Assistant Director of Climate and Sustainability Education

Occupational Summary

As an integral member of Duke University’s Office of Climate and Sustainability (OCS), the Assistant Director of Climate and Sustainability Fluency (AD) serves as a central strategic leader responsible for advancing and operationalizing the educational goals of the Duke Climate Commitment. The position manages and coordinates climate and sustainability fluency initiatives driven by institutional strategy and funding, with the goal that every Duke student graduates with fluency and a sense of agency and hope to contribute to positive action regardless of academic discipline.

Working collaboratively across schools, departments, and partners, the Assistant Director drives cross‑university integration of climate and sustainability fluency into curricular and co‑curricular educational pathways. They are guided by the Duke Climate and Sustainability Fluency Framework and aligned with the Duke Climate 2030 Strategy and future strategic guidance. The role coordinates faculty development, manages education-focused initiatives, supports assessment and reporting efforts, and ensures institutionally aligned execution, accountability, and measurable progress of climate and sustainability education integration across Duke’s academic ecosystem.

The role provides strategic leadership for advancing climate and sustainability fluency across Duke’s academic ecosystem by developing institutional partnerships, driving cross‑school integration, and executing Climate Commitment education priorities, while also leading governance management and program execution for climate and sustainability education initiatives university‑wide.

• Serve as a primary strategic leader advancing climate and sustainability fluency and guiding the education pillar of the Duke Climate Commitment.
• Serve as a strategic advisor and institutional partner to Duke’s schools and departments, advising school‑led plans that advance Duke Climate Commitment educational goals while emphasizing each school’s unique academic mission, disciplinary strengths and priorities.
• Advance school‑ and department‑level implementation strategies that embed climate and sustainability learning into curricular and co‑curricular educational pathways.
• Provide strategic partnership and thought leadership with the faculty co‑chairs of the Education Subcommittee of the Climate Commitment Advisory Council (CCAC).
• Oversee the Climate and Sustainability Education Innovation Fund, including RFP strategy, proposal development support, evaluation processes, funding recommendations, and implementation oversight.
• Manage programmatic opportunities that activate campus participation in climate and sustainability education, including other Requests for Proposals (RFPs) that support faculty, staff, and departmental initiatives aligned with the Duke Climate Commitment.
• Lead operational coordination, communications, documentation, scheduling, and event execution required to ensure climate and sustainability education initiatives are implemented effectively and at scale.

The role supports faculty through structured programs, consultations, and coordinated resources that enable the integration of climate and sustainability content into teaching and learning.

• Lead the design, implementation, and continuous advancement of faculty development initiatives for climate and sustainability fluency, including:
  • Planning and execution of the Climate and Sustainability Teaching Fellows Program alongside the Assistant Director of Climate and Sustainability Applied Learning.
  • Workshops, tours, guided discussions, and resource development to support instructional design.
• Provide strategic consultation to faculty and academic leaders exploring innovative pedagogical approaches to climate and sustainability education.
• Collaborate with campus partners to identify, organize, and disseminate high‑quality instructional materials, tools, and best practices that support climate and sustainability education.
• Provide individualized consultations to faculty…