Summary

This is an exciting opportunity to reinvigorate and lead SCB’s established sustainability program across our Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, and Seattle offices. The Sustainability Leader is a firmwide position, working closely with SCB’s leadership group and the Chicago-based Technical Design Services team.

The Sustainability Leader is an in-person role that connects the traditional disciplines of design and building science to integrate sustainable design practices in a meaningful and holistic manner.

This individual will educate, empower, and inspire SCB staff to achieve sustainable goals in all SCB projects and work to elevate the sustainability profile of the firm.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

Firm Leadership

• Coordinate with the SCB leadership team to define SCB’s future sustainability program.
• Establish firmwide sustainability goals and re-evaluate annually.
• Develop procedures and tools to establish and track progress on goals on a project-by-project basis.

Project Guidance

• Collaborate with design teams to set baseline standards for performance goals.
• Provide guidance to design teams during design phases regarding sustainable analysis tools and design opportunities.
• Propose sustainability research that can be advanced through projects.
• Manage and routinely meet with SCB sustainability liaisons to understand the status of all active projects and how they are tracking against established goals.

Internal Education

• Organize internal professional development events, including SCB’s annual Sustainable Action Week.
• Educate staff about sustainability through presentations, posts, and white papers.
• Present sustainability efforts and successes on an annual basis to staff.
• Chair a firmwide Sustainability committee with participants from each office.

Internal Resources

• Monitor updates to codes and standards related to energy efficiency, water efficiency, wastewater, stormwater, material health, renewable energy, and other green building requirements and disseminate information to SCB staff.
• Stay up to date with industry sustainability trends and share with staff.
• Assist firm resource librarian and specifiers in updating information related to building materials, fixtures, and equipment, and to material health and transparency.

Credentials Management

• Administer and renew SCB’s memberships with sustainability programs.
• Annually review firmwide credentials in sustainability programs to determine gaps to fill.
• Encourage staff to get credentialed in sustainable programs and track credentials.

Outreach

• Assist in preparing sustainability marketing materials to establish and promulgate clear and consistent messaging.
• Assist with business development activities by providing guidance on proposals, interviews, and presentation strategies.
• Prepare proposals for sustainability services.
• Identify award submission opportunities and collaborate with staff on submissions.
• Author content for publication and aid staff to do the same.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to increase visibility of firm’s design practice and leadership including public speaking engagements, conference sessions, panel presentations, and events.
• Advise leadership on and attend conferences, networking events and symposia as a representative of the firm.
• Involvement in a national or global advocacy group.

Essential Skills/Attributes

The successful candidate will have the following qualifications:

Education and Experience

• Licensed architect or engineer or has a bachelor’s degree in Sustainable or Environmental Design.
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in the AEC industry, and at least 2 years’ experience in a leadership position.
• Extensive knowledge of the AEC industry, terminology, and procedures.

Sustainability Expertise

• Thorough understanding of sustainable design principles and technologies and expertise with green building and energy codes.
• LEED Accredited Professional and credentials in at least two additional sustainability programs.
• Well-rounded knowledge of green building rating systems.
• Proficient in building science software and processes such as, energy modeling, daylight modeling, thermal comfort modeling or equivalent building science analysis tools.

Personal Characteristics and Qualities

• Personable, proactive, self-starter that can motivate and manage a team.
• Highly organized with excellent written, presentation, and communication skills.
• Excellent analytical, leadership, and interpersonal skills.
• Persistent and able to follow through in a consistent manner.
• Acts in a professional manner. Is fair and displays integrity in business dealings.
• Willingness and ability to travel outside the office regularly for property visits, training sessions, to attend meetings, and otherwise as needed.