Deputy Director, Office of Sustainability and Resilience

The City of Atlanta is hiring a Deputy Director for the Office of Sustainability and Resilience to lead climate resilience initiatives. Responsibilities include developing strategies for clean energy, urban agriculture, and community engagement, supervising staff, managing projects, and fostering relationships with stakeholders. The ideal candidate should have strong communication skills and experience in sustainability practices. The position is based in Atlanta, GA, with a salary range of $84,500 - $97,588.
Salary Range: $84,500 - $97,588

Position expires: 12/3/24

Job Description:

The Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience (MOSR) seeks a Deputy Director to support the City of Atlanta’s ambitious sustainability and climate resilience initiatives. The work of the Office of Sustainability and Resilience encompasses clean energy, transportation electrification, climate resilience, building decarbonization, urban agriculture and food systems and community engagement. A successful applicant will develop, and lead implementation of strategies related to these work areas by integrating climate vulnerabilities and necessary actions into all policies, programs, and initiatives including municipal project planning and permit review. The ideal candidate will be ready to coordinate Atlanta’s activities with related work by other municipalities, regional authorities and offices of the metro area; and work with business, institutional, non-profit and neighborhood groups to ensure that all parts of the Atlanta community have the knowledge, support, and resources necessary to reduce our vulnerability to the increasing risks driven by climate change.

Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
• Under the guidance of the Chief Sustainability Officer, assist in the development of a comprehensive climate resilience strategy that will advance the City’s climate action goals
• Provides direct supervision under the leadership of the Chief Sustainability Officer of junior staff and any consultants contracted for various projects.
• Develop and maintain productive relationships with various stakeholders, community-based organizations, community members, advisory committees and, government agencies
• Lead the development and management of projects that address climate risks from longer and more frequent heat waves and more frequent periods of drought and flooding
• Identify funding opportunities from grants to mechanisms such as renewable energy credits to support implementation of climate-related programs and projects.
• Coordinate and mainstream internal and external activities related to climate preparedness within City Hall and work with City agencies to expand the awareness of climate preparedness in their activities
• Support neighborhood climate resilience planning and develop proposals for extending planning into additional neighborhoods
• Stays current with scientific developments and convey them in practical terms to stakeholders
• Represent the City of Atlanta and the Mayor’s Office of Sustainability and Resilience as spokesperson to the media and the public; interact with elected and appointed officials, community, and other leaders.
• Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
• Strong verbal, written, and presentation skills.
• Ability to build consensus among disparate stakeholders
• Attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities and projects
• Strong organizational and project management skills.
• Outstanding interpersonal skills with the ability to work with diverse interests and backgrounds.
• Energy, creativity, and entrepreneurship.
• Ability to exercise good judgment and focus on detail as required by the job.
• Qualifications

Minimum Entrance Qualifications:
• Knowledge of prevailing best practices in sustainability and climate resilience.
• Four (4) years of full-time, or equivalent experience in environmental science or policy, urban planning, engineering, business or a related field. A bachelor’s degree in a related field is preferred and may be substituted for two (2) years of the required experience.
• Familiarity with the City of Atlanta, local city neighborhoods, and key stakeholders
• Experience with GIS and Adobe Suite