Director, Office of Sustainability

~ The Baltimore City Department of Planning (DOP) is entrusted with the mission of building Baltimore as a diverse, sustainable and thriving city of neighborhoods and as the economic and cultural driver for the region. ~

The Department is seeking a Sustainability Director who is a strategic planner and fosters innovative solutions to urban issues. The
ideal candidate will bring a compelling and innovative vision for leadership in sustainability and a track record of accomplishment that includes collaborative techniques of community engagement and intergovernmental and private sector cooperation to embrace collective City-wide sustainability goals.

Position Overview 

The Director is responsible for coordinating with the Mayor's Office, government agencies, the Baltimore Commission on Sustainability,
nongovernment groups and community members to create and implement initiatives that promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability in Baltimore.

The Sustainability Director leads a staff of eight full-time professionals who make up Baltimore's Office of Sustainability. The Sustainability Director reports to the Director of Planning, who also serves on the City's 21-member appointed Commission on Sustainability, and works closely with the all divisions in the DOP and other city agencies.

The position requires the ability to secure external funding, expand connections to outside organizations, and foster linkages to communities to support sustainable activities and programs. Candidates must be deadline driven with the ability to excel whether working independently or collaboratively.

Responsibilities

•  Provides expertise, staffing and support to the Baltimore
  Commission on Sustainability;
• Oversees completion of the Commission on Sustainability's Annual Report on sustainability progress in Baltimore;
• Oversees enforcement of Baltimore City's environmental
  regulations, including the Maryland Critical Area Program, Baltimore Forest Conservation Program, Federal Floodplain regulations/FEMA Community Rating System certification program;
• Provides support to the Baltimore City Food Policy Initiative;
• Collaborates closely with the other divisions in the DOP to
  integrate sustainability objectives into neighborhood and citywide master plans and other City and DOP work program priorities;
• Oversees and supports staff implementation of major
  Sustainability program elements, including:
  • Baltimore Sustainability Plan, 2017
  • Hazard Mitigation and Climate Adaptation Plan
  • Baltimore's Green Network planning process
  • Baltimore's Green, Healthy, Smart Challenge and Youth Environmental Leadership programs
  • Homegrown Baltimore urban farming initiative
  • Baltimore Waste-To-Wealth initiative and Made In
    Baltimore campaign
  • Baltimore's Growing Green Initiative for vacant
    lot improvements
• Researches promising practices and develops professional network contacts that can advance Baltimore's sustainability goals and objectives;
• Manages work programs and supports the professional development of Sustainability Office staff;
• Manages and evaluates the performance of, disciplines
  and recommends the hiring, disciplining, and promoting of subordinate personnel;
• Directs the division's fundraising efforts by fulfilling requirements of existing grant funded programs and by seeking new grant-funding opportunities, determining
  feasibility, and authoring grant proposals to support programming and implementation of major initiatives and staff salaries;
• Represents the department before legislative bodies
  and meets with State and Federal agencies and neighborhood and community/stakeholder groups to present and receive planning recommendations;
• Seeks out innovative and best practices in applicable
  planning and related fields and applies them to the Department work programs; and
• Oversees the budget and performs other administrative
  functions for the unit.

Qualifications

Minimum Education and Experience

• Bachelor's degree, with a Master's degree preferred, in Planning, Sustainability or Environmental Science, Business Management, Business or Public Administration or a
  closely related field from an accredited college or university and a minimum of 6 years of progressively-increasing responsibilities including 3 years of supervisory experience in directing the activities of professional staff is required;
• Municipal government background and experience is a
  plus; and Equivalencies - An equivalent combination of
  education and experience.

• Strong desire to work with the Planning Department leadership and the City Administration to help Baltimore reach its full potential as a vibrant and growing urban center;
• Ability to manage multiple assignments simultaneously and effectively prioritize among competing demands to meet necessary deadlines;
• Ability to be a self-starter and demonstrate independent action and resourcefulness by identifying inefficiencies in processes and systems and offering, developing and implementing new ideas and methods;
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and negotiation skills;
• Excellent problem solver with a high level of professional judgment;
• Knowledge of social, economic, and environmental urban issues, including environmental justice;
• Experience in strategic planning and project management, including goal setting, program and budget development, and implementation;
• Knowledge of organization-change management strategies and methods;
• Understanding of current models and programs for urban sustainability, including federal and state policies and measurement/monitoring;
• Knowledge of climate change science, principles of energy and environmental management, social behavior change, and economic development;
• Ability to direct and support systems analysis, strategic planning processes, organization development processes;
• Ability to effectively manage the Office of Sustainability and supervise staff;
• Ability to develop and maintain positive relations with other agencies, elected officials, nonprofits, businesses and residents to facilitate collaborative projects;
• Effectively handle concerns and problems from community, staff and other stakeholders;
• Ability to monitor and analyze legislative and policy proposals and testimony for conformance with the policies and priorities of the Director, Commission and Mayor; and
• Outstanding grant management skills.

Compensation: $77,600 - $124,100 - This non-classified position offers a salary commensurate with experience.

To Apply

• Please use the email address below to send a cover letter and resume.
• Please specify position title in the subject line.
• Closing Date: Friday, January 6, 2017
• Note: Finalists must successfully pass drug and alcohol screening, a criminal background investigation, and education verification.

~ An Equal Opportunity Employer ~