Sustainability Manager Salary $84,149.52 - $134,638.66 Annually Location: Roanoke, VA Job Type: Full-Time Job Number: 03142 Department: General Services Division: Director of General Services Opening Date: 03/04/2026 Closing Date: 4/1/2026 11:59 PM Eastern
Description The Sustainability Manager is responsible for leading the City of Roanoke's sustainability, energy efficiency, and climate action initiatives. This position develops, coordinates, and implements policies and programs that advance the City's environmental, social, and economic sustainability goals. The Sustainability Manager serves as the City's technical expert and liaison on sustainability and climate initiatives, working collaboratively across departments, with community stakeholders, and regional partners to promote a resilient, environmentally responsible, and livable Roanoke.
The City of Roanoke is an Equal Employment Opportunity/AA/M/F/Disability Employer. To elevate the performance of the organization, we are committed to respecting, celebrating, and embracing the collective mixture of differences and similarities between our employees as a rich tapestry. Our behaviors will demonstrate open communication, and we will seek opportunities to learn, recognizing and rewarding actions that promote acceptance while suspending judgment. By doing this, we will foster an inclusive, open work environment that delivers excellent service and creates a more vibrant and inviting community.
This is an exempt position. Examples of Duties • Develops, implements, and monitors a comprehensive Sustainability and Climate Action Plan for the City of Roanoke, focusing on greenhouse gas reduction, renewable energy use, and sustainable operations. • Identifies opportunities for energy conservation, renewable energy implementation, and resource efficiency in City operations, facilities, fleet, and infrastructure. • Collaborates with City departments to integrate sustainability practices into capital projects, procurement, land use, and policy development. • Oversees the collection and analysis of sustainability metrics, including greenhouse gas inventories, energy consumption, and waste diversion data, and prepares regular progress reports for leadership and City Council. • Pursues and manages grants, partnerships, and funding opportunities that advance the City's sustainability objectives. • Serves as a liaison to external partners, community organizations, businesses, and residents to promote sustainability education, outreach, and engagement. • Coordinates staff training and internal communications to encourage environmentally sustainable behaviors and best practices across the organization. • Advises City leadership on emerging sustainability issues, technologies, and regulatory requirements. • Represents the City at local, regional, and national meetings, conferences, and working groups related to climate resilience, renewable energy, and sustainability policy. • Provides technical expertise and guidance for sustainability-related initiatives, including transportation electrification, waste reduction, water conservation, and environmental equity. • Supervises consultants, contractors, interns, and/or other assigned staff involved in sustainability-related projects. • Project management: Strong organizational skills to manage multiple projects on time and within budget • Communication: Excellent verbal and written communication skills to effectively convey complex concepts to diverse audiences. • Strategy and policy: Develop and execute comprehensive sustainability strategies, policies, and action plans, aligning them with the Council's vision. • Experience in sourcing sustainable materials and products • Knowledge of Zero waste management programs
Typical Qualifications • Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Engineering, Public Administration, Engineering, Urban Planning, or a related field. • Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in sustainability, environmental management, climate planning, or related work. • Experience in program development, public engagement, and interdepartmental coordination. • Supervisory experience 3-5. • OSHA 10 certificate. • Knowledgeable in regulations (both state and federal). • Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, Publisher). • Budgeting experience
Preferred Qualifications • Master's degree in a related field. • Professional certifications such as LEED AP, Certified Energy Manager (CEM), or Sustainability Excellence Professional (SEP). • ISSP Certified Sustainability Professional. • Experience working in local government. • Demonstrated success in securing and managing grant-funded sustainability projects. • Demonstrated ability to integrate Sustainability into a municipal government. • Experience in implementing Performance Contracting. • Knowledgeable in construction, facilities, and Architecture. • Project Management Certification or PMP. • OSHA 30 certification. • Preparing and presenting training materials. • Experience in developing a divisional budget
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities • Strong knowledge of principles and practices of sustainability management, climate adaptation and mitigation, renewable energy systems, and environmental policy. • Understanding of municipal operations, urban planning, infrastructure systems, and environmental compliance. • Excellent project management, analytical, and communication skills, with the ability to coordinate complex programs across multiple departments. • Ability to develop and manage budgets, grants, and contracts. • Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate with City departments, elected officials, community groups, and the public. • Commitment to the City's vision of environmental stewardship, community health, and equity.
Physical Requirements Ability to input, access, and retrieve information from a computer. Ability to lift to 25 lbs. without assistance. Ability to operate a vehicle. Ability to perform repetitive hand, arm, wrist and shoulder movements. Ability to stand, stoop, bend, stretch, walk, climb, sit, kneel, crouch, reach, and crawl. Ability to work in adverse weather conditions and temperatures. Manual strength and dexterity are needed to lift and handle heavy materials. Work requires performing tasks in an environment in which raw waste is present. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodation.
Language Skills Ability to read, analyze, and interpret complex documents. Ability to respond effectively to sensitive inquiries or complaints orally and in writing. Ability to make effective and persuasive presentations on controversial or complex topics to city council, management, public groups, and/or boards of directors. Ability to negotiate and resolve conflicts. Ability to organize, direct and coordinate a complete range of administrative activities obtaining maximum efficiency.
Reasoning Ability Ability to apply principles of logical or scientific thinking to a wide range of problems. Ability to deal with complex problems or issues. Ability to interpret an extensive variety of technical information and deal with several abstract and concrete variables. Ability to formulate a vision and develop practical courses of action to accomplish goals. Ability to identify key stakeholders and create teams to solve complex issues. Ability to think strategically.
Overview of Benefits for Full-Time Employees Paid leave is time off from work available for use by an employee upon approval by supervisor. The first 24 consecutive leave hours for any illness must be charged to paid leave with additional time charged to extended illness leave. Paid leave for employees of the city shall accrue as follows: Years of Service Hours Per Month Fire 24-hr shift Employees 0 - 4 12 19.755 - 9 14 22.7510 - 14 16 25.5015 - 19 17 26.7520 - 24 18 28.7525 + 20 32 Extended Illness Leave: shall accrue at the rate of six (6) hours per month. Fire suppression employees shall accrue extended illness leave at nine (9) hours per month. Funeral Leave: for family, up to three consecutive days. Military Leave: Twenty-one work days per Federal fiscal year. Holidays: The City provides 96 hours of annual paid holiday time. Mental Health & Well-Being Leave: Employees receive 24 hours (Fire Suppression receives 34 hours) of Mental Health & Well-Being Leave upon hire. Certification of mental health diagnosis is not required and leave will not be paid out upon separation. Shared Leave Bank (effective 1/1/2023): Voluntary membership for full-time Employees who will be out for an extended period of time and has exhausted all other forms of leave. Members are required to provide 8 hours of their Extended Illness per fiscal year and at least 8 hours per assessment. Assessments will be limited to 4 times per fiscal year (max of 40 hours per fiscal year). Health Insurance: Four coverage types are available: Employee only, Employee + 1 Child, Employee + Spouse and Family. Coverage is available through payroll deduction. Additionally, the city offers the following three Aetna Health Plan Options: PPO 750 - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; lower deductible and out-of-pocket maximums than other medical plans; and has higher employee premiums. PPO/HRA 1500 - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; has higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum than the PPO 300 plan; has lower employee premiums than the PPO 300 plan; and the employer makes contributions to an account through a Health Reimbursement Arrangement (HRA). The City of Roanoke contributes $500 for employee only coverage and $1,000 for all other tiers. Contributions are pro-rated dependent upon enrollment date. PPO/HDHP-HSA - Provides 100% coverage for preventive care; has higher deductible and out-of-pocket maximum than other medical plans; has lower employee premiums; and both the employer and the employee make contributions to a Health Savings Account (HSA) to pay for medical expenses which apply to the deductible. The City of Roanoke contributes towards the Health Savings Account (HSA), $1,600 for employee only coverage and $3,100 for all other tiers. Contributions are pro-rated dependent upon enrollment date. Optum RX (Pharmaceutical Benefits Manager) - Manages pharmacy benefits, processes employee pharmacy claims and answers employee pharmacy benefit questions. Aetna Health Plan 2026 Monthly Rates PPO 750 Employee Only: $81.94 Employee + Child: $306.26 Employee + Spouse: $718.38 Family: $785.44 PPO/HRA 1500 Employee Only: $53.06 Employee + Child: $260.06 Employee + Spouse: $