Environmental Sustainability Specialist

Under general supervision of the Sustainability Program Manager, performs responsible professional work in the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the City’s environmental sustainability programs and initiatives. Work encompasses program areas including waste reduction and recycling, composting, climate action, energy efficiency, green building, and environmental stewardship with significant involvement in solid waste program administration, community outreach and education, data collection and reporting, and coordination with internal departments, regional agencies, contractors, and community stakeholders.

Work involves independent judgment and action within the framework of established City and department policies, regulations and procedures, and is reviewed through conferences, reports, and evaluation of program outcomes.

Implements and supports the development, administration and evaluation of sustainability programs, and initiatives in the areas of waste reduction and recycling, energy efficiency, renewable energy, green building, resiliency, stormwater management/watershed protection, climate change mitigation and adaptation, green procurement and sustainable transportation; tracks performance against established benchmarks and program goals.

Coordinates with City departments, regional agencies, contractors, schools, businesses, multifamily properties, community organizations, and residents to support implementation of sustainability and waste reduction initiatives.

Conducts research studies and surveys; evaluates programs and operations to identify areas for improvement; monitors results compared to performance benchmarks and evaluates progress toward achieving goals.

Administers the City’s solid waste programs as established in the City’s Solid Waste Management Plan, including waste reduction, recycling, composting, reuse, and circular economy initiatives; tracks, manages, analyzes and reports solid waste, recycling, and composting tonnage data utilizing a database management system.

Assists with periodic updates of the City’s Solid Waste Management Plan in accordance with state regulatory requirements; prepares and submits the City’s annual recycling report to the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality.

Assists with the preparation and administration of the operating budget and Capital Improvements Program related to sustainability, waste reduction, and environmental initiatives, supports procurement activities including preparation of scopes of work, requests for proposals, contract coordination and contractor communication.

Coordinates with Code Compliance and Refuse staff, haulers, property managers, contractors, and regulatory agencies to support compliance with environmental regulations, recycling requirements, illegal dumping enforcement, construction debris regulations, and other applicable ordinances.

Monitors changes in local, state, and federal sustainability-related law and policy; evaluates potential impacts on City programs and initiatives and brings findings to the attention of the Sustainability Program Manager.

Develops and implements community outreach and education plans across all programmatic areas, including government facilities, residential, multifamily, commercial, schools and special events; expands outreach efforts to ensure messaging reaches diverse audiences including non-English speaking populations.

Works with the Communications department to raise public environmental awareness and promote sustainability initiatives; develops content and public engagement campaigns through the City's website, social media platforms, online and printed newsletters, presentations, and other communication channels.

Designs and produces education and outreach materials, including print brochures, posters, signs, flyers, decals, booklets, postcards, magnets, promotional giveaways and graphics for the City’s website and social media platforms.

Conducts ongoing monitoring and evaluation of outreach and education activities using defined metrics and deliverables; prepares summary reports on program effectiveness and community engagement outcomes.

Assists with the…