Director, Environmental Stewardship and Sustainability

Please submit the application and materials to jobs.sewanee.edu by November 5, 2022. 

Primary Function:

Provides overall leadership, direction, oversight, and promotion of the environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives and practices provided by the University of the South.  This includes collaboration between OESS staff and the wider university community including senior administration, students, faculty, and administrative staff. Accountable for programs that are connected to the core mission of the University: Domain Management, Sustain Sewanee, the University Farm, and the Sewanee Headwaters Initiative.

Broadens the University community’s understanding of environmental stewardship and sustainability-related issues, practices, and opportunities within our daily operations and their impact on longer-term issues.

 

Takes lead role for project teams and assigned environmental stewardship and sustainability projects or tasks. Works closely with the campus’ senior leadership, academic departments, students, initiatives, and other University departments.

 

Coordinates to define program goals and objectives with a long-term approach. 

Develops, in coordination with the senior administration, students, faculty, and administrative staff, the University’s environmental stewardship and sustainability commitments and goals and collaborates to achieve these goals.

This position works with considerable independence and self-direction. Only general direction and scope of the work to be accomplished are discussed with the supervisor. The staff member is expected to independently carry out position duties and understands what is expected and how to do it.

 

Opportunities for Leadership: 

This position will hire, supervise, and evaluate the Domain Manager, Research Coordinator, Farm Manager, University Archeologist, and Sustainability Program Manager. 

This position will indirectly supervise the Assistant Farm Manager, Sustainability Fellows Coordinator, and Domain Ranger. 

 

Career Band: 3C

 

Typical Duties & Responsibilities:

1. Coordinates the University’s efforts in the implementation of environmental stewardship and sustainability goals for excellence by promoting the University’s environmental stewardship and sustainability goals across the University and beyond the curriculum.

2.  Develops and recommends standards, policies, and ideas to promote sustainability and environmental stewardship; identifies desirable initiatives and assesses their feasibility and acceptance within the University community. 

3. Identifies and pursues external funding sources as appropriate.

4. Collaborates with decision makers in various University programs (e.g., master planning and individual project planning) ensuring environmental stewardship and sustainability standards are met; integrates future initiatives with the planning process.

5. Provides leadership and vision to create, foster, lead and implement strategic planning, operating plans, and programmatic goals for OESS and each individual program.  As needed, recommends solutions to issues with potential for significant institutional impact that aligns with the core mission of the University.

6. Leads project planning and development for the large-scale thematic and fine-grained recreational, educational, and research use of the Domain. 

7. Coordinates and completes and maintains databases for past, present, and future educational and research activities on the greater Domain, for historical land uses on the Domain, for past and future forest inventories, and for field monitoring of baseline ecological information including RTE species, invasive species, and community distributions. Develops technological capacities to facilitate data capture and data utilization in the field.

8. Facilitates, and assists in maximizing the impact of, research on the greater Domain by faculty and students, increasing over time, by 1) serving as a primary point of contact for those at the University and elsewhere who wish to initiate projects on the greater Domain; 2) developing relationships with research faculty at graduate institutions, conservation, and land management agencies in the region to facilitate grant supported research on the greater Domain and in our region to generate collaborative opportunities for Sewanee faculty and students; 3) communicating to potential users the planning and direction of implementation; 4) providing opportunities for students to be engaged in research and mentoring opportunities; and 5) ensuring consultative, professional relationships with users through a regular – at least annual – process of soliciting feedback and advice.

9. Serves on campus-wide committees representing OESS in a professional manner and draws upon experience to anticipate problems and position department/programs accordingly.

10. Seeks avenues to promote the University’s efforts within the environmental stewardship and sustainability industries/communities and develops educational programs and conducts training/workshops to promote environmental stewardship and sustainability.

11. Performs other duties as assigned.

 

Machines & Equipment Used: 

Potentially outdoor maintenance and management equipment such as chainsaws, driving ATVs and ATUs, prescribed fire equipment, and field survey equipment.

Judgment Required: 

The performance of the essential duties of this position is dependent upon independent ingenuity and developmental efforts.

Budgetary Responsibility: 

Directly prepares the budget for the program and has full responsibility for planning, forecasting, approval, and balancing the budget.

Personal Interaction/Communication:

• Student Contact: As mentors, work-study, interns, and as needed for co-curricular activities.
• Internal: Senior Administration, collaboration with faculty and departments for environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives.
• External: NGO’s, visitors, parents, other colleges, Agencies (USDA, TWRA, FWS, TDEC, etc..), and Regents & Trustees.

 

Education: 

M.S. in conservation, ecology, or related environmental sciences, Ph.D. preferred.

Experience: 

• A minimum of 10 years of experience:
• in collaborating with a variety of stakeholders involved in natural resource conservation and management 
• Management of protected areas for research and/or educational purposes
• Environmental stewardship and sustainability initiatives and practices
• in establishing and maintaining long-term databases
• in success in securing major grants and other funding

Job-Related Skills: 

Diplomacy, team building, integration.

 

Confidential Information: 

Salaries & employment records of staff supervised, organizational plans/projects.

Physical Requirements:

• Must be able to stand for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to walk for extended periods of time.
• Must be able to climb (many stairs, and ladders).
• Must be able to crawl and or kneel.
• Must be able to push and/or pull objects.
• Must be able to navigate steep and rough terrain.
• Must be able to lift between 21-50 pounds (Medium work).
• Must be able to carry between 21-50 pounds (Medium work).

 

Any additional requirements specific to this position:

• Must be able to wear an approved mask for prolonged periods while performing job duties and responsibilities. 
• Employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 subject to an approved medical or religious exemption.

 

DEI Institutional Statement:

At the University of the South, our commitment to inclusion and belonging is grounded in our core values of community, courage, flourishing, and inquiry. We seek to build a community enriched by our diversity and centered on equity, justice, mutual respect, and shared responsibility.

 

 

Equal Employment Opportunity:

The University of the South is an equal opportunity educational institution that is committed to creating and maintaining a diverse and inclusive campus environment.