Sustainability Project Manager

The City of Savannah is hiring a Sustainability Project Manager to lead various sustainability initiatives focusing on energy, water, transportation, greenspaces, and waste management. Key responsibilities include managing projects, identifying and managing grants, proposing innovative policies, and conducting public outreach. The role requires effective communication with diverse stakeholders and a commitment to promoting equity and community health. A Bachelor's Degree and 3 years of relevant experience are required.
About the position

The City of Savannah is seeking a dedicated and skilled Sustainability Project Manager to join the Office of Sustainability. This role is pivotal in supporting the development and implementation of a diverse range of sustainability projects that align with the department's five key focus areas: energy, water resources, transportation and mobility, greenspaces, and waste management. The Sustainability Project Manager will focus on promoting equity, community health, and resilience throughout these initiatives. This position requires significant interaction and collaboration with various stakeholders, including internal departments, public sector entities, industry partners, educational institutions, non-governmental organizations, and the broader community. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in advancing the City’s sustainability goals and enhancing the quality of life for its residents. In this role, the Sustainability Project Manager will manage both existing and future sustainability projects as assigned by the Director of Sustainability. Responsibilities will include identifying grant opportunities, developing grant applications, and managing awarded grants. The manager will also be tasked with researching and proposing innovative policies, programs, and technologies that can help the City achieve its sustainability objectives, such as reducing single-use plastics and transitioning to 100% clean energy. Effective communication is essential, as the manager will need to convey complex policies and technical information clearly and concisely to diverse audiences, including the Mayor's Office, City Administration, City Council, and the public. Regular public outreach on sustainability and resilience topics will be a key component of this position, along with preparing reports and messaging to keep stakeholders informed about project statuses and accomplishments. The Sustainability Project Manager will also be responsible for responding to inquiries, complaints, and requests from citizens, employees, and City Council members, ensuring that the community remains engaged and informed about sustainability efforts.

Responsibilities
• Manage existing and future sustainability projects as assigned by the Director of Sustainability.
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• Identify grant opportunities, develop grant applications, and manage grants if awarded.
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• Research and propose policies, programs, and technologies that can be applied toward City goals (e.g. single use plastics reduction, 100% clean energy).
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• Communicate policies, practices, procedures, and technical information in a clear and concise manner both orally and in writing to diverse audiences with varying degrees of background knowledge and experience.
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• Conduct regular public outreach on sustainability and resilience topics.
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• Prepare reports and messaging for the Mayor's Office, City Administration, City Council, and the public on project status and accomplishments.
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• Respond to citizen, employee, and City Council inquiries, complaints and requests.
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• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements
• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited college or university supplemented by (3) years of professional experience in managing long-term, multi-stakeholder projects.
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• Strong interest and/or experience in climate resilience, environmental justice, community engagement, waste reduction, pedestrian infrastructure, environmental remediation, etc.
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• Commitment to centering work in social and racial equity.
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• Ability to learn and absorb new information quickly and respond to changing circumstances.
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• Ability to innovate and accomplish ambitious goals with limited resources.
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• Strong interpersonal skills.
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• Demonstrated critical and systems thinking skills.
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• Working knowledge of concepts, methods and practices of sustainability and resilience.
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• Project Management Professional Certification or similar credential.
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• Experience engaging and/or organizing community members or other stakeholders, particularly those from historically marginalized communities.
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• Contract and budget management experience.
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• Community outreach and social media experience.
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• Experience with Right of Way Acquisition and/or Environmental Assessment.
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• Experience writing and/or managing federal grants.
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• Experience with GHG reporting.
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• Experience working in local, state or federal government and/or public sector.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience with community engagement and organizing, especially with historically marginalized communities.
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• Knowledge of environmental remediation of contaminated sites/Brownfields.
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• Experience with pedestrian infrastructure projects such as trails and bike lanes.

Benefits
• Great pay
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• Excellent benefits
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• Career progression opportunities