Sustainability Program Manager Jobs in Washington

Background
The Office of Sustainable Development advances sustainability-related initiatives at the American Chemical Society (ACS). The ACS Campaign for a Sustainable Future initiatives include convening the community around sustainability topics, setting up a grant program, creating an online sustainability portal, and educational outreach. Under the Office of Sustainable Development is the ACS Green Chemistry Institute® (GCI) whose mission is to catalyze and enable the implementation of green and sustainable chemistry and engineering throughout the global chemistry enterprise and the ACS. The Institute focuses its efforts in four key areas: advancing science and research, integrating green chemistry into higher education, catalyzing industrial implementation of green and sustainable chemistry and engineering, and supporting ACS advocacy efforts. Initiatives include an annual conference, summer school, student awards, educational resource development, industry roundtables and communications. Both the Office of Sustainable Development and the GCI are part of the ACS's Division of Scientific Advancement.
Position Summary
The Sustainability Manager will coordinate and advance the American Chemical Society's internal sustainability strategy and operations. Reporting to the Director of Sustainable Development, this role will lead cross-departmental execution of the ACS sustainability business plan, oversee sustainability reporting and carbon accounting, coordinate stakeholder engagement, and support the development of measurable targets and standards for internal sustainability performance. This position is primarily operational (approximately 80%) with a strategic advisory component (20%).
Key Responsibilities
Internal Sustainability Strategy & Coordination
- Coordinate execution of the ACS internal sustainability plan across departments.
- Facilitate the internal sustainability working group.
- Track implementation progress against sustainability roadmap.
Carbon Accounting & Environmental Performance
- Oversee Scope 1, 2, and 3 greenhouse gas inventories.
- Manage carbon accounting software and sustainability data systems.
- Apply working knowledge of lifecycle analysis (LCA) assessments.
- Support development of science-aligned emissions reduction targets.
ESG & Sustainability Reporting
- Lead development of sustainability reports aligned with recognized frameworks (GRI, SASB, TCFD).
- Develop dashboards and KPIs for performance measurement.
- Support Board and Executive Leadership reporting.
Standards & Continuous Improvement
- Establish internal sustainability standards and benchmarks.
- Coordinate sustainable procurement and supplier engagement initiatives.
- Support climate and transition risk assessments.
Stakeholder Engagement
- Engage internal staff to build sustainability literacy.
- Coordinate with external consultants and subject-matter experts.
- Align internal sustainability with broader Science, Research & Sustainability initiatives.
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor of Science or Arts in Chemistry, Engineering, Sustainability or related discipline
- Graduate certificate or degree in Sustainability or related field.
- A minimum of 8 years of professional experience with a minimum 3 years of experience in sustainability management.
- Experience with carbon accounting software and Scope 1-3 inventories.
- Familiarity with lifecycle analysis (LCA) methodologies.
- Experience with ESG reporting frameworks.
- Strong project management and cross-functional coordination skills.
- Proficiency in data analysis tools (Excel, Power BI).
- Experience with enterprise systems (e.g., SAP) preferred.
Travel Requirement: 1-2 weeks per year.
This role is based in our Washington, DC office. A reasonable rate of compensation for this position is $85,000-$105,000 per year. ACS employees work a hybrid schedule, consisting of working onsite two days per work week, as decided by functional area. The balance of the week is open to working remotely, though employees are always welcome onsite each day if they choose.
ACS currently provides the following benefits for this position: paid vacation leave, paid sick leave, paid holidays, health insurance, flexible spending account or health care savings account, dental insurance, life insurance, vision insurance, retirement benefits, short- and long-term disability, and 4-week work from anywhere; each benefit is subject to the terms of the applicable program. Additional benefits may apply based on skills, experience, and location.
Any actual offer of employment, reflecting the total compensation package and benefits, will be made in the sole discretion of ACS. ACS reserves the right to amend or modify its employment benefits and compensation structure at any time.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities
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