City of Alexandria/Alexandria, VA (Located in Northern Virginia)
SUSTAINABILITY COORDINATOR
(ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAM MANAGER - GS 24)
The City of Alexandria is located in northern Virginia and is bordered by the District of Columbia (Potomac River), Arlington, and Fairfax counties. With a population of approximately 150,000 and a land area of 15.75 square miles, Alexandria is the seventh largest city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Alexandria has a charming waterfront and is a unique and historic place to live and work. About one-quarter of the City's square miles have been designated as a national or local historic district. We proudly embrace our rich history and seize the endless opportunities that lie ahead. If you are interested in working for the vibrant City of Alexandria, we invite qualified candidates to apply for our Sustainability Coordinator position.
What we do and how we do it is driven by our 4 Guiding Principles:
•Aligning the work we do with our strategic plan
•Executing against our strategy and ensuring accountability for our results
•Promoting and encouraging a culture of leadership and ownership at all levels of the organization
•Promoting a culture of service excellence, creativity and entrepreneurship
An Overview:
Under general direction from the Deputy Director of Infrastructure and Environmental Quality in the Department of Transportation and Environmental Services, the Sustainability Coordinator is responsible for providing the vision, leadership, and strategies necessary to achieve the City's long-term vision of becoming an environmentally conscious city.The Sustainability Coordinator works closely with the Office of Environmental Quality's Environmental Program Manager and key staff from other City departments to unite the Alexandria's environmental and sustainability initiatives under the Eco-City Alexandria brand. These initiatives include the Environmental Action Plan (EAP) and Greenhouse Gas and Criteria Air Pollutant Emissions Inventory, as well as programs and policies involving renewable-energy, energy efficiency and conservation, climate planning and policies, environmental conservation and protection, development guidelines and Small Area Plans (SAP), and green business operations. Furthermore, as the City's key advisor on environmental sustainability matters, this position also develops and participates in city-wide sustainability initiatives and projects, which require coordinating or working with interacting with regional organizations and surrounding communities.
What You Should Bring
Demonstrated knowledge and experience developing and spearheading effective environmental sustainability programs for small to mid- size jurisdictions.
Strong record of implementing complex sustainability programs; demonstrated project management skills, particularly in relation to environmental and energy-conservation initiatives.
Ability to analyze complex technical data, interpret the results, and develop feasible recommendations for presentation to department heads, the City Manager's Office, and City Council.
Working knowledge of applicable federal, state and city environmental and sustainability-related programs, laws, rules, regulations, and regulatory processes.
Ability to participate effectively on multi-disciplinary committees, serve as a team leader when appropriate, and achieve goals through teamwork; ability to be tactful and diplomatic when addressing sensitive, complex and confidential situations; ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with the staff and leadership of other City departments, City Council, City partners, consultants, local businesses, and residents.
Possess strong communication skills (written and verbal) and excellent aptitude to customer service. Good team player who focuses on organization goals.
The Opportunity
•Serve as the City's primary advocate and representative of Eco-City Alexandria; monitor and provide annual progress report on all environmental and sustainability-related programming.
•Administer the Environmental Action Plan 2030 (EAP); complete immediate update of EAP performance metrics and revise every five years in response to program and policy changes; coordinate and track the annual collection of data for EAP metrics by establishing a strong working relationships with City departments, the City Manager's Office, the Environmental Policy Commission (EPC), ad hoc committees, and community members.
•Organize and coordinate activities of the executive-level Eco-City Steering Committee and the inter-departmental Eco-City Work Group.
•Collaborate with other City departments on projects involving sustainability and environmental issues; represent T&ES and the Eco-City brand, provide input as a subject matter expert, track the progress of projects, research and develop innovative solutions for sustainability-related conflicts.
•Collaborate with the City Energy Manager to develop implementation strategies to achieve City's greenhouse gas emissions reduction targets, and initiate and promote city-wide energy related projects and initiatives.
•Participate in interdepartmental meetings developing and amending SAPs; lead production of sustainability chapters for all plans; establish and introduce the appropriate standard sustainability conditions for development projects.
•Researches and identifies potential sources for, secures and administers grants; prepares grant applications; ensures compliance with reporting requirements; serve as liaison with granting agency.
•Research and keep abreast of best practices and innovations in environmental sustainability; analyze and determine their short and long term benefits; assess their applicability in Alexandria.
•Monitor and report on local, state, and federal policy proposals and legislative mandates related to sustainability and the environment; prepare recommendations based on the potential impacts and/or opportunities presented; brief department and City leadership on findings.
•Develop and implement strategies to enhance ongoing outreach programs aimed at promoting Eco-City Alexandria to all City residents; collaborate with communications department to develop content for distribution; coordinate and/or participate in public educational opportunities and community-wide sustainability projects.
About the Department
The Department of Transportation and Environmental Services (T&ES) strives to improve the overall quality of life within the City of Alexandria through the development of a superior infrastructure. The T&ES team contributes to the physical, social and economic growth of the City of Alexandria by providing programs and services of the highest quality in the areas of engineering; environmental quality; traffic control; transit; construction and inspection; surveying; street, sewer and fire hydrant maintenance; and, resource and recovery collection. T&ES keeps Alexandria moving, growing sustainability, and thriving.
Minimum & Additional Requirements
Four-year college degree in environmental science, engineering, or the equivalent; at least 5 years of progressively-responsible experience working on environmental, sustainability, and/or green infrastructure issues; at least 3 years of program management experience; substantial knowledge of and experience working with a variety of environmental programs; well-versed in green building certification programs and standards, as well as the application and implementation of renewable energy and energy-efficient technologies; strong interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to effectively communicate complex topics to technical and program staff, city administrators, politicians, and the public alike.
Incumbent must maintain valid driver's license while employed for the City of Alexandria.
Preferred Qualifications
Master's Degree; additional training in urban planning, public administration, law, or a closely related field; at least 7 years of direct experience managing sustainability programs for a public agency, at least 5 years of which were in a managerial role; experience in a public agency, preferably local government; Conflict Resolution credentials; Project Management Professional credentials; US Green Building Council LEED AP credentials; experience using ICLEI software for conducting greenhouse gas inventories.
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