Sustainability Project Specialist

The City of Beaverton’s Sustainability Program has a brand-new opportunity for a Sustainability Project Specialist, who will play a key role in helping the City achieve goals in the Beaverton Climate Action Plan (BCAP). The position will work with other city departments, community members, and partner organizations to build capacity for climate action by providing project implementation assistance, outreach and education, and data analysis.

Who we are
Located seven miles west of Portland, Oregon, Beaverton is a welcoming, active and diverse city with a population of about 100,000. Midway between Mt. Hood and the Oregon coast, the city combines the best of a big city and the peaceful surroundings of a small town. The Sustainability Program operates in the City Manager’s Office to coordinate implementation of the BCAP and other sustainability initiatives.
 
What you will be doing
The Sustainability Project Specialist will assist with implementation, outreach and engagement activities including print, electronic, and social media communications that focus on implementing the city’s climate action plan. The position will collaborate with city departments to ensure consistent communication to the community, along with collecting and tracking data for BCAP progress reporting.
 
Why you should join us
The Sustainability Project Specialist is a new position for Beaverton staff to provide communications and engagement coordination for the City of Beaverton’s climate and sustainability initiatives. The position works with the Sustainability Analyst under the general direction of a Senior Program Manager in the City Manager’s Office. It’s a big job for a bold candidate who wants to have a meaningful impact in the community to create a more sustainable world.  
 
This is a full-time, non-exempt, SEIU classified position. Occasional weekend or evening work will be necessary for community engagement or meetings. This position will be eligible for a hybrid work schedule after successful completion of probation. There is one vacancy.
 
Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Beaverton’s online portal. You will need to fill out your work history and respond to several supplemental questions. Your education, skills, and experience will be evaluated using the main application form and supplemental questions; a resume and cover letter are not required and do not substitute for a complete application and work history.

Responsibilities

Planning and data management

• Support development of climate and sustainability policies to achieve goals in the Beaverton Climate Action Plan (BCAP) and integrate climate action activities into City programs.
• Research, compile and synthesize best practices and examples from other cities. 
• Track, analyze, and organize data and key progress metrics for the BCAP, including those related to energy supply, building energy use, transportation, waste and materials, natural resources, and community wellbeing. 
• Prepare reports and presentations with key findings, insights and recommendations and deliver them to internal and/or external stakeholders. 
• Assist with coordination and data gathering of greenhouse gas emissions inventories for the community and City operations.

Communication and outreach

• Assist with internal and external communication strategies related to climate, energy and sustainability, including printed materials, presentations, press releases, briefing documents, website and other creative communications.
• Coordinate with the Communications Division to develop social media content to deliver BCAP and other sustainability messaging.
• Develop community-facing outreach and education channels on topics such as energy, transportation, and waste and materials; anticipate and plan for both positive and negative consequences related to program implementation.
• Deliver outreach and education messaging to keep interested community members up to date with City climate action topics and project updates.
• Maintain city sustainability webpages with educational content connecting community members to resources that support households and businesses in responding to climate change. 

Projects and administrative support

• Provide support to the City’s Climate Action Task Force, a community-led advisory body. 
• Assist with development of new programs or initiatives focused on achieving climate action goals.
• Support implementation and tracking of Strategic Energy Management activities. 
• Respond to verbal and written questions from the public about sustainability and climate action.
• Additional duties are outlined in the Project Specialist class specification. 

Qualifications

Minimum qualifications:

• Associate’s degree in sustainability, communications, or a related field; and 
• Four years of experience with project implementation, community engagement and communication, including
• Experience working with underrepresented communities; or
• An equivalent combination of education and experience enabling the incumbent to perform the essential functions of the position.  

Licensing and special requirements

• Valid driver’s license and ability to meet the city’s driving standards.
• Ability to pass reference checks and education verification and satisfy the requirements of a background check.

The City of Beaverton is committed to supporting a culture of accountability, equity and inclusion for all, especially marginalized groups. We pledge to continue the ongoing, difficult and essential work needed to address institutional racism and historical inequities in all forms. 
 
Beaverton is a diverse city, boasting a large population of qualified persons, including women, veterans, Black, Indigenous and people of color, persons with disabilities, generational groups, persons who speak many languages and are of diverse national origins.
 
Studies have shown that many candidates, especially women, are less likely to apply for a job if they do not believe they meet 100% of the hiring criteria. The city’s talent acquisition goals include hiring the candidate who is best able to meet the performance objectives of the role. We therefore encourage persons with non-traditional skill sets and experiences to apply, even if you believe you do not meet 100% of the qualifications and hiring criteria described.

Compensation

Wage range: $29.60 - $39.66 hourly
Starting rate will be determined depending on relevant work experience as outlined in the Equal Pay Act. New hires who meet minimum requirements will start at step one. Higher steps may be offered to those who have additional years of directly related experience to the position within the posted wage range.
 
Total compensation package and benefits
In addition to competitive pay, the city offers a wide variety of benefits to regular employees which make up an exceptional total compensation package.
 
The city pays the full retirement contribution to PERS including the employee portion; provides employees with an opportunity to participate in a deferred compensation retirement plan; makes available a public service loan forgiveness program and tuition reimbursement program; and offers excellent health, dental, vision and life insurance coverage. 
 
Additional benefits include excellent paid time off (PTO) accrual, PTO cash out options, wellness programs and incentives, a Health Reimbursement Account (HRA) VEBA with 3% employer contributions, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and bilingual pay premiums.  

* Annual amounts in the table are shown for comparison purposes only and may vary slightly from actual salaries due to rounding calculations in the payroll system.