitoring and updating planning documents, and maintaining Working Group records.

Performance of other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
• Demonstrated success managing composting program operations, recycling operations, or related field;
• Experience translating technical data related to composting, waste management, or recycling to promote program adoption or investment;
• Experience managing staff and volunteers to accomplish programmatic goals;
• Experience with planning, implementing, and evaluating composting or food waste-related projects, including budget maintenance and data collection, analysis, and reporting tasks;
• Technical knowledge of the materials, equipment, best practices, and procedures for food waste collection, transport, and composting facility disposal, as well as familiarity with federal, state, and local regulations for composting sites;
• Knowledge of sustainable purchasing concepts and practices, including third-party certification standards for compostable product purchasing and supplier Life Cycle Assessment methodology;
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of budget development and management, safety management, and staff training;
• Skill in engaging, educating, or training large groups about composting best practices and procedures;
• Skill in the logistical management of food waste collection, transport, disposal, and other operational processes;
• Skill in accurately tracking waste diversion, financial, and engagement-related data for program evaluation and reporting;
• Ability to plan, coordinate, schedule, execute, and review food waste collection routes, transport, and disposal logistics;
• Ability to train, mentor, and supervise staff and volunteers for food waste collection routes and events;
• Ability to lead or co-lead composting-related waste audits to assess food waste contamination and compostable product purchasing compliance;
• Ability to develop policy and procedural recommendations for composting program improvement based on food waste diversion, financial, and mission-related analyses;
• Ability to repeatedly lift and carry items weighing up to 50 pounds;
• Ability to operate a university vehicle for food waste collection, transport, and disposal;
• Ability to lift and carry supplies weighing up to 50 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation;
• Ability to work early mornings and occasional weekends and evenings;
• Ability to maneuver large (65-gallon to 96-gallon) wheeled carts/bins weighing up to 350 pounds;
• Valid driver's license needed to drive GMU state vehicles; and
• Must currently possess an appropriate, active, valid motor vehicle operator's license that meets all of GMU's requirements for operating state vehicles and equipment under Mason's Vehicle Use Policy 1411 https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/vehicle-use/. The Office of Risk Management reserves the right to review the driver's licenses and Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) of all candidates selected, with employment contingent upon a favorable review.

Preferred Qualifications: