Sustainability Operations Manager Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Under the general direction of the Sr. Director of Sustainability or designee, the Sustainability and Energy and Manager leads the development, implementation, and evaluation of sustainability, environmental justice, and community engagement programs to advance the Office of Sustainability’s strategic priorities. This position will also support supporting campus energy and decarbonization initiatives. The Sustainability & Energy Manager drives initiatives that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve energy and resource efficiency, promote health and equity, and support institutional resilience through collaboration with senior leadership, facilities and operations teams, faculty, researchers, staff, students, and external partners. The Manager identifies innovative solutions, develops and executes comprehensive project plans, leverages data and analytics to measure performance, and builds partnerships that advance measurable environmental, social, and financial outcomes.

The Sustainability and Energy Manager oversees complex, cross-functional initiatives across multiple sustainability impact areas, with particular emphasis on decarbonization, energy efficiency, sustainable operations, climate resilience, environmental justice, and integration of sustainability into research and education. The position supports sustainability reporting, regulatory compliance, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement while advancing programs aligned with Massachusetts Executive Order 594, UMass Board of Trustees policies, and the Office of Sustainability Strategic Plan.

Responsibilities

• Program Development
  • Support sustainability program creation, policies, tools, and guidance to advance UMass Chan’s sustainability goals and strategic priorities with a particular focus on decarbonization and the Office of Sustainability Strategic Plan implementation
  • Implement sustainable initiatives, engagement programs, and communications, in partnership with relevant departments, support sustainable operations and construction with the goal of addressing climate, environmental conservation, and health.
  • Develop and oversee environmental justice programs that promote an equitable energy transition and access to healthy, sustainable, and resilient communities, particularly for historically underserved populations.
  • Manage implementation of innovative energy efficiency and decarbonization initiatives through identification of opportunities, cross-departmental collaboration, and development of dashboards for project analysis, tracking, and measurement and verification.
  • Lead comprehensive waste reduction initiatives, including vendor management, source reduction, reuse/ surplus management, recycling, and the development of innovative programs for composting and hard to recycle materials.
  • Manage external consultants and vendors supporting sustainability communication, waste and recycling, energy modeling and other initiatives.
  • Serve as the project team lead, coordinating in-house planning, design, architectural, engineering, and construction management resources to advance sustainability and energy capital projects from concept development through procurement and implementation.
• Data, Metrics & Reporting
  • Lead the development of sustainability analytics dashboards to track KPI through cross-departmental partnership with Facilities, IT, and Research Administration to inform capital planning, budgeting, compliance reporting, and engagement.
  • Lead UMass Chan’s sustainability reporting requirements including, but not limited to, AASHE STARS reporting, Large Building Energy Reporting, UMass System Annual Reporting, Greenhouse Gas Annual Reporting, and internal sustainability reporting.
  • Translate complex data into actionable guidance for leadership through clear visualization and reporting frameworks.
• Stakeholder & Community Engagement
  • Facilitate participatory engagement structures with students, staff, and faculty through community forums, working groups to co-design sustainability initiatives
  • Participate in integrative planning processes across energy, grounds, transportation, facilities, and procurement departments to support the office of sustainability strategic goals and align UMass system-wide climate, energy and sustainability priorities.
  • Participate in capital project design reviews to assure sustainability and resiliency objectives are being adhered to.
  • Develop strong partnership with other federal, state and local agencies, and community organizations to advance sustainability and decarbonization practices
• Curriculum Integration & Education
  • Partner with faculty and academic leadership to integrate sustainability, climate change, environmental justice, and planetary health concepts into the medical school curriculum, preparing future healthcare professionals to address the health impacts of environmental and climate-related challenges.
  • Design and deliver workshops on environmental justice, health disparities, and sustainability for medical students, residents, faculty and staff.
  • Manage campus sustainability communication channels including online presence, shared mailboxes, collaboration tools, and community forums
• Grant writing & Funding
  • Secure funding for sustainability programs through grants and other incentives, with demonstrated track record of successful grant acquisition
  • Participate in project planning, conceptual design, and prioritization, including ensuring alignment with sustainability and resiliency guidelines and securing funding to support energy conservation and decarbonization through grants, utility incentives, and other programs.
• Perform other duties as required.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in sustainability, environmental science, engineering, management, public policy, planning, or related field. Master’s degree in these fields is desirable.
• 5 years’ experience in sustainability, environmental justice, organizational change, or community-based program development and implementation.
• Proven track record of securing grant funding for sustainability, decarbonization, environmental justice, or related initiatives.
• Strong working knowledge of Sustainability and associated data and metrics with experience developing dashboards and data visualization tools for decision-making
• Experience facilitating cross-departmental collaboration among diverse stakeholders
• Strong organizational and computer skills are required.
• Demonstrated ability to initiate new creative ideas and take projects from concept through implementation in a constantly changing environment, and ability to inspire and align colleagues around a shared vision
• Ability to travel to off-site locations

Preferred:

• Knowledge of MA Executive Order 594 and Massachusetts energy and sustainability reporting
• Familiarity with AASHE STARS reporting framework
• Project management experience preferably in developing and managing large-scale energy, sustainability, decarbonization, or climate resilience projects
• Supervision experience with employees, students, interns, consultants, and contractors.

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