Sustainability Strategist

Overview

Performs difficult skilled administrative work leading and coordinating the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of a comprehensive city-wide initiative to advance sustainability and resilience. Focus areas include—but are not limited to—food access, energy, climate resilience, natural resources, and community well-being. Serves as liaison between the City and community stakeholders, and related work as apparent or assigned. Work is performed under the limited supervision of the Director of Sustainability.

Project Management and Policy Support

• Assist with planning and implementation of the City's strategic initiatives in sustainability and resilience, in collaboration with multiple City departments.
• Conduct research, identify best practices, and provide recommendations to the Sustainability Director, City Council, and City Management on issues related to sustainability, food resilience, energy, and climate action.
• Support the development of project plans, timelines, budgets, and objectives for sustainability initiatives.
• Provide project management support for sustainability programs, including solar projects, EV infrastructure, food resilience initiatives, and other sustainability initiatives.
• Identify and pursue grant funding opportunities that support new and ongoing sustainability and resilience initiatives.
• Assist with reviewing and providing recommendations for City-owned programs or facilities related to sustainability.

Community Engagement & Partnerships

• Provide programmatic and administrative support to relevant advisory bodies, such as the Urban Food Policy Council and Community Sustainability Program Committee.
• Develop and coordinate collaborative partnerships with government, nonprofit, academic, and private sector organizations to advance sustainability, resilience, food security, and economic prosperity.
• Work collaboratively with and assist the community in developing strategies for environmental health, resilience, and food security to enable them to become self-empowered and self-sufficient.
• Make appropriate referrals to citizens needing services from County, State, or Federal government, or other public agencies or community organizations.
• Develop and manage projects, tools, incentives, and instructional opportunities that facilitate adoption of sustainable practices by residents, businesses, and City departments.
• Provide information to citizens and community groups regarding City sustainability services, goals, and processes.
• Plans and organizes corporate and community events that highlight and advance sustainability and resilience.

Communications & Outreach

• Keep the sustainability webpage current and ensure accessibility.
• Work with team members to prepare newsletters, marketing items, and other public communications.
• Prepares and presents project results at public meetings and to a variety of audiences including elected/appointed officials.

Internal Coordination & Leadership

• Conducts project status meetings with department management and other senior management to inform them of project results.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to junior staff within the sustainability department, including direct oversight of interns and other staff as needed.
• Support interdepartmental collaboration on solar, EV, and energy-related projects to ensure timely implementation and alignment with City sustainability goals.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to design project plans; conduct comprehensive research; gather, analyze, and synthesize qualitative and quantitative data for decision-making.
• Excellent verbal and written communication, conflict resolution, and public presentation skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively with diverse stakeholders and communities.
• Ability to exercise sound judgment, diplomacy, and follow-through on complex issues.
• Experience in nonprofit fundraising, program development, or grant management.
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build teams, partnerships, and coalitions.
• Ability to work effectively with multiracial and multicultural groups of community members and staff.
• Familiarity with sustainability and resilience topics, including food systems, energy, climate change, and environmental equity.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite.

Education and Experience

Bachelor's degree with coursework in sustainability, environmental studies/sciences, public policy, urban planning, resource economics, business administration, or related field and moderate experience working for local government, performing policy analysis, project management, working with elected/appointed officials and diverse populations, or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Requirements

This work requires the occasional exertion of up to 50 pounds of force; work regularly requires speaking or hearing, using hands to finger, handle or feel and repetitive motions, frequently requires sitting and occasionally requires standing, walking, climbing or balancing, stooping, kneeling, crouching or crawling, reaching with hands and arms and pushing or pulling; work has standard vision requirements; vocal communication is required for expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word; hearing is required to receive detailed information through oral communications and/or to make fine distinctions in sound; work requires preparing and analyzing written or computer data; operating motor vehicles or equipment and observing general surroundings and activities; work is generally in a moderately noisy location (e.g. business office, light traffic).

Special Requirements

Valid US Driver's License

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