Sustainability Manager

Location

Columbia, MD | United States

Job description

Under the general direction of the Vice President of Community Operations, the Sustainability Manager (“SMâ€) leads Columbia Association’s energy management, watershed management, and broad sustainability initiatives. This position takes a primary role in developing, managing, and maintaining environmental programs in the community that are designed to help residents and businesses address complex emerging environmental issues. The SM works within CA operations to reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions, and environmental impact while also working to increase the quality and resilience of natural resources broadly. The SM also oversees CA’s watershed management efforts and participates in broader environmental focus areas that may include invasive species management, electric vehicle charging infrastructure, open space management, and waste disposal. The SM oversees collecting and analyzing environmental data such as facility energy audit and utility information, soil test results, water quality measurements, and best management practice site inspections, among other duties. The SM also provides community outreach and volunteer coordination to ensure successful environmental program implementation.

The SM will also play a primary role in developing Community Operations engagement activities to educate and empower the community and make Columbia a leader in environmental sustainability.

Job Responsibilities:

Management of energy data management and carbon accounting
Manage, update, and analyze facility energy and utility information (Electricity, natural gas, propane, gasoline, water consumption, and on-site solar energy production) using Microsoft Excel and ENERGY STAR Portfolio Manager
Create greenhouse gas emission inventories
Communicate energy data with external stakeholders, such as the Better Buildings Challenge, Green Power Partnership, and ENERGY STAR
Oversight of facility energy management audits and upgrades
Collection of facility-specific information (e.g., lighting inventories)
Research energy management technologies (e.g., heat pumps)
Design, coordinate, and oversee retrofit projects.
Oversight of volunteer environmental program implementation, including Columbia Cleans, Adopt-A-Spot, Weed Warriors, Watershed Stewards, and pollinator garden maintenance. Support of these programs includes the following:
Developing materials for presentations and dissemination within the community
Organizing and leading public meetings
Responding to resident requests
Support CA’s non-native invasive plant management program and associated community engagement efforts
Support electric vehicle charging station infrastructure development and electric vehicle acquisition practices within the organization
Oversee CA’s water quality monitoring program
Support routine inspection of bioretention facilities and other BMPs throughout Columbia to ensure compliance with local, state, and federal policy
Supervise and coordinate volunteer participation in water sampling as part of the Stream Waders program
Work with partners, including the Howard County Watershed Stewards Academy, Howard County Government, and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources
Creates and managers GIS layers and updates environmental program mapping
Purchase supplies required for capital, operational, and volunteer-based projects in a timely manner to ensure projects are within budget and meet deadlines
Support grant application efforts associated with state and federal environmental programming
Maintain LMS Compliance
Understand, support, and work to meet CA’s goals and mission
Provide excellent customer service to internal and external customers

Essential Functions:

Able to communicate effectively with several different audiences, having different levels of education and subject familiarity, both verbally and in writing. Examples: staff members, residents, professionals in government agencies, and vendors.
Able to organize information quickly and efficiently.
Able to work independently on assigned tasks and projects.
Able to organize, work on multiple tasks, and complete assignments within specified deadlines.
Able to work in an office setting as well as outside in all weather conditions

Qualifications and Skills:

Advanced understanding of environmental science, including awareness of energy supply, energy management, energy efficiency, climate change, watershed management, terrestrial and aquatic biology, and invasive species.

Proficient in Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) and comfortable performing quantitative analyses.

Proficient in Google applications, Adobe Professional, and GIS mapping platforms.

Education:

Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science or related field and 6 years of experience
Master’s Degree in Environmental Science or related field and 4 years of experience

Licenses, Certificates, etc:

Desired credentials include:

LEED Green Associate
Certified Climate Change Professional
Certified Energy Manager

Physical Demands:

Ability to stand for long periods of time
Ability to bend, stoop, reach, and climb without any difficulty
Ability to traverse uneven terrains
Lifting up to 50 pounds

Work Environment:

Ability to work in an office setting and in the field.
The position will require local travel in the Columbia community and engagement with residents and members of the Columbia Association.

Tagged as: Renewable Energy/Sustainability

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