Director of Sustainability | Montclair State University | Montclair, NJ

Reporting to the Senior Vice President/Chief Operating Officer, the Director of Sustainability will develop and convene diverse campus and community stakeholders in an effort to integrate the themes of sustainability, adaptation, and resilience into administrative and operational functions at the University.

The Director of Sustainability is responsible for providing visionary leadership, guidance and support to the Montclair State University community as it charts a course for sustainability and pursues its ambitious climate neutrality goals. The Director supervises the Energy Manager and Sustainability Coordinator and is responsible for determining the future direction of the sustainability program in consultation with University leadership and campus sustainability stakeholders.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Sustainability Programming

• Develop and determine the strategic focus of the office of Sustainability.  This includes serving as the staff lead in creating, supporting, and managing the university Sustainability Council in support of University leadership and administration.
• Developing creative educational behavior change campaigns utilizing strategies such as community-based social marketing to expand sustainability awareness and grow a culture of sustainability.
• Develop and oversee the design and content of the campus sustainability website, newsletters, social media, and other outreach efforts offered to faculty, staff, students and the community.
• Engage leaders in campus units including Facilities Management, Resident Life, Athletics, Dining Services, the Division of Student Affairs, and in academic programs to promote and support sustainability initiatives.
• Identify, manage, and communicate the University’s sustainability goals by developing and maintaining the University Climate Action Plan to support University leadership and the University community. Identify applicable metrics and assess potential impacts of proposed campus activities, projects, and programs on achieving those goals. Communicate goals, recommended actions, and advise about progress to the campus leadership.
• Represent the University in meetings, workshops, and projects related to sustainability goals and the Climate Action Plan. Establish and provide leadership on the University Sustainability Committee.
• Serve as lead in the University’s participation in national sustainability rating systems, outreach, and education. Monitor climate related legislative bills and provides comments for the University to submit.
• Develop or adopt metrics, track progress, and evaluate the effectiveness of all campus sustainability initiatives to ensure the University is prepared to meet its goals and shift course where needed.
• Collect data for and complete sustainability assessments such as the AASHE, STARS (including greenhouse gas emissions), Energy Star and similar; oversee collection and analysis of data on Montclair’s energy use, material flows, transportation strategies, and purchasing policies from across campus as a part of the implementation process for the development of sustainability projects on campus
• Research and maintain a working knowledge of sustainability best practices, innovations, and lessons learned at peer and aspirant institutions.
• Manage internal efforts toward more sustainable practices with different offices and organizations to reduce waste, lead composting efforts, and engage in campus planning.
• Provide leadership in organizing events involving students, faculty, and staff to promote university-wide sustainability practices and an environmentally-mindful culture, to inform the community of our progress, to identify future challenges, and to motivate others to be actively involved in sustainability efforts.
• Collaborating with Community Engagement Department to build a “living-learning program” that leverages the rich academic assets of the University by engaging faculty and students in research and hands-on learning rooted in issues directly affecting campus, communities of Essex and Passaic counties.
• Potentially instructing or co-instructing sustainability-focused courses (no more than one per year), and possibly serving as the academic supervisor for sustainability internships.
• Create and manage a Sustainability Internship Program and implementation of the Sustainability Internship Seminar aimed at providing students a background in sustainability and support for running campus-based programs; and exploring opportunities for keeping intern alumni engaged.
• Performs other duties as assigned.
• Management retains the right to add or change job duties at any time.

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