Director of Sustainability

California State University is seeking a Director of Sustainability in Humboldt, TN. This full-time, on-site position involves leading campus-wide sustainability programs and initiatives, aligning them with CSU policies and state mandates. The role includes collaborating with executive leadership to foster a culture of sustainability within the university. The position offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.
Director of Sustainability

Apply now Job no: 552515
Work type: Management (MPP)
Location: Humboldt
Categories: MPP, Administrative, At-Will, Full Time, On-site (work in-person at business location)

Director of Sustainability

Administration and Finance

Job # 552515

Close Date: April 13, 2026

At Cal Poly Humboldt, bold hearts and open minds shape the future.

Founded in 1913, Cal Poly Humboldt began as a small college for teachers. Today Humboldt has grown into a comprehensive university with rigorous science and liberal arts programs. Designated a polytechnic in 2022, Cal Poly Humboldt provides hands-on, impactful educational opportunities that lead to meaningful, measurable outcomes for the individual, for the state, and the world.

Cal Poly Humboldt is proud to have more than 6,200 students of all backgrounds spread across 58 majors, 14 graduate programs, and 4 credential programs - all of whom contribute passion and creativity within their fields and set the stage for a future grounded in equity and sustainability. Hands-on learning, inspired teaching, ground-breaking research, and thought-provoking creative activity happen daily at Humboldt.

Finding a better future is a task for the bold and open, the down-to-earth and visionary. Cal Poly Humboldt strives to cultivate these qualities in leaders, innovators, and scholars in every field.

(Job # 552515) Administrator II, Director of Sustainability, CSU Classification Salary Range: $5,053 - $16,221 per month, Anticipated Hiring Range: $5,053- $7,438 per month. Final salary placement is commensurate with experience, internal equity, and budget considerations. This is a full-time, benefited, exempt, 12-month, at-will position in the Department of Administration and Finance. This position is an Administrator II in the California State University Management Personnel Plan (MPP). Under this plan, incumbents are subject to normal management reviews and serve at the pleasure of the University President. Additional information can be found at: http://www.calstate.edu/HRAdm/policies/mpp.shtml.

This position comes with a premium benefits package that includes outstanding vacation, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, voluntary pre-tax health and dependent care reimbursement accounts, a fee waiver education program, membership in the California Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and 15 paid holidays per year. Additional benefits information can be found at https://www.humboldt.edu/hr/employee-benefits.

Position Summary:

The Director of Sustainability will lead, manage, and oversee campus-wide sustainability programs, initiatives, and strategic efforts. This leadership role is responsible for developing and maintaining a campus culture of sustainability that aligns with CSU policies, state mandates, and the university's unique polytechnic identity. The Director works closely with, and receives strategic direction from, the Vice President for Administration & Finance on major initiatives, policy development, and resource decisions.

Key Responsibilities:

Sustainability Leadership - 25%
• Collaborates with executive leadership to cultivate a university-wide culture that reflects sustainability values and leads the campus through necessary change to achieve institutional sustainability goals in the context of the built, natural, and learning environments, and to advance a community that actively pursues environmental and social justice for the common good.
• Supports the development and implementation of a shared vision for sustainability, including strategies for responsible resource use and environmental impact reduction.
• Serves as the campus' official Sustainability Officer within the CSU system and actively participates in CSU-wide, higher education, and community forums to advance the university's sustainability leadership.
• Leads and/or serves as a key member of campus sustainability committees; coordinates their functions and acts as liaison to the University's executive leadership team.

Planning, Development, and Oversight - 20%
• In coordination with the VP, plans, develops, manages, and oversees University sustainability programs, initiatives, and efforts through leadership and/or collaboration.
• In collaboration with executive leadership, develops and implements plans to meet California state and CSU requirements for climate action and resilience planning and greenhouse gas reductions.
• Works with university departments to develop and maintain the Campus Sustainability Plan and supports and monitors the implementation of its goals and initiatives in coordination with campus units.
• Integrates self-support and auxiliary sustainability efforts into the broader Campus Sustainability Plan and aligns efforts across divisions.
• Works with Facilities Management and Planning, Design & Construction to support green building practices and the application of sustainable design principles in new and existing infrastructure. The position will also ensure the application of sustainability in campus physical plan and project development including, but not limited to, mobility, landscapes, and zero waste.
• Collaborates with internal and external partners to identify and obtain grants and funding that strengthen campus sustainability efforts.

Student Engagement & Academic Collaboration - 20%
• Develops internship opportunities that provide hands-on experience in sustainability planning and implementation.
• Connects academic programs with operational sustainability needs and facilitates faculty-student collaboration on projects and research.
• Partners with academic departments to develop and distribute educational materials and programming related to sustainability.

Climate Action & Reporting - 10%
• Under the direction of the VP and in collaboration with Facilities Management, Institutional research, and other campus partners, oversees the development and publishing of the university's annual greenhouse gas emissions inventory.
• Coordinates CSU sustainability reporting requirements and external assessments (e.g., AASHE STARS, SIMAP, Second Nature).
• Leads efforts toward carbon neutrality and long-term climate resilience for the campus.

Collaboration & Policy Development - 10%
• Works collaboratively with departments, student groups, and university units to develop and implement sustainable practices, policies, and procedures.
• Facilitates sustainability integration across all areas of the university's planning and operations, including self-support and auxiliary organizations.
• Supports faculty-led sustainability research and projects and encourages integration into campus initiatives wherever possible.
• Ensures that attention and sensitivity to issues of inclusion, environmental justice, and Indigenous knowledge are central to collaborations, new initiatives, and policies.

Sustainability Communication & Outreach - 10%
• Develops and maintains strong internal and external relationships to support the university's sustainability initiatives.
• Represents Cal Poly Humboldt at local, regional, and national conferences and forums on sustainability and climate action.
• Designs and implements campus-wide sustainability outreach programs and events, promoting awareness and participation.
• Oversees staff managing the university's Sustainability websites, ensuring they are up to date and informative.
• Partners with Marketing & Communications to produce and disseminate sustainability materials and storytelling that reflect university achievements and goals.

Other Duties as Assigned - 5%

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Associated with this Position Include:

Required Knowledge:

Sustainability / Environmental Science / Climate Policy
• Understanding of climate change science, carbon accounting, greenhouse gas inventories
• Familiarity with environmental regulation (local, state, federal)
• Understanding of energy systems, renewable energy, efficiency, water, waste, and transportation systems

Policy, Planning & Governance
• Strategic planning (especially long-range, multi-decade sustainability or climate plans)
• Policy development and implementation (procurement, travel, operations, construction, investment)
• Knowledge of public policy frameworks and incentives (e.g. California climate laws, incentives, grants)

Stakeholder Engagement & Community / Indigenous Relations
• Understanding of community-based sustainability, local government partnerships, regional planning
• Knowledge of tribal sovereignty, indigenous land management, and Indigenous knowledge systems
• Equity, environmental justice, inclusion frameworks

Metrics, Reporting & Assessment Systems
• Familiarity with sustainability assessment frameworks (e.g. AASHE STARS)
• Experience in data collection, analysis, metrics, benchmarking, dashboards
• Monitoring & evaluation of sustainability initiatives

Organizational Leadership & Change Management
• Knowledge of leading organizational change, culture shift, behavioral change approaches
• Understanding of how to embed sustainability in more traditional/non-sustainability domains

Required Skills

Strategic Thinking & Visioning
• Ability to conceive long-term goals, set priorities, and align initiatives with the university's mission
• Capability to foresee risks, opportunities, and future trends in sustainability

Project & Program Management
• Ability to plan, budget, schedule, coordinate, and execute multiple sustainability projects
• Risk management, resource allocation, timeline control

Analytical & Quantitative Skills
• Data analysis (spreadsheet modeling, statistical tools)
• Carbon / energy / water modeling, life cycle assessment (LCA)
• Ability to interpret technical reports and convert them into actionable plans

Communication & Interpersonal Skills
• Excellent written and oral communication: reports, presentations, grant proposals
• Ability to communicate complex technical ideas to non-technical audiences (students, faculty, staff, leadership)
• Facilitation and consensus-building across diverse stakeholder groups

Leadership & Team Management
• Supervisory skills: hiring, mentoring, performance management
• Ability to lead cross-departmental teams and committees
• Capability to motivate, influence, and build capacity in others

Required Abilities
• Lead the development and execution of a comprehensive sustainability plan
• Influence institutional change across divisions (facilities, academics, student affairs)
• Balance competing demands (e.g. cost, feasibility, sustainability goals)
• Operate at both strategic and operational levels
• Build partnerships (internally and externally)
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies and sustainability trends
• Ensure compliance with environmental/social regulations
• Translate sustainability into measurable outcomes
• Facilitate consensus, mediate conflicts, bring stakeholders to alignment
• Inspire campus community engagement and behavior change

Minimum Qualifications:

Education Minimum: Bachelor's degree in environmental studies, Sustainability, Public Administration, Engineering, or a related field.

Experience Minimum: At least five years of progressively responsible leadership in sustainability, climate action, environmental planning, or a related area.

Preferred Qualifications:

Preferred Knowledge:

Sustainability / Environmental Science / Climate Policy
• Knowledge of climate adaptation / resilience strategies of sustainable building design / green building standards (LEED, WELL, Living Building Challenge, etc.)
• Knowledge of ecological systems, land management, native species, habitat protection, ecosystem services

Higher Education / Campus Operations
• How universities work: campus planning, facilities, infrastructure, academic integration
• Experience with campus utilities, energy, grounds, waste, dining, transportation
• Understanding the interplay between academic units, student life, facilities, finance, and administration

Policy, Planning & Governance
• Grant writing, funding mechanisms, and external finance for sustainability initiatives

Preferred Skills:

Negotiation, Persuasion & Advocacy
• Skills to negotiate with internal (departments, finance) and external (vendors, regulators, agencies) stakeholders
• Advocacy to secure funding, institutional buy-in, and policy adoption

Grant Writing / Fundraising / Resource Development
• Ability to identify external funding sources, write competitive proposals
• Cultivate donors, public/private partnerships, foundation relationships

Technical / Systems Integration
• Ability to integrate sustainability into existing systems - e.g. procurement, IT, construction, maintenance
• Knowledge of building automation, energy management systems, sensor networks, smart systems

Adaptability / Problem Solving
• Ability to respond to evolving challenges (clim...