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HomeMy WebLinkAboutItem VIISustainability Manager City of Oshkosh Job Highlights Qualifications  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in natural or environmental science or studies, sustainability studies, environmental studies, public policy, or a substantially similar area including, but not limited to community planning, civil engineering, or economics, and two (2) or more years of work experience in sustainability policy and program development, research and analysis, and project management o Combination of experience & education will be considered  Must possess a valid driver’s license  Knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following areas: o Considerable knowledge of issues, laws and regulations related to all areas of sustainability including resource conservation, transportation, pollution prevention and public health protection, and community and economic development o Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; including making presentations to a variety of audiences throughout the City and community o Ability to research new initiatives and implement in a seamless fashion o Ability to identify, analyze and problem solve, assisting departments in incorporating sustainable practices into the organization o Ability to develop, implement and evaluate projects and programs o Ability to provide effective project management oversight o Ability to interact effectively with City staff, the public, and City boards and commissions o Work is evaluated at least annually with respect to progress toward achieving goals, leadership, communication skills, customer service, ability to work productively and effectively with employees at all levels in the organization as well as elected and appointed officials, community groups and the general public Responsibilities  Researches, and applies for, applicable grants in order to further develop and improve sustainable City initiatives  Administers and manages grants if received to improve City sustainability efforts or conservation efforts  Develops criteria, policies, and procedures for sustainable programs  Administers training and outreach to City personnel for the development, adoption and implementation of sustainable practices in City operations  Assists departments in identifying and implementing best practices in sustainable operations by acting as a resource to and directing staff activities with the public, City departments and other organizations on programs and policies related to the Sustainability and Conservation as directed by the City Manager, and\or Chief of Staff, specifically in the areas of conservation, transportation, pollution prevention and climate action  Strengthens existing partnerships with community organizations and expands network and partnerships  Identifies potential energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction projects / strategies, and evaluates such projects/strategies in terms of feasibility and satisfaction of designated criteria  Represents the City at external meetings, and as a member of external organizations and committees  May make presentations to City Council and/or represent the City and\or Utility at meetings of City Boards and Commissions and civic or professional groups  Required meetings may be held outside of normal business hours  Serves as the primary staff person responsible for reporting on efforts towards the STAR/LEED community- rating framework  Maintains current knowledge of trends and initiatives in the field of sustainability by attending relevant conferences/seminars, and/or by networking with counterparts at other organizations  Conducts research studies and surveys and produces reports recommending appropriate courses of action for solutions to environmental/sustainability problems  Directs the preparation of reports, documents and correspondence and makes public presentations;  Performs other duties as required: o Works under the supervision of the Chief of Staff and City Manager, who outlines work assignments and reviews work in progress and completed work o Works closely with all departments to educate and assist in the incorporation of sustainable practices as appropriate o Employee is expected to provide leadership to all City departments in achieving sustainable goals Full Job Description Position Purpose: This position manages and implements the City of Oshkosh Office of Sustainability and Conservation, embracing the best ecological practices and policies extending into government, community, services, and infrastructure. The program’s ultimate goal is to protect and optimize the City’s natural resources and “built” environments by creatively incorporating sustainable practices and behaviors throughout the City of Oshkosh and the Retail Service area of the Oshkosh Water Utility and Parks & Rec Department. These programs are accomplished in accordance with the City’s commitment to sustainability, resilience and adaptation. Essential Functions:  Researches, and applies for, applicable grants in order to further develop and improve sustainable City initiatives.  Administers and manages grants if received to improve City sustainability efforts or conservation efforts  Develops criteria, policies, and procedures for sustainable programs. Administers training and outreach to City personnel for the development, adoption and implementation of sustainable practices in City operations.  Assists departments in identifying and implementing best practices in sustainable operations by acting as a resource to and directing staff activities with the public, City departments and other organizations on programs and policies related to the Sustainability and Conservation as directed by the City Manager, and\or Chief of Staff, specifically in the areas of conservation, transportation, pollution prevention and climate action.  Strengthens existing partnerships with community organizations and expands network and partnerships.  Identifies potential energy savings and greenhouse gas reduction projects / strategies, and evaluates such projects/strategies in terms of feasibility and satisfaction of designated criteria.  Represents the City at external meetings, and as a member of external organizations and committees. May make presentations to City Council and/or represent the City and\or Utility at meetings of City Boards and Commissions and civic or professional groups. Required meetings may be held outside of normal business hours.  Serves as the primary staff person responsible for reporting on efforts towards the STAR/LEED community-rating framework.  Maintains current knowledge of trends and initiatives in the field of sustainability by attending relevant conferences/seminars, and/or by networking with counterparts at other organizations.  Conducts research studies and surveys and produces reports recommending appropriate courses of action for solutions to environmental/sustainability problems.  Performs and directs community outreach and education tasks as directed by the City Manager and/or SAB.  Directs the preparation of reports, documents and correspondence and makes public presentations;  Performs other duties as required. Qualifications:  Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in natural or environmental science or studies, sustainability studies, public policy, or a substantially similar area and two (2) or more years of work experience in sustainability policy and program development, research and analysis, and project management. Combination of experience & education will be considered.  Must possess a valid driver’s license.  Knowledge, skills, and abilities in the following areas:  Considerable knowledge of issues, laws and regulations related to all areas of sustainability including resource conservation, transportation, pollution prevention and public health protection, and community and economic development.  Ability to communicate effectively both orally and in writing; including making presentations to a variety of audiences throughout the City and community.  Ability to research new initiatives and implement in a seamless fashion.  Ability to identify, analyze and problem solve, assisting departments in incorporating sustainable practices into the organization.  Ability to develop, implement and evaluate projects and programs.  Ability to provide effective project management oversight.  Ability to interact effectively with City staff, the public, and City boards and commissions. Supplemental Information Physical Work Requirements: A majority of the work is performed indoors in an office environment, occasionally performing field visits/observations of practices, projects and environments. Work involves frequently changing priorities and the ability to meet tight deadlines. May require occasional work at off-site locations. Supervision: Works under the supervision of the City Manager and under the guidance of the Sustainability Advisory Board, who outlines work assignments and reviews work in progress and completed work. Works closely with all departments to educate and assist in the incorporation of sustainable practices as appropriate. Employee is expected to collaborate with and provide leadership to all City departments in achieving sustainable goals. Guidance is provided via City Code, City policies and procedures and\or initiatives, applicable state and federal laws and regulations, the Sustainability Advisory Board as well as a wide variety of information relating to sustainable practices, ensuring that initiatives meet legal requirements. Work is evaluated at least annually with respect to progress toward achieving goals, leadership, communication skills, customer service, ability to work productively and effectively with employees at all levels in the organization as well as elected and appointed officials, community groups and the general public. Public Contact: The employee has regular contact with employees at all levels within the organization as well as individual citizens and groups, elected officials, and various people from other organizations outside of the City of Oshkosh and the surrounding area. Employee will attend all meetings with the Sustainability Advisory Board and participate in such meetings accordingly. It is the role of the employee to participate in meetings, collaborate with the board and implement their guidance in accordance with City policy. Employee will also coordinate and direct the activities of volunteers with respect to specific projects and community outreach. Travel Requirements: 10-15% travel may be required outside of the city to attend conferences and to collaborate with outside entities as directed and approved by the City of Oshkosh City Manager. Compensation and Benefits Annual Salary: Employee will be paid $78,520–101,005 per year depending upon qualifications and experience and the needs of the City of Oshkosh. Benefits: All benefits to include paid vacation, sick leave, and medical will be consistent with the established practices for all city department heads. Success Metrics Not only should the Sustainability Manager be subject to an array of success metrics, the Sustainability Manager should also be responsible for establishing, tracking and maintaining a Sustainability Dashboard for the city that keeps track of the constant progress of all City efforts create a sustainable community. The more generic way to look at such measures are as follows:  Financial metrics such as cost/benefit analysis, internal rate of return (IRR), and return on investment (ROI) are examples of financial metrics that are essential to most organizations.  Environmental metrics typically include reduction of electricity usage, change in fuel consumption for company vehicles, carbon emissions reductions, gallons of water saved, and increased waste diversion.  Social metrics focus on employees and occupants, health & wellbeing, diversity & inclusion, supply chain management, and more.  Governance metrics are often determined by the existence of policies on a wide range of issues such as community values and business resilience plans. Oshkosh Sustainability Dashboard It is expected that the Sustainability Manager collaborate, support and influence projects across every city department. Oshkosh engages in many different areas that have an overall impact to community sustainability. These are sometimes exclusively environmental, but often have an overlap with other areas that the city invests heavily in such as parks & recreation, education, public safety, health and wellness, quality of life infrastructure and so on. The SAB recommends that a dashboard be created with input from all city departments, key stakeholders and the SAB to better track the overall progress of the City in terms of a broader definition of sustainability. We feel that this will help inform citizens of the larger effort to make their community stronger, healthier, and more vibrant. The following diagram illustrates the possible “pillars” of such a dashboard and the many possible metrics that could be used to create a clear picture of how the City is progressing. Of course, there would have to be research to determine what can be measured, how the data would be collected, and how the ongoing maintenance, forecasting, etc. would occur. Sustainability Manager Success Scorecard In order for the City to create a return on its investment in such a position as Sustainability Manager, it will be important for there to be specific KPI’s that measure performance of the employee year over year. One metric, at least in the early years of the position must be to make sure the position can pay for itself through cost savings to the City, grants, state and federal funding, etc. after a period of time. Some metrics will be used year over year, but some metrics may be linked to single one-time projects. Metric Description Threshold Target Goal Number of Grants Applied for Each application for grants or other funds submitted will count toward this goal and will include each instance of unsolicited funds received by the city in this area. 1 2 3 Number of Ordinances Proposed, Passed, or Contributed to Number of Outreach Campaigns Number of City Projects Contributed to Any project where the Sustainability Manager has impact will be recorded as contributing to this goal. 2 4 6 Carbon Emissions - Municipal - Residential - Industrial The reduction or increase of the desired within the city boundaries will be calculated by responsible agencies. This is split between the estimated impacts by the City of Oshkosh, the residents of Oshkosh and the businesses of Oshkosh. 2% 4% 5% Energy Consumption - Municipal - Residential - Industrial Renewable Energy Use - Municipal - Residential - Industrial Waste Recycling Rate - Municipal - Residential - Industrial Waste Reduction Rate - Municipal - Residential - Industrial Saving Levels due to conservation and improvement efforts Supplier Environmental Sustainability Index Supply Chain Miles Water Footprint Additional Green Space Pedestrian and Bicycle Path Additions Percentage of Tree Canopy Increase Percentage of Shoreline Conserved Percentage of Greenspace Added or Preserved Budget The overall goal is to have this position pay for itself through a combination of acquired grants, state or federal funds, private contributions and cost savings to the City. Since the grant application cycle can be extended and ramping up other channels of revenue can take some time, the ability of the position to be self-sustaining will be delayed somewhat. Because of this the path to being self-sustaining will be a progressive percentage of salary and benefits. This will be distinctly separate from any budget allotted to the department. Below is a table illustrating this point? Levels of Self-Funding for Position by Year Year 1 (First 12 months from hire) 0% Year 2 (Second 12 months from hire) 10% Year 3 (Third 12 month from hire) 25% Year 4 (Fourth 12 months from hire) 50% Year 5 80%