Director of Sustainability & Environment

The Director of Sustainability & Environment serves as the chief sustainability officer for the City of Somerville and leads the department responsible for environmental protection, sustainability, and climate action. The director supervises four OSE staff, leads internal collaborations, and conducts external affairs on behalf of the City and the administration.

Essential Functions

The essential functions or duties listed below are intended only as illustrations of the various type of work that may be performed. The omission of specific statements of duties does not exclude them from the position if the work is similar, related, or a logical assignment to the position.

• Responsible for developing policies, plans, and programs that support Somerville’s climate resiliency, mitigation, and equity goals.
• Works with City staff to increase awareness in, and implementation of, sustainable practices.
• Supervises community outreach and education programs for sustainability and climate action
• Oversees and manages all aspects of the City’s long-term climate change and sustainability planning.
• Assesses the City’s sustainability practices and current performance through energy audits.
• Optimizes the City’s potential for recycling, energy efficiency, waste reduction, carbon emission reduction, and resilience.
• Oversees the installation of renewable energy systems in City facilities; oversees the expansion of the City’s Clean Energy programs; examines and reviews all City facilities and operations to ensure environmental improvements.
• Coordinates energy procurement for municipal operations and community.
• Oversees and manages all aspects of the City’s hazardous and solid waste programs.
• Responsible for developing and implementing sustainable new development regulations and guidelines in conjunction with the Office of Strategic Planning and Community Development.
• Oversees intergovernmental engagement on energy, climate change, and environmental justice. 
• Encourages and assists with sustainability activities, initiatives, and collaborations by managers, staff, and elected officials.
• Serves as a public spokesperson for the City’s sustainability initiatives and programs by attending conferences, writing press releases, giving presentations, and fostering regional and national partnerships with other cities, towns, businesses, and schools.
• Serves as Mayor’s representative to the Somerville Commission on Energy Use and Climate Change.
• Serves and Somerville representative to numerous regional and national climate organizations. 
• Manages the department budget, explores potential grants and other funding sources for future sustainability initiatives, and prepares funding request applications, as needed.
• Manages OSE staff, providing mentorship and career development. 
• Manages complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

Education and Experience

Graduate of a four year college with Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, Energy or Environmental Policy, and five to seven (5-7) years of related work experience; or any equivalent combination of education, training and experience which provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.

Knowledge, Abilities and Skill

Knowledge: Experience in environmental and sustainability efforts and initiatives.

Abilities: Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately; ability to handle problems effectively; ability to communicate clearly, both orally and in writing; ability to operate a computer; ability to maintain confidential information; ability to maintain, manage, and organize records; ability to deal appropriately with City employees, City officials and the public. Ability to stay abreast of current trends and sustainability initiative and to perform cost-benefit analyses for presentation to Mayor and elected officials.

Skill: Strong public communications skills and a proven track record of outreach and problem resolution, as well as program implementation.

Work Environment

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant. Employee may be required to work beyond normal business hours in response to attend evening meetings or complete work assignments.

Physical and Mental Requirements

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the position’s essential functions.

Physical Skills: Little or no physical demands are required to perform the work. Work effort principally involves sitting to perform work tasks, with intermittent periods of stooping, walking, and standing. There may also be some occasional lifting of objects such as books, office equipment and computer paper (up to 30 lbs.)

Motor Skills: Duties are largely mental rather than physical, but the job may occasionally require minimal motor skills for activities such as moving objects, operating a telephone system, computer and/or most other office equipment, typing and/or word processing, filing, and sorting.

Visual Skills: Visual demands include constantly reading documents for general understanding and for analytical purposes and routinely reviewing maps and blueprints with a need for color vision.

This position will remain open until filled. Send your resume and cover letter to

City Hall HR Office

93 Highland Avenue

Somerville MA 02143

Fax: 617-666-4426

TTY: 1-866-808-4851

Email: employment_opportunities@somervillema.gov

City of Somerville residents are especially encouraged to apply.

The City of Somerville is an affirmative action/equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, disability or any other protected category. Women, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. Auxiliary aids and services, written materials in alternative formats, and reasonable modifications in policies and procedures will be provided to qualified individuals with disabilities free of charge, upon request.

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy at (617)625-6600 x2059 or ADA@somervillema.gov.