Sustainable Design Specialist; Buildings

Sustainable Design Specialist (Buildings)

Jersey City, United States | Posted on 06/23/2026

Shape the future of regional infrastructure by driving sustainable engineering and climate resilience. Partner with the Port Authority of New York & New Jersey (PANYNJ) on long-term capital programs that directly optimize building performance and resource efficiency. Step into a critical, high-impact consulting role where your expertise shapes regional environmental standards for years to come.

The selected candidate will play a critical role within the Resilience & Sustainable Design (RSD) unit of the Port Authority's Engineering Department. Operating under the supervision of the PA Principal Specialist, this position is responsible for managing day-to-day sustainability compliance alongside long-term strategic activities.

In this role, you will act as a driving force for sustainable building design, construction, and climate resilience enforcement across a diverse capital program portfolio. Following an initial orientation, your daily workflow will be largely self-directed, providing a high degree of autonomy while collaborating closely with agency design teams, consultants, tenants, and senior stakeholders to constructively resolve technical challenges and deliver quality‑controlled results on time.

• Lead the integration of sustainable design strategies into building projects to advance energy performance, reduce carbon footprint, and enhance resilience.
• Perform deadline‑driven technical audit and review services for drawings, calculations, specifications, LEED documentation, and engineering studies.
• Enforce strict compliance with Port Authority standards, Sustainable Design Guidelines, and regional climate resilience frameworks.
• Collaborate with agency design teams, consultants, and tenants to provide project‑specific technical guidance and constructively resolve review comments.
• Track project status and environmental performance metrics to generate comprehensive contributions for bi‑monthly unit reports.
• Support long‑term programmatic updates to the Authority's guidelines, manuals, technical bulletins, and material specifications.
• Develop and implement technical tools, resource guides, reference manuals, and job aids for design and construction engineers.
• Deploy internal and external technical training programs to expand the sustainable design capacity of Port Authority staff.

• Bachelor’s degree in Architecture or a relevant Engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.
• Minimum 10 years of experience in sustainable building design and construction.
• Active LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) credential with a specialty in Building Design & Construction (BD+C).
• Demonstrated knowledge of building science, integrated design, and third‑party certification processes.
• Proven expertise in reading and interpreting complex engineering drawings, notes, and specifications.
• Documented knowledge of New Jersey, New York State, and/or New York City Building Codes.
• Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook).

• Proven experience utilizing Bluebeam for technical reviews and document markups.
• Technical expertise in reviewing and developing engineering specifications to support LEED materials credits.
• Specialized expertise in building energy performance, including Building Energy Modeling and Daylight Analysis.
• Advanced knowledge in the design and implementation of Renewable Energy Systems and Lifecycle Analysis (LCA).
• Prior professional experience working with building types represented in the Port Authority's current infrastructure portfolio.

• Competitive salary with an extensive benefits package.
• A dynamic and supportive work environment.
• Opportunities for professional growth and advancement.

$156,000 - $176,000