1311 Sustainability Coordinator

POSITION IDENTIFICATION

TITLE Sustainability Coordinator

CLASSIFICATION NUMBER 1311

GRADE 42

CLASSIFICATION Exempt

IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR Director of Environmental Management

GENERAL FUNCTION

The Sustainability Coordinator works collaboratively with administration, faculty, staff, and students to develop, coordinate, and promote effective sustainability initiatives on campus.  Responsibilities include educating the University community about sustainability and coordinating campus programming, activities, and projects related to sustainability, promoting sustainability and energy conservation initiatives for departments within the Administrative Services division, supporting sustainability research, and annual reporting.

MINIMUM ACCEPTABLE QUALIFICATIONS

Education: A bachelor's degree is required.  A bachelor's degree in an environmentally-related discipline, communications, sustainability, or an appropriately related field is preferred. An equivalent combination of years of experience and education may be considered for substitution of educational requirements.

Experience: Two and one-half years (thirty months) of experience developing, maintaining, and/or managing sustainability-based initiatives, processes, or programs involving the collection, analysis, and reporting of program data is required.  Experience working with sustainability or environmental programs in higher education is preferred.

Skills: Excellent verbal and written communication skills are required.  The ability to work independently is required.  Attention to detail is required.  Initiative is required.  Analytical and problem-solving skills are required.  The ability to work collaboratively with other individuals and volunteer groups is required.  The ability to use Microsoft Office Suite to prepare Excel spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, and reports is required.  

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBLITIES

1. Works with all aspects of the residential and academic campus community, including students, faculty, and staff to promote an understanding and awareness of sustainability issues by coordinating informational training and presentations and promoting energy and water conservation, waste minimization, recycling, sustainable building and landscape design, alternative transportation, procurement of green products, etc.  

2. Serves as liaison between various campus entities to facilitate communication and resource coordination for sustainability programs and projects.

3. Coordinates and compiles University data for the ongoing Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS) self-assessment program, enters data from campus organizations into the STARS reporting tool, and submits the application for STARS certification to AASHE.

4. Supports the Division of Administration and Finance and its departments as appropriate in relation to implementing energy conservation and sustainability programs.

5. Implements and maintains internal sustainability training and programming including, but not limited to sustainability leadership programming for students, and sustainability teams.

6. Creates promotional and educational materials by writing, editing, and designing content for brochures, fliers, bulletin board displays, newsletters, sustainability guides, and training materials. Works with Division of Marketing and Communications staff to promote and communicate sustainability events, practices, and achievements to the broader campus and community audience.

7. Develops and maintains the Missouri State University sustainability website to include information highlighting sustainability actions undertaken at the University, sustainability-related programming and events at the University and surrounding community, curriculum opportunities, resources for individuals interested in sustainable living, information on recycling, and links to other organizations and websites related to sustainability.

8. Assists in defining sustainability goals and tracks performance metrics to assess program effectiveness.

9. Improves the effectiveness of the University’s sustainability practices by monitoring best practices related to sustainability at the University’s benchmark peer institutions and other select institutions and makes recommendations for new sustainability programming and modifications to existing programs.

10. Serves as advisor to the SGA Sustainability Commission for the Student Sustainability Fund, and to the student organization Students for a Sustainable Future.

11. Serves as a member of the Sustainability Advisory Committee and provides updates at the meetings; helps coordinate subcommittee meetings and supports subcommittees in implementing programs/projects in support of STARS.

12. Serves on campus committees as assigned and attends meetings with external organizations to represent the University on sustainability issues.

13. Researches and identifies grant-writing and other funding opportunities in support of expanded campus sustainability efforts. Prepares documentation required for project funding from internal or external funding as appropriate.

14. Works with campus stakeholders to develop or assist in the development of sustainability focused initiatives, which may include topics such as energy conservation, water conservation, waste minimization, recycling, stormwater management, landscape improvements, sustainable transportation, procurement of environmentally friendly products, etc. Stakeholder support may include assistance in developing project details and benefits, and estimated costs. 

15. Remains competent and current through self-directed professional reading, developing professional contacts with colleagues, attending professional development courses, and attending training and/or courses as directed.

16. Supports the overall success of the University’s sustainability efforts by performing all other duties as assigned.

SUPERVISION

The Sustainability Coordinator is supervised by the Director of Environmental Management and may supervise part-time employees and grant funded full-time staff when directed.

OFFICE OF HUMAN RESOURCES

REVISED JANUARY 2025

JOB FAMILY 4

Factor 1: Professional Knowledge, Skill, and Technical Mastery

Level 3.0 - 1500 Points: Entry-level knowledge of the principles, concepts, practices, and methods of an administrative, managerial, technical, or professional specialty. Knowledge permits employee to carry out basic recurring tasks and routine portions of assignments or to carry out less demanding professional elements of assignments in professional or technical areas including accounting or auditing, financial management, business administration, human resources, law, engineering, science, or medicine, while gaining familiarity with the University's policies and goals, business practices, and/or accounting systems. This level of knowledge permits the employee to schedule and carry out the steps of a limited operation or project, or to complete stages of a multi-phase project. Alternatively, knowledge at this level might also permit the employee to carry out recurring tasks and routine assignments requiring moderate experience in specific areas within higher education. Knowledge at this level is typically acquired through a combination of formal education and/or training and experience that includes a requirement for a college degree in a specific technical or professional specialty. Knowledge requirements may also include a limited amount of related work experience. Alternatively, equivalent knowledge requirements at this level include a non-technical or general Bachelor's degree requirement with a moderate level of additional related work experience or a non-specific Master's degree requirement with some related work experience.

Factor 2: Supervisory Responsibility

Level 1.0 - 50 Points: Typically, little, if any, supervision of others is required. The job may require irregular but occasional responsibility to direct the work of student workers and/or temporary or part-time workers. The nature of supervision is largely confined to assigning tasks to others and does not include a full range of supervisory responsibilities. The amount of time spent on directing the work of others is normally a small portion of total work time.

Factor 3: Interactions with Others

Level 4.0 - 500 Points: Interactions with others are somewhat unstructured. The purpose may be to influence or motivate others, to obtain information, or to control situations and resolve problems. Interactions may be with individuals or groups of co-workers, students, or the general public, may be moderately unstructured, and may involve persons who hold differing goals and objectives. Individuals at this level often act as a liaison between groups with a focus on solving particular unstructured problems. Interactions at this level require considerable interpersonal skill and the ability to resolve conflict.

Factor 4: Job Controls and Guidelines

Level 2.0 - 250 Points: The employee carries out a group of procedures using the general methods and desired results indicated by the supervisor. Typically, standard operating procedures, handbooks, and/or reference manuals exist for most procedures, but the employee must select from the most appropriate of several guidelines and make minor adjustments to methods. Unforeseen situations are normally referred to others for resolution. Assignments are related in function and objective, but processes, procedures, or software varies from one assignment to another. Based on the assignment, the employee uses diverse, but conventional, methods, techniques, or approaches. Employees in jobs at this level may perform work that is moderately complex, but normally performed within a fairly narrow and specific functional area.

Factor 5: Managerial Responsibility

Level 3.0 - 850 Points: Work involves providing significant support services to others both within and outside of the department that substantially influences decision-making processes. Work activities are complex and others rely on the accuracy and reliability of the information, analysis, or advice to make decisions. Work activities have a direct, but shared, impact on further processes or services, affect the overall efficiency and image of the department, and may have material impact on costs or service quality within the cost center. Incumbents may be responsible for identifying areas of need and for developing proposals that request funding to fulfill those needs.