Director of Sustainability

Centre College seeks a Director of Sustainability to provide strategic direction to achieve targeted sustainability goals.  Although the primary role will be to improve college operations, the director will also contribute to sustainability education through student academic experiences, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities, and community outreach. The Director will report to the Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of Centre College and work collaboratively with constituencies across the college. 

Now entering its third century, Centre College is a highly selective liberal arts and sciences college of 1,450 students with an exceptional faculty of teacher-scholars. The Centre Commitment guarantees that all students can study abroad, have an internship or research opportunity, and graduate in four years. An early signatory of the President’s Climate Commitment, Centre seeks a collaborative, energetic, and visionary leader prepared to deepen and enhance the College’s ability to meet aggressive climate-protection goals. 

Centre is in Danville, Kentucky, a town of 18,000 recognized for its high quality of life, friendly people, beautiful landscapes, and easy access to Lexington, Louisville, and Cincinnati. For more information about Centre College, visit our website at www.centre.edu. 

Centre College is committed to an environment that welcomes and supports diversity. As noted in the Statement of Community, Centre strives to create an environment where differences are celebrated, governance is shared, ideas are freely and respectfully exchanged, and all members of the community benefit from the richness of diverse backgrounds and experiences. Therefore, we strongly encourage applications from candidates who further diversify our community and who contribute to building an inclusive campus. 

Essential Job Functions: 

• Work with multiple campus leaders and stakeholders to create, implement, and explain sustainability measures on campus, including at least the following offices and departments: Finance, Facilities Management, Faculty and Academic Affairs, Admissions, Student groups, Student Life, Development, Communications, Athletics;
• Track and audit the College’s Sustainability measures, including:
  • Annually: Complete Centre’s Greenhouse Gas Inventory (GHG Inventory) as part of Centre’s Climate Action Plan in collaboration with student researchers/workers.
  • Every 3 years: Complete the AASHE STARS assessment (or equivalent) in collaboration with a student team of student researchers/workers.
• Develop and support Centre’s on-going sustainability initiatives, including such things as:
  • Support Centre’s new plans for a campus farm
  • Promote and Implement more sustainable energy use on campus (Solar installations, energy reduction policies, behavior changes, efficiency improvements)
  • Support best practices for grounds maintenance, including landscaping, plantings, mowing, and other activities
  • Support Centre’s farm-to-table operations, working with Food Service Provider
  • Support and collaborate on Centre’s food waste reduction strategies (Dehydrator, Composting) and other waste reduction strategies (recycling, reuse)
  • Promotion of sustainability activities (work with student groups including the Centre Environmental Association, Centre Garden Club, etc.) and develop and promote stories of sustainability on campus (work with Communications on the website and web stories, social media)
  • Develop and write grant proposals and reports related to campus and community sustainability
  • Perform quantitative assessments and analyses for reports on energy and efficiency (electricity and natural gas usage, RECs, etc.), water (single-use plastic reduction, water use efficiencies), food (farm-to-table, food waste), buildings (design, commissioning, utilization), waste streams (including recycling)
  • Develop proposals for Green Revolving Fund projects
• Administration of the newly formed Office of Sustainability
  • Develop and manage sustainability project budgets, including projects done in collaboration with students
  • Oversee Student Workers, Leaders, and Interns working on sustainability advancement (2-5 during any given semester).
• Engaging the Community
  • Co-chair the Sustainability Committee (currently called the Presidential Climate Commitment Advisory Committee).

• Develop shared goals with connections to other campus priorities and initiatives being developed in Centre’s Third Century Conversations
• Support and foster student leadership and engagement.
• Represent the college at local, regional and national sustainability organizations.
• Network with peer institutions in order to understand the evolving best practices and look for opportunities for collaboration to forward common goals.
• Develop and promote programming that makes the connection between sustainability and inclusion and that engages students, faculty and staff of diverse backgrounds. 

Marginal Job Functions: 

• Potentially teach 1-2 courses/year related to sustainability; making use of the campus and surrounding region as a learning landscape.

• Contribute to the overall success of the department by performing all other essential duties and responsibilities as assigned. 

Entry Requirements: 

            Education and Experience           

Master’s degree or higher with 3-5 years of experience is required (or similar combination of degrees and experience), including developing and coordinating broadly defined sustainability initiatives in collaboration with colleagues across the college. Additional certifications and credentials are desirable, with particular interest in LEED (Green Associate or similar) and CEM (Certified Energy Manager or the Energy Manager in Training program). 

To apply, please go to http://apply.interfolio.com/74741.  A completed application will include 1) a cover letter that describes your interest in, and qualifications for, this particular position, 2) your curriculum vitae or resume, 3) a sustainability statement that includes your teaching philosophy, experience, and effectiveness, 4) unofficial transcript, and 5) three letters of reference from individuals able to share insight into your professional experience and expertise. Review of applications will begin on March 30, 2020.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following skills and abilities:

• Strong ability to work as part of a team as well as to work independently on a wide variety of projects.
• Demonstrated ability to develop positive collaborative relationships and experience in facilitation of collaborative processes to achieve consensus outcomes.
• Experience developing long-term strategic initiatives and in implementing, assessing and engaging communities in them.
• Ability to prioritize and manage multiple concurrent projects, and demonstrate effective time management skills.
• Demonstrated adaptability and initiative, including a willingness to seek and integrate information from multiple sources, to respect differing positions, to adapt to change, and to take initiative to anticipate programmatic needs.
• Sound and mature judgment in decision-making and ability to think strategically, listen carefully, and to advise senior leadership effectively.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and promote inclusive programs that engage all members of the community.
• Exceptional oral and written communication capacities with experience communicating with multiple diverse audiences.
• Strong human relations and interpersonal skills including an ability to interact professionally and communicate in a clear and courteous manner with a diverse community in order to maintain effective, professional, and cooperative working relationships across all levels on campus and with external audiences.
• Proficiency in database and web site development, and the Microsoft Office and Google suites.
• An awareness of and commitment to liberal arts education and leadership and fostering of just, equitable, inclusive, and sustainable communities.                       

            Physical Requirements: 

            Limited pushing, pulling, lifting.  Lifting would not exceed 20 lbs.  Mobility on campus necessary.