Sustainability Program Manager

Location: Denver

Thornton is excited to invite a proven sustainability professional to join the city as its first Sustainability Program Manager. In this pivotal role, you will implement the Thornton's newly adopted Environmental Sustainability Master Plan, lead the city's decarbonization and climate initiatives, and collaborate across departments where talented staff create meaningful, forward-thinking solutions for a more sustainable future. If you are driven to deliver results, champion innovation, and make a lasting impact, we would love to have you on the team to help create a more sustainable future for the city.

Job Summary

Under direction, leads the City's sustainability and climate initiatives with an emphasis on developing and implementing building decarbonization policies and programs. Leads collaboration across departments, including Planning, Building, Parks and Open Space, Infrastructure, and other divisions, to advance organizational and community-wide sustainability goals. Supports City Council, represents the City in regional collaborations on energy, water, and climate issues, and leads implementation of the Environmental Sustainability Master Plan and other key sustainability initiatives.

(Essential functions, as defined under the Americans with Disabilities Act, may include the following tasks, knowledge, skills and other characteristics. The list of tasks is ILLUSTRATIVE ONLY, and is not a comprehensive listing of all functions and tasks performed by positions in this class.)

Leads the development and implementation of the City's building decarbonization initiatives, including design and management of programs such as building benchmarking or Building Performance Standards (BPS), support of updates to energy codes, and coordination of strategies that reduce emissions from new and existing buildings.

Evaluates best practices, analyzes policy and regulatory options, and works closely with Planning, Building, and other divisions to support staff, residents, and developers, enhance compliance pathways, and strengthen the City's internal capacity to identify and meet long-term decarbonization goals.

Oversees the advancement of citywide sustainability initiatives aligned with the Environmental Sustainability Master Plan, including support of zero waste programs, climate mitigation and adaptation planning, sustainable land use and development code updates, sustainable transportation strategies, and green economic development initiatives.

Provides technical expertise to departments, advises on policy and operational changes, and integrates sustainability and climate resilience considerations into long-range plans, strategic planning processes, and capital investment decisions.

Develops and maintains systems for data collection, analysis, and reporting that measure progress toward sustainability, climate, and decarbonization goals. Prepares staff reports, briefing materials, and presentations, and communicates complex information to City Council, Planning Commission, senior leadership, and community stakeholders to support informed decision-making and continuous improvement of sustainability programs.

Leads community and stakeholder engagement efforts to support implementation of sustainability and decarbonization initiatives, including design and delivery of educational materials, workshops, and outreach strategies tailored to residents, businesses, developers, and building owners. Represents the City in regional and statewide collaborations, coordinates with partner agencies to advance shared climate and energy goals and ensures that programs reflect community needs and best practices.

Manages the pursuit, administration, and reporting of grant funding related to building decarbonization and broader sustainability initiatives, including development of competitive grant applications, oversight of grant-funded projects, and maintenance of required documentation. Tracks performance metrics, monitors expenditures, and evaluates return on investment to ensure alignment with program objectives and responsible stewardship of external funding sources.

Collaborates with departments across the organization to support sustainability-related operations, policies, and capital projects, including implementation of initiatives such as electric vehicle charging infrastructure, solar installations, facility energy improvements, and other projects that enhance environmental performance.

Assists with preparation of program budgets, serves as a subject matter expert on relevant sustainability regulations and standards, and performs related duties to advance the City's climate, energy, and sustainability objectives.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in environmental sciences, public policy/administration, planning or related field with coursework in environmental management, climate change, energy efficiency, renewable resources, contract and project…