Examples of Duties

Under administrative direction, is responsible for planning and adminstering a specific project or program for a City department. Serves as the administrative supervisor on projects or programs. Plans, assigns, supervises, and reviews activities of subordinate personnel. Monitors the project or program's operating budget and assists in the annual preparation of same. Designs, implements, and monitors procedures utilized in program evaluation. Develops and secures commitments from other City departments and agencies to provide services to program participants. Provides technical assistance or reviews program policies and procedures. Maintains current information and oversees the preparation of project status reports. Prepares financial and narrative reports and program applications. Communicates project/program status and information to municipal officials and/or public and private entities. May supervise employees assigned to the respective project. Performs other related duties as required.

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Minimum Qualifications

A High School Diploma or GED is required. A Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four year college or university in Business or Public Administration, Social Sciences, or closely related field preferred. Two (2) years of full-time, paid, progressively responsible experience in program administration is required. Must be able to lift and carry thirty (30) pounds. A valid State of Ohio Driver's License is required.

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Supplemental Information

Additional Information

Climate change is the single greatest challenge humanity has ever faced, threatening water and food security, health, livelihoods, and the safety of billions of people together with drastic negative impact on global ecosystem balance. The City of Cleveland’s Mayor’s Office of Sustainability & Climate Justice seeks to enhance their climate ambitions under the Paris Agreement, with focus on greater emissions reduction and resilience building. The next phases of the City of Cleveland’s Climate Action Plan update will focus on climate advocacy and long-term planning to ensure inclusive climate action at the speed and scale required to keep global temperature below 1.5°C. Achieving the carbon neutrality in the second half of the century by all countries is a crucial requirement set by the Paris Agreement to avoid the irreversible global climate change. Realization of this goal involves work on local, regional, national, and global levels, as well as participation of all relevant stakeholders – governments, business, non-profit organizations, community members. The path to carbon neutrality should be just and leave no one behind, while empowering women, youth, black, indigenous and people of color, and vulnerable groups of population.

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Position Definition

The purpose of this position is to provide leadership and support for the implementation of citywide circular economy strategies that advance the ‘Circular Cleveland Roadmap’, as well as the goals, mission and vision of the City of Cleveland’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Municipal Action Plan (MAP). The Sustainability Manager for Circular Economy (‘SM - Circular Economy’) in coordination with multiple stakeholders, will work with City departments to foster a culture that embraces the principles of a Circular Economy both within City operations as well as in the broader community, including the private sector. The SM - Circular Economy will perform analysis, research, planning and policy development in order to strengthen local and regional markets for recycled materials and to divert material from waste. As the lead for the transition of the City of Cleveland to a more circular economy, the SM - Circular Economy will facilitate the integration of the circular economy principles throughout City operations, services, facilities, planning and infrastructure. The design, implementation and evaluation of the Circular Economy initiatives will be achieved through strategic partnerships with City departments as well as across the broader community and will include the pursuit of funding and financing mechanisms that enable the implementation of these initiatives.

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Essential Functions

The Sustainability Manager for Circular Economy (‘SM- Circular Economy’) responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Establish and lead a cross-departmental Circular Economy Task Force within the City.
• Convene Circular Cleveland Working Groups for the implementation of the goals as outlined in the Circular Economy Focus Areas of the City’s Climate Action Plan (CAP) and Municipal Action Plan (MAP). Members of Working Groups will include Subject Matter Experts (‘SMEs’) and other stakeholders from the City, local nonprofits, private sector, academia, and residents.  
• Incorporate circular economy principles and actions as identified in the Circular Cleveland Roadmap, during the implementation of the CAP and MAP Circular Economy Focus Areas.
• Lead and facilitate meetings of the Task Force and guide independent meetings of the various Working Groups to clearly define planning and implementation steps, secure funding and to set up accountability for implementation.
• Report on annual progress of the task force and working groups, both internally and via public dashboards.
• Increase awareness and encourage collaboration among city departments by providing training on the main principles of a circular economy as a lens for improving current and future operations.
• Engage in reviews of the municipal waste management plan and the analysis of waste streams.
• Identify gaps in City waste, recycling and composting data, devise and execute a data quality improvement strategy to demonstrate true impacts of Circular Economy work.
• Work to develop a City Circularity program that expands recycling and composting access while also creating a local material exchange.
• Engage in training and outreach campaigns for small and medium-sized businesses and industrial actors related to the opportunities and tradeoffs in sustainability, decarbonization practices, and knowledge of the principles of a circular economy.
• Develop a public communications strategy with the City’s Communications team that emphasizes the benefits and opportunities in transitioning to an inclusive circular economy.
• Complete a policy review and work to align existing policies towards more circular practices and draft legislation for new circular economic policies on behalf of the Sustainability Office or other departments. Work to create demand through a ‘Circular Procurement Framework’.
• Coordinate work with community groups to build racial, environmental and climate equity considerations into all policy efforts.
• Review the Circular Economy CAP and MAP Focus Area actions on an annual basis in order to prioritize and update the short, medium and long-term goals of the city, as needed.
• Develop advocacy for state and federal level policy change to enhance circular economy growth, based on measured impacts of the Circular Economy goals and action implementations.

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Additional Minimum Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in Business or Public Administration, Social Sciences, or closely related field preferred
• Two (2) years of any equivalent combination of education, training and experience in program administration required
• Must be able to lift and carry thirty (30) pounds.
• A valid State of Ohio Driver's License is required.

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Additional Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor’s and/or Master’s Degree in a scientific, engineering, environmental, or related technical field, economics, business administration or public administration; ideally with focus on sustainability.
• Minimum of five (5) years of experience in either a municipal or large organization’s environmental sustainability office or circular economy work or other related experience, two (2) of which must involve working on circular economy planning or programming, specifically.
• Demonstrated experience working with public procurement policy, recycling markets, composting and/or circular manufacturing policy, environmental and/or climate change policy.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience implementing recycling/composting waste management programs and circular procurement.
• Demonstrated skills in translating technical information and goals into specific action steps necessary to cause public policy changes to be adopted.

• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships and partnerships with a variety of partners, stakeholders, and interest groups, including, but not limited to various county and/or state agencies, organizations, and associations.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines with high attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work with program management and various project teams to achieve results within specified deadlines.
• Demonstrated skill in written and oral communications and making presentations.
• Knowledge of and/or experience using the circular economy and ‘just transition’ frameworks.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, both with co-workers and with members of the community or public.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with all levels of city leadership.
• Dedicated to performing duties with confidentiality where required, and to maintaining high ethical standards.
• Evaluative and reflective skills that lead to improved project / program planning and outcomes.
• Proven track record of implementing detailed initiatives that build towards the success of a larger vision.
• Familiarity with the issues affecting the City of Cleveland and the surrounding region.
• Advanced knowledge in computer literacy (Microsoft Office – Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Planner and Adobe Professional), communication skills and administrative skills. Knowledge of data management and program/project management software is a plus.
• Ability to relate to, and work effectively with, persons of diverse racial, ethnic, gender, sexual preference or orientation, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.  Communicates effectively and appropriately with each while maintaining a high level of professionalism.

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The City's guiding principles are as follows: Placing Clevelanders at the Center, Empowering Employees to Do Purposeful Work, Defining Clear and Pragmatic Objectives, Leading with Trust and Transparency, Striving for Equity in All We Do, and Embracing Change. All City employees are responsible for embracing and carrying out these principles in all that they do.

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Salary

$50,000.00 - $65,000.00

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Location

Cleveland, OH