12 Jan Job: City of Austin Climate Program Manager

The City of Austin, Texas
CLIMATE PROGRAM MANAGER

The City of Austin is seeking a world-class Climate Program Manager prepared to make Austin a leading city in the nation for Climate Action. This talented individual will lead and manage the direction and implementation of the Austin Climate Protection Program across all City departments, oversee established departmental climate protection plans and reporting, and lead a program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions community-wide.  The Austin Climate Protection Program was recently recognized by ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability for its excellence. Reporting to the City’s Chief Sustainability Officer, the Climate Program Manager will provide strategic direction, leadership and management to develop related sustainability and environmental municipal policies, operational directives and procedures.  He/she will also lead climate protection programs involving the entire community and region. For background on the program, visit www.coolaustin.org.

About Austin
Austin, Texas (pop. 770,000) is one of the country’s most economically strong, high-profile “green” and culturally dynamic cities.  Recently selected as the “Best City for the Next Decade” (Kiplinger) and the “Top Creative Center” in the United States (Entrepreneur.com), Austin is also Texas’ State Capital and home to the University of Texas. Austin is an international leader in innovative energy policies and programs, clean-green technology and the environmental movement.
 
Austin City Government

• The City of Austin is a progressive, dynamic, full-service municipal organization operating under the City-Manager form of government.
• Council appoints the City Manager, who serves as the chief administrator and the Chief Operations Officer for the City organization. The Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) reports to the City Manager through an Assistant City Manager.  The Climate Program Manager will report to the CSO.  This structure provides the opportunity to have significant impact on the city as a whole.
• The City of Austin owns its electric utility, Austin Energy, and its water utility, Austin Water – an optimal structure for directly impacting the utilities’ greenhouse gas emissions.
• The City’s vision is for Austin to be the “most livable community” and the “best-managed city” in the country.

Austin Climate Protection
The Austin Climate Protection Program was created by City Council resolution in February 2007.  The resolution stated a goal “to make Austin the leading city in the nation in the effort to reduce and reverse the negative impacts of  global warming.”  The program’s mission currently includes improvements to air quality and other related goals.

Program Elements  
Currently the manager position leads and directs actions and tasks for the Austin Climate Protection, Air Quality,
Urban Heat Island and Central Texas Clean Cities programs and directs a staff of six-to-eight employees.  The new Climate Program Manager will oversee a transition of the program and staff from Austin Energy to the City of Austin, reporting to the Chief Sustainability Officer. 
 
Key Responsibilities

• Provides strong, inspirational leadership for the Austin Climate Protection Program. Represents and advances the City as a national leader and model for climate protection and sustainability.
• Advises and briefs senior officials and executive management regarding strategic direction and policy recommendations for climate protection, air quality, sustainability policies, programs and operational  procedures. Leads the preparation of annual and other reports on program status.
• Manages and coordinates the implementation of climate protection plans and policies across all City departments. Provides technical assistance to Chief Sustainability Officer, City Manager’s office, Austin Energy General Manager, Austin Water Director, other department directors and the City Council.
• Maintains community relations and fosters community-wide initiatives and cooperative partnerships to advance and promote climate protection and sustainability. 
• Communicates the financial and environmental benefits of implementing best practices. Achieves measurable progress on reducing the community’s carbon footprint.
• Reviews, evaluates and recommends revisions to City Code, regulations, policies, procedures and acts as expert resource regarding federal, state and local climate and environmental policies, legislation, trends and climate protection technical assistance issues.

High Priority Issues
The following are high priority issues that the next Climate Program Manager will address in the short-term, long-term or on-going basis:
 Internal Challenges and Opportunities

• Assess progress to date in achieving the City’s climate-related goals. Provide strategic leadership regarding feasibility, costs, benefits, timeline, internal negotiations and priorities in achieving greenhouse gas reductions to meet citywide targets and individual department plans.
• Assist the Chief Sustainability Officer in integrating climate initiatives into broader sustainability goals and assist with the ongoing growth and evolution of the City’s Sustainability office. Help the City maintain its position as a national sustainability leader.
• Provide leadership and mentoring to existing staff in the Climate Protection Program and citywide climate action team.  Lead action steps to success, creative collaboration, barrier removal, and continuous improvement and innovation. Navigate the challenges of “dotted line” reporting structure across the City’s organizational structure.

Leading the way to better buildings: Read Austin Energy Green Building’s 2009 Annual Report

External/Community Challenges and Opportunities

• Track trends, policies and funding opportunities on international, federal and state levels, in order to position the program for success, optimize program direction, leverage emerging opportunities and secure additional resources. 
• Develop community relationships with business, community and environmental leaders, in order to facilitate an ongoing positive dialogue and measurable climate footprint reductions. Assess best methods and opportunities to broadly disseminate messages and behavior change tools throughout the Austin community.
• Lead process of establishing community-wide carbon footprint reduction targets and strategies, creating an effective social marketing campaign to achieve the necessary behavioral changes, and measuring and communicating progress toward targets.

Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited four-year college or university with major course work in Climate Change, Environmental Studies, Sustainable Business, Resource Management, Public Policy and Administration, Business Administration or a related field, plus seven (7) years of related experience, three (3) of them in a lead or supervisory capacity.  A master’s degree may substitute for experience up to two (2) years.

Ideal Candidate Qualifications

• A visionary and innovative thinker with experience in evaluating structure, staffing and operations to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of service delivery and foster an organizational culture of innovation and customer service
• An experienced leader who sees the “big picture” and understands the complexities of budgeting, forecasting, evaluating and analyzing programs and performance to determine goals and set direction for exemplary service delivery
• An excellent public speaker and master collaborator with superior written and oral communication skills — coupled with diplomacy and consensus building skills — to represent the City and forge relationships with City departments, boards and commissions, businesses, organizations, government, industry and the community

Compensation & Benefits
The Climate Program Manager will receive a competitive salary, negotiable depending on qualifications, and an
excellent benefits package including:

• Pension Plan, with the City of Austin Employee Retirement System (vested after five years)
• Health, dental, vision and life insurance (City pays employee coverage only, employee pays dependent  coverage), and numerous other benefits
• Deferred compensation plan, for additional retirement savings

How to Apply
Interested candidates should apply online by January 30, 2011 at the City of Austin employment Web site: www.austincityjobs.org

Inquiries related to this recruitment may be directed to:
Edna P. Santos, Human Resources Consultant • Phone: (512) 974-3221 • Email:  Edna.Santos@ci.austin.tx.us
View this position’s profile at http://www.cityofaustin.org/hr/climatemgr.htm

THE CITY OF AUSTIN IS AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER AND VALUES DIVERSITY AT ALL LEVELS OF ITS WORKFORCE.