Coordinator, Sustainability

The Sustainability Coordinator (SC) manages Sustainability Office student programs and projects, develops and carries out campus education and engagement activities, supports communication efforts, and assists with institutional assessment. The SC has primary responsibility for overseeing and improving student programs, managing student staff and volunteers, and maintaining relationships necessary for successful program and project collaborations. Key Sustainability Office programs that are managed by the SC include the Community Garden, the North Woods Stewards, Skidmore Compost, the Sustainability Interns, and other programs as offered. All work functions broadly support sustainability literacy and institutional sustainability efforts at the intersection of environmental stewardship, economic viability, and social equity.

Job Duties

1. Manage student programs & supervise student employees: The SC provides leadership in managing core student programs (garden, compost, North Woods, interns, and engagement) and recruiting, hiring, and supervising student employees in the Sustainability Office (12-15 each year), including summer students. This role develops program plans, coordinates activities, and continually improves and evolves student programs to ensure they are relevant, inclusive, and impactful. The SC interviews, hires, trains, and guides students, while ensuring program safety, efficacy, and quality. The SC assesses student employee performance and provides feedback to support effective programs, skill building, and student leadership opportunities. The SC also recruits and manages volunteers to support sustainability programs and projects.
2. Lead campus events and engagement: Academic year events such as speakers, film screenings, panels, and educational efforts are led by the SC or may be coordinated by student programs with significant support from the SC. These events may be student-focused or open to the community, with campus partners and community partners and will promote sustainability visibility, discussion, and awareness. The SC will cultivate, create, and facilitate efforts to maintain current connections and build new collaborations (with departmental, administrative, student, and community groups) that support sustainability-related educational and community-building opportunities. Annual campus events the Office leads or supports may include sustainability competitions, waste audits, Big Green Scream, zero-waste events, Earth Day/Month related events, and the Saratoga Sustainability Fair. The SC also supports the Gardenside sustainability living and learning community.
3. Lead and coordinate Give Go move-out donation collection: This May move-out program diverts thousands of pounds of usable goods, including unopened food, home goods, kitchen wares, clothing, and other small items to community non-profit partners. The event operates with the help of many volunteers to sort materials at the end of the semester and on senior move-out day. The SC is responsible for all Give Go planning, logistics, organizing, partnerships, and volunteer recruitment and management.
4. Support campus sustainability communications: The SC conducts website editing, newsletter development, and campus announcements, and works with Communications to publish, celebrate, and document sustainability initiatives on campus. The SC helps to develop and execute a communication strategy, manages Sustainability Office social media accounts, and offers tours to a variety of audiences.
5. Support data management and assessment: The SC works with the Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment on annual tracking, assessment, and reporting. Tasks may include data collection, analysis, writing, graphics production, and editing. Potential tools and frameworks used for sustainability assessment include the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System (STARS), GHG inventory protocols and calculators, and program/project specific tools. Primary sustainability focus areas for tracking and assessment include sustainability literacy and academics, sustainable operations (e.g., energy, waste, water, emissions, food, lands and grounds), campus and community engagement, and planning and administration.
6. Research and support of strategic planning: The SC will conduct best practice, program, and project research to identify and recommend Sustainability Office and institutional changes. Reviews and evaluations as related to student programs and initiatives, especially at peer and aspirant institutions, will be a primary research focus, as well as cross-campus and sustainability operations opportunities, in support of sustainability goals and strategic planning. 
7. Participate in institutional governance: The SC is a member of two subcommittees of the Institutional Policy and Planning Committee (IPPC): the Campus Sustainability Subcommittee (CSS) and the Subcommittee on Responsible Citizenship (SRC). The SC also supports the Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment with administrative tasks as related to the CSS.

Judgement, Discretion, and Complexity

The primary focus of the SC position is the management of student programs and student staff, which requires considerable planning, coordination, organizational, management, and communication skills. The position hires, trains, and supervises students in a hands-on manner, educating students on topics from gardening to compost systems to data management in Excel. The SC aims to cultivate student leadership and excellence in programming. Student programs are standardized on an annual basis, though each year is an opportunity to explore options for improvement in operational efficiency and creative engagement. The SC will initiate, facilitate, and cultivate campus collaborations which add to the complexity of the work and contribute to the deep cross-institutional nature of sustainability in action. The SC is empowered to research, pilot and implement programmatic changes, with input and support from the Director of Sustainability Programs and Assessment.

Relationships and Resource Management

The work of the SC intersects with and requires collaboration with a diverse set of campus actors, including Residence Life, Student Affairs, academic departments and faculty (especially Environmental Studies and Sciences), Conference and Events, and Communications, and most consistently and actively with Facilities and Dining Services. This position works closely with the Director of Sustainability on a day-to-day basis. 

The SC directly supervises 10 student employees or interns in the academic year and summer, with meetings at least once a week. The SC manages the purchasing and acquisition of supplies for these student programs and sets a budget for student-led events and collaborations. In turn, the position is responsible for reporting and recording these purchases with the Sustainability Program Assistant. The SC will provide input to the development of the Sustainability Office annual operating budget and may develop and submit capital budget project requests.

Qualifications and Competencies

Education & Experience: Master’s Degree with 0-1 years of relevant experience or Bachelor’s Degree with 1-3 years of relevant experience. Relevant degree such as Environmental Studies/Science, Environmental Education, Sustainability Studies, and/or similar.

• Experience with program coordination and management
• Experience with event planning and organizing
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and collaboration skills 
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Effective time management and prioritization skills
• Initiative, flexibility, and adaptability given changing program and project needs and the evolving field of sustainability
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 programs (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneDrive)
• Demonstrated commitment to sustainability through environmental and climate action, justice and equity, and health and well-being 
• Preferred experience with:
  • Gardening or farming
  • Small-scale compost programs
  • Trail and land management
  • Website management
  • Sustainability, environmental, and/or peer-to-peer education
  • Graphic design and marketing 

Physical Work Environment

This position includes a diverse mix of activities from computer work to meetings and events to physical outdoor work. Considerable outdoor work is needed in the warmer months for student program management and implementation. Some work can be physically demanding, such as sorting, moving, and lifting items during Give Go, gardening labor, and trail maintenance and build work. Basic hand and power tools will be used by the SC, and students will need to be trained in their use, to perform maintenance, repair, and build tasks.

Required documents needed to apply:

• On-line application
• Cover Letter
• Resume
• List of Three References

Pay Rate:  $30.00 - $32.00 per hour ($54,600 - $58,240 annual based on 35 hours/week over 12 months) commensurate with experience.

EEO STATEMENT

Skidmore College is committed to being an inclusive campus community and, as an Equal Opportunity Employer, does not discriminate in its hiring or employment practices on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, gender, age, national or ethnic origin, physical or mental disability, military or veteran status, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, predisposition or carrier status, domestic violence victim status, familial status, dating violence, or stalking, or any other category protected by applicable federal, state or local laws.

Employment at Skidmore College is contingent upon an acceptable background check result.

CREATIVE THOUGHT MATTERS.

Salary : $54,600 - $58,240