Sustainability Director - Vanderbilt University

Job Description



The Sustainability Director is part of the Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS) organization at Vanderbilt University. The Sustainability Director is a high-profile, visionary leader and organizational strategist who will further Vanderbilt’s vision of being a model for sustainability in higher education. The Sustainability Director collaborates with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders on sustainability issues and related initiatives and will provide vision, direction, and support for sustainability in all its dimensions at Vanderbilt. This includes developing, leading, and continuously improving a coherent, campus-wide sustainability program including engagement and outreach initiatives, events, and programs as well as managing VU’s mandatory and voluntary carbon footprint and sustainability reporting, developing key performance indicators for Vanderbilt’s sustainability goals and operations, and advising on infrastructure planning and policies. A successful candidate will have the ability to collaborate and build relationships across the entire university community as well as local and regional external collaborators and facilitate the development of a campus sustainability agenda in collaboration with appropriate leadership stakeholders.







Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability is part of the Division of Administration and consists of research-centric safety services and university sustainability leadership. EHSS is a 19-member team that supports a top-13 world-class research university with a community of 27,000 faculty, staff, and students on 12 million square feet of academic, administrative, residential, and recreational space on 330 acres in downtown Nashville, TN.







Duties and Responsibilities





+ Support the implementation of FutureVU and BlueSky guiding principles and goals, specifically as related to renewable energy, sustainable infrastructure, built environment, waste reduction, sustainability education and campus environment.



+ Collaborate with a wide variety of VU stakeholders and leadership to develop, implement, and continuously improve future campus sustainability goals and agenda grounded in environmental and financial responsibility, best practices, technical feasibility, and evidence-based research.



+ Monitor and analyze government issues, current and emerging regulatory and practice trends, and issues related to sustainability and resiliency that impact Vanderbilt University. Prepare comprehensive analyses and recommendations for administrative and executive decision-making and leadership.



+ Responsible for ensuring all sustainability programs and activities comply with university, state, and federal regulations.



+ Represent the university on sustainability matters both internally and externally. Serve on various university, division and departmental committees and represent the EHSS department at various state and national associations.



+ Build and maintain productive relationships with student programs, programs, offices, and departments.



+ Identify, coordinate, innovate, implement, promote, and support the ongoing and emerging diffuse sustainability priorities and efforts of Vanderbilt leadership, staff, faculty, and students. Act as an expert resource for university departments wishing to pursue sustainability initiatives that maximize the environmental and financial performance of the university.



+ Provide vision, strategy, and implementation management of sustainability goals and requirements in coordination with the Facilities and Business Services departments. Provide expertise and guidance to Facilities and Business Services on sustainable operations and maintenance programs, sustainable buildings, systems, operations, and equipment.



+ Collaborate with Purchasing Services on sustainable purchasing guidance, policies, proposals, bid evaluation, and contracts.



+ Manage mandatory and voluntary reporting and ranking initiatives including carbon footprint, carbon offsetting, environmental and social governance (ESG), and greenhouse gas inventories for Vanderbilt University.



+ Provide vision, strategy, and management of an effective communication, engagement, and outreach strategy in partnership with Vanderbilt Communications to elevate awareness of Vanderbilt’s sustainability goals and successes.



+ Provide leadership and direct workload planning and completion for sustainability staff and student interns.



+ Develop performance metrics and objectives and key results (OKRs) to evaluate and monitor progress and effectiveness of VU sustainability programming, education, and initiatives.







Supervisory Relationships: This position currently supervises one full-time staff member and additional student interns. May supervise additional staff, students, or consultants in the future. This position reports administratively and functionally to the Assistant Vice Chancellor, Environmental Health, Safety, and Sustainability (EHSS).



Qualifications









+ A Master’s Degree or higher in Sustainability, Environmental Policy and Planning, Environmental Engineering, Environmental Science, Environmental Policy or other appropriate related field of study is required.



+ A minimum of 8 years of direct experience, preferably in a university setting, is required.



+ A minimum of 2 years in a supervisory role is required.



+ Applicant must possess solid knowledge of sustainability theory, behavior change principles, environmental management systems, and university sustainability best practices.



+ Proven skills in leadership, change management, project management, strategic planning, relationship building, problem solving, and time management are essential.



+ Critical thinking skills to solve problems and enact creative thinking to provide solutions.



+ Highly collaborative and willing and able to build relationships with and work with many stakeholders.



+ Excellence in verbal and written communication, presentation skills are required.



+ Composure, confidence, and gravitas to work with faculty, staff, and senior campus leadership.



+ The ability to produce quality work while dealing with conflicting, divergent views on the environment and shifting priorities and schedules.



+ Advanced skills in Microsoft and Adobe products such as TEAMs, PowerPoint, Excel, Word are necessary. Captivate, Articulate, Oracle or database skills are preferred.



+ Professional Board Certification is preferred. Examples include LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design), CHMM (Certified Hazardous Materials Manager), PE (Professional Engineer), REM (Registered Environmental Manager), AICP (American Institute of Certified Planners), PMP (Project Management Professional) or other applicable certifications.





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Commitment to Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion At Vanderbilt University, we are intentional about and assume accountability for fostering advancement and respect for equity, diversity, and inclusion for all students, faculty, and staff. Our commitment to diversity makes us who we are. We have created a community that celebrates differences and lets individuality thrive. As part of this commitment, we actively value diversity in our workplace and learning environments as we seek to take advantage of the rich backgrounds and abilities of everyone. The diverse voices of Vanderbilt represent an invaluable resource for the University in its efforts to fulfill its mission and strive to be an example of excellence in higher education. Vanderbilt University is an equal opportunity, affirmative action employer. Women, minorities, people with disabilities, and protected veterans are encouraged to apply.