Sustainability Division Manager

Work, Serve, Thrive. With the City of Durham

Advance in your career while making a real difference in the community you serve.

Hiring Range: $91,308.00 to $146,109.00

Hours/Shift: 8:00am to 5:00pm/M-F

The General Services Department's innovative, highly qualified, service-oriented individuals support the City we love. Building and maintaining city facilities and public spaces is what we do. Promoting our enviable quality of life and serving as a foundation of a healthy economy is why we do it. If you're interested in applying your unique skills to meaningful work while growing in your career, our team is for you!

Devoted to the achievement of the City of Durham's Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy goals, the Sustainability Division Manager is based in the City of Durham General Services Department.

The General Services Department (GSD) serves as a steward of the City's physical assets. Through regular and long-range planning, our department provides for and maintains City facilities-infrastructure that supports quality of life for its citizens and serves as a foundation for a healthy economy. The General Services Department builds and maintains City properties, making Durham a great place for people to live, work, and play. We respect, value, and celebrate the unique perspectives, attributes, and characteristics that make people who they are, and are committed to building sustainable, inclusive, and resilient communities. We are an inclusive workplace that strives to promote innovation and creativity in order to achieve a strong, equitable community where all Durham residents can thrive.

Goal 1: Shared Economic Prosperity

Maintain and grow a strong, equitable and diverse economy through a variety of businesses, industries, and employment opportunities to benefit all Durham residents and communities.

Goal 2: Creating a Safer Community Together

Support safe neighborhoods and communities by creating a shared sense of responsibility for public safety and fostering trust with and among diverse communities.

Goal 3: Connected, Engaged, and Inclusive Communities

Strengthen community bonds and foster a sense of belonging by building trust, maintaining relationships, and empowering residents to actively engage in local government decision-making.

Goal 4: Innovative and High-Performing Organization

Encourage a culture of innovation, collaboration, transparency, equity and inclusion to deliver quality services through a dedicated and supported workforce.

Goal 5: Thriving and Vibrant Environment

Become a model sustainable city, offering widespread benefits that enhance the quality of life for all residents, present and future.

The Sustainability Division maintains a portfolio of projects that will help transform the way the City of Durham operates as it transitions away from dependence on fossil fuels to a cleaner energy future. Major initiatives include implementing high performance building policies, building electrification, expanding the City's electric vehicle charging network, fleet electrification, improving building energy efficiency, and transitioning the City to 100% carbon-free energy by 2040 - across the city's operations.

The Sustainability Division Manager provides strategic direction to the Sustainability Division in order to achieve the goals established by City's Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Action Plan (CNRE), which was adopted by City Council in 2021.

The Sustainability Division Manager collaborates closely with internal and external stakeholders, including: the City Manager's Office, department leaders, peers in local government, State and Federal Programs, and community groups.

The successful candidate has a passion for sustainability and is committed to facilitating, planning, and implementing projects that will support the City's efforts to ensure a resilient and carbon-free future. The Sustainability Division Manager is a strategically minded individual who can also manage and prioritize the day-today activities of a talented, high-functioning team. A keen focus on achieving results and outcomes based on the City's goals and priorities is required.

• Manages a portfolio of programs in Energy and Sustainability with the intent of achieving the goals set forth in the City of Durham's Carbon Neutrality and Renewable Energy Action Plan and the City of Durham's Strategic Plan.
• Facilitates the development and implementation of sustainability projects that supports the successful operation of a carbon neutral fleet, high performance buildings, and energy infrastructure across city owned and/or operated built environments.
• Oversees daily operations and directs work for the assigned division; supervises staff including planning, assigning, and evaluating work, training and coaching.
• Plans, prioritizes, manages, and promotes City-wide Sustainability policies and procedures; and ensures compliance with applicable regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Assembles and delivers reporting on progress towards the goals laid out by the CNRE and City Strategic Plan.
• Makes sustainability policy recommendations and works with GSD leadership to support implementation of related programs and projects. Administers the City of Durham's High Performance Building Policy.
• Develops and facilitates internal (cross-departmental) initiatives that strengthen ties, foster communication, and improve policy and project implementation.
• Develops and carries out public procurement activities including (RFPs, RFQs, Bid for Purchase, etc.).
• Prepares and manages the Division's budget, including monitoring and approving expenditures, evaluating resource needs, and preparing cost estimates and forecasts. Makes budget recommendations and allocates funds to applicable programs and projects.
• Collaborates with and/or serves as a Sustainability liaison to City leadership, service providers, residents, City departments, and/or external agencies.
• Networks with peers in Local, State, and Federal Government for exchanging ideas and for conducting Regional Climate Action and Resilience planning.
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Public Administration, Environmental/Sustainability Management. Engineering or directly related field OR equivalent experience.
• Six years of Sustainability-related program administration and/or analytical experience.
• Two years of supervisory experience.
• Sustainability-related certification, such as LEED Green Associate (GA) Certification.
• Project Management experience, specifically with respect to Sustainability-related projects.
• Degree or Minor in a Sustainability-related field.
• Possesses or intends to acquire a valid North Carolina driver's license.
• Two years of experience working in Local or State government.
• Intermediate-level skills in Microsoft Office Suite (SharePoint, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook).
• Experience with planning and grant writing.