The City of Raleigh is seeking an experienced Sustainability Manager to join its Office of Sustainability. This role leads the team implementing climate action, social advancement, and resilience in Raleigh, working with city departments and community partners to implement high-impact strategies from the Community Climate Action Plan (CCAP). This role includes people leadership, cross-departmental project management, process optimization, budget planning, and serving as a visible representative of the City’s sustainability progress. This role supports staff across all program areas (buildings & energy, transportation & land use, and resilience) rather than owning a single topic, ensuring each team member has the supported needed to advance their work. As part of the Office of Sustainability, an award-winning team within the City Manager’s Office, you’ll shape Raleigh’s leadership in climate action, turning ambitious goals into measurable impact. This position will operate in a management capacity, reporting to the Sustainability Officer with multiple direct reports. This position also serves in the absence of the Officer as needed.

About You:

You are a thoughtful, people-centered leader who brings clarity, structure, and momentum to complex sustainability work. You know how to build and support high-performing teams, manage resources with intention, and create systems that help others excel. You’re energized by bringing order to complexity; strengthening processes, improving workflows, and designing structures that make ambitious goals achievable. With a talent for coordinating across departments and aligning diverse contributors, you ensure work moves forward smoothly and clearly. Your executive presence — steady, confident, and impact-focused — makes you a trusted representative of the City’s sustainability efforts. Whether presenting to leadership, engaging with community partners, or navigating competing priorities, you bring strategic thinking, understanding, and a commitment to turning Raleigh’s climate and resilience goals into tangible progress.

About Us:

At the City of Raleigh’s Office of Sustainability, we collaborate to drive climate action, social advancement, and resilience for a thriving community. Through ambitious initiatives guided by the CCAP, we work with City departments, residents, community and regional partners to advance sustainability.

Our team leads and supports various high-impact sustainability initiatives, fosters innovative solutions, and collaborates with regional peers and partners. Since the Office was established in 2012, we have earned national recognition for our impactful work. Today, we tackle more intricate challenges, prioritizing scalable and enduring solutions that create long-term impact for our growing community. We also provide staff support to Raleigh’s Environmental Advisory Board, a Council-appointed public board.

The City of Raleigh values diversity and encourages applicants from all backgrounds—especially those historically underrepresented in sustainability. This position is hybrid, with teleworking 20% of the week. Some evening and weekend engagements may be required for public events, presentations, and board meetings.

Duties and Responsibilities

The intent of this job description is to provide a representative summary of the major duties and responsibilities performed by employees in this job. Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.

Leads and develops the Sustainability team by providing clear direction, coaching, and support, ensuring staff have the resources, structure, and guidance needed to deliver high-impact work. This includes managing team meetings, annual planning processes, and time allocations for team
Oversees program organization and execution, ensuring projects are well-structured, aligned with CCAP priorities, and progressing toward identified outcomes through consistent tracking and communication
Manages budgets and resources for the Office and sustainability initiatives, aligning spending with strategic goals, forecasting needs, and adapting to shifting priorities in a dynamic municipal environment
Cultivates strong relationships with internal and external partners, representing the City in meetings, collaborations, and community engagements to advance climate, resilience, and social advancement objectives
Strengthens organizational systems and processes to improve workflow, enhance coordination across departments, and create structures that support efficient, clear, and scalable climate action
Serves as a key leader in advancing the Office’s work, stepping in for the Sustainability Officer as needed, representing the Office in meetings and presentations, helping communicate progress, and reinforcing the City’s sustainability priorities with professionalism and executive presence
Performs related work as required

Typical Qualifications

Required Education and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science, Design Studies, Psychology, Business Administration, Entrepreneurship, Public Health, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or a related field; 7 to 9 years’ experience in the application of strategy, innovation, and human centered design methods, tools, and frameworks, or a related field;

Any equivalent combination of training and/or experience that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities may be substituted

Preferred Education and Experience:

Experience in one or more of the following areas: sustainability, project management, data analytics, energy management, planning, public policy, process improvement, facilitation, business or public administration
Strong project management experience, process improvement, organizational skills and/or certification such as Lean Six Sigma, Project Management Professional (PMP) desired

Preferred Licenses and Certifications:

Behavior change and/or change management training or certification
Project Management Professional (PMP) certification
Energy Management certification
Lean Six Sigma or other process improvement training or certification
Community engagement certification
Social advancement and/or resilience trainings and certifications
LEED or equivalent certification
Planning and/or urban design certifications
Design thinking training or certification

Sustainability Manager

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