Sustainability Specialist

SALARY DETAILS

APPLICATION FILING DATES

Open: 03/07/2025

Close: 03/28/2025

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INFORMATION ABOUT LAUSD

We are LAUSD. We are at the forefront of innovation in public education, focused on a clear and inspiring vision of the future for all of our students as they venture forward on their journey as lifelong learners. Here, you will have the opportunity to exercise your potential in a role supporting the business of education. Our work directly contributes toward the goal of ensuring that our students graduate ready for the world – ready to thrive in college, career and life.

LAUSD is the second largest school district in the nation with an enrollment of nearly 575,000 students. We serve an area totaling 710 square miles, with over 1,190 schools and educational centers, and we employ over 74,000 individuals, making us one of the largest employers in our city.

LAUSD EMPLOYEES: Please be advised that all LAUSD employees must sign in to the GlobalProtect Virtual Private Network (VPN) in order to submit an application from an external network outside of an LAUSD location. For assistance with installing the GlobalProtect virtual network, please contact Information Technology Services at (213) 443-1300 or (213) 241-5200 or via their page (https://www.lausd.org/helpdesk) available Mondays through Fridays from 7:30 AM PST to 5:00 PM PST.

THE DEPARTMENT

LAUSD's Eco-Sustainability Office is committed to developing and implementing programs that support the District's sustainability mission by raising awareness of environmental stewardship and providing healthy, sustainable learning environments for all District students. 

LAUSD aims to be the most sustainable and environmentally-friendly large urban school district in the country. In 2007, the Board of Education passed a resolution titled Green LAUSD, which directed the superintendent to establish a "green" accountability system outlining measurable outcomes for sustainability. In response, the Sustainability Initiatives Unit (SIU) was developed in 2008 as a part of the Facilities Services Division. Based upon the Green LAUSD Board Resolution, six sustainability focus areas were developed to direct the work of the SIU. In 2023, LAUSD created a new office, the Eco-Sustainability Office (ESO) to replace the SIU in order to coordinate and manage all sustainability related projects District-wide. The ESO is led by a Chief Eco-Sustainability Officer (CESO) who reports directly to the Superintendent's Office.

For more information about the Eco-Sustainability Office, please visit: https://www.lausd.org/eso

THE POSITION

At LAUSD, Sustainability Specialists perform, participate, and coordinate a variety of technical duties in support of sustainability initiatives including program management and design review, research and design standards, analysis, metrics, and communications pertaining to alternative energy and fuel, waste reduction, procurement of sustainable materials, air quality, gardening programs, and rebate and incentive programs.

General supervision is received from a supervisory or administrative employee. Functional supervision may be exercised over employees in lower-level technical and support classes. 

NOTE: This position works an “A” Basis calendar and is 100% in-person. Qualified candidates will report to physical worksites.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE has a strong educational background in sustainability, engineering, architecture, energy management, or a related field, along with experience in sustainability program development, environmental planning, or green building initiatives. They will demonstrate:

• Proficiency in sustainability principles, regulations, and certifications, including LEED, CEQA, and CHPS guidelines.
• Program and project management experience, including development and implementation of sustainability initiatives, cost-benefit analyses, and managing contracts and incentives.
• Ability to analyze sustainability data, including energy and water conservation metrics, carbon reduction strategies, and emerging technologies.
• Knowledge of regulatory compliance, including state and federal laws on sustainability, alternative energy, green building, and school facility requirements.
• Strong communication and collaboration skills to engage with District personnel, government agencies, contractors, and community partners.
• Experience in presentations, technical reporting, and stakeholder engagement in sustainability awareness and education.

In addition, we are looking for candidates with strong program/project management experience in the following specialty areas:

• Building and transportation decarbonization, including solar photovoltaic, battery storage and microgrid projects, EV charging infrastructure, and net zero energy and/or carbon neutral building. Expertise in building science and energy modeling.
• Greening of schoolyards, including design reviews and greening guidelines, standards, metrics, and specifications.
• Climate literacy and resilience, including climate education and awareness initiatives.

BENEFITS

Insurance: Paid premiums for your choice of several medical, dental, and vision for you and your dependents; and life insurance plans.

Retirement: Membership in the California Public Employee Retirement System (CalPERS).

Vacation: Full-time employees earn up to two weeks of paid vacation to start. Three weeks after five years of year-round paid service.

Paid Holidays: Up to 13 days.

TYPICAL DUTIES

The position performs a variety of professional-level duties primarily oriented toward the research, analysis and execution of sustainability objectives and assists higher-level personnel in performing more complex assignments. 

• Supports and participates in the development and execution of sustainability projects and programs, from planning through construction and post-occupancy evaluations. 
• Confers with and advises District personnel, community-based partners, vendors, contractors, manufacturers’ representatives, and officials of other public agencies, on matters pertaining to the District’s sustainability programs and other sustainability guides.
• Acts as a liaison to District offices on sustainability-related matters including the improvement and/or implementation of sustainability protocols.
• Researches the impact and efficacy of emerging sustainability technologies and provides recommendations to management.
• Assists in preparing cost estimates and life cycle cost analysis for greening, building and transportation decarbonization or climate resilience and other sustainability projects and programs.
• Prepares or assists in compiling and writing a variety of reports in statistical, graphic, or narrative form and develops recommendations on District and other sustainability initiatives.
• Reviews scope of work, plans and specifications, and provides analysis and recommendations regarding sustainability initiatives standards for compliance with District Board resolutions, guidelines and design policies.

Please Note: This is not an exhaustive list of responsibilities of this position. For a comprehensive list of duties performed, please refer to the class description via our website https://www.lausd.org/Page/18661.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:  Graduation from a recognized college or university with a bachelor’s degree, preferably in architecture, engineering, or energy management, supplemented by coursework in statistics, cost analysis, engineering, energy management, energy auditing, or urban planning.

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for up to two (2) years of the required education on a year for-year basis and must be supplemented by coursework in statistics, energy management, energy auditing, building systems, engineering, or cost analysis. 

EXPERIENCE:  Two (2) years of program or project management experience RELATED TO greening or landscape projects, climate literacy and/or climate resilience, OR building and transportation decarbonization, preferably for schools. Experience must have included administrative analysis, financial analysis, program development, OR contract negotiation.

The following work experience and accreditation are preferable:

• Experience managing projects or programs regulated by state or federal environmental/ sustainability issues
• Experience with the Collaborative for High Performance Schools (CHPS)
• LEED Professional Accreditation by the Green Building Certification Institute (GBCI)
• A valid certificate of Registration as a licensed Landscape Architect issued by the California State Board of Landscape Architects.
• An IA Certified Landscape Irrigation Auditor Certification 

SPECIAL:  A valid driver’s license to legally operate a motor vehicle in the State of California and the use of a motor vehicle, or the ability to utilize an alternative method of transportation. 

*IMPORTANT NOTE: In order to ensure that the minimum qualifications are met, we need to verify your educational document(s). As such, you MUST upload your official diploma/degree/transcripts to your candidate profile, under "My Uploaded Documents." We screen applications based on the minimum requirements and need to verify the educational requirement is met. Candidates who have completed college or university coursework at an institution in a country other than the United States, MUST obtain a complete evaluation of foreign transcripts and degrees. Please be sure to request a “Detailed” evaluation report. The original of this degree evaluation must be presented. For more information on Foreign Transcript Evaluation please visit https://achieve.lausd.net/Page/7876.

EMPLOYMENT SELECTION PROCESS

The selection process may consist of the following: a T&E, a Technical Project, and/or a Technical Interview. After applications are reviewed and determined to meet the minimum qualifications, qualified candidates will move on to the next phase of our selection process.

Application materials (your candidate profile, resume, and supplemental questionnaire) will be evaluated in relation to the background, experience, and competencies identified for successful performance in this job. As such, please make sure that you describe in DETAIL your experience, education, and training that most closely relates to this position in your application.

This is a competitive process and we anticipate a number of well qualified candidates for this recruitment. You may include a professional resume, but it will NOT be in lieu of a detailed application and the required questionnaire. It is imperative that your application reflects your true and accurate background. Furthermore, if you have assisted in an interim or other temporary assignment or worked out-of-class for a significant and specified duration of time, include the contact information of your immediate supervisor during that assignment and be prepared to present verification from the official (local district superintendent, department administrator, or supervisor) validating your claim.

**Please be sure to include correspondence from @lausd.net AND @successfactors.com as an approved sender so that messages aren't accidentally placed into your spam/junk e-mail folder. ALL notifications regarding this recruitment will be sent via email.**

PLEASE NOTE: Qualified Candidates will be required to present an unexpired government identification at the time of the test. If you are unable to attend the scheduled test date, rescheduling is NOT guaranteed. If you are unable to attend a scheduled assessment date, please note that we recruit for this position on a regular basis. We encourage you to visit our website periodically to check for the next recruitment and we encourage you to apply to any positions for which you believe you meet the minimum qualifications. For more information about the LAUSD employment assessment process, visit the 'My LAUSD Career' section of our website at https://careers.lausd.org/pc.

APPLICATION PROCESS

DO YOU NEED TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE WITH THE ON-LINE APPLICATION?

Email us at helpmeapply@lausd.net or call 213-241-3455, weekdays from 8:00 AM PST to 4:30 PM PST. To find out whether the application deadline has been extended, visit the website at: https://careers.lausd.org/pc. The Los Angeles Unified School District intends that all qualified persons shall have equal opportunities for employment and promotion.

Reasonable accommodations in completing an application and testing are available to individuals with disabilities. Please call (213) 241-3455 for more information.

If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Mercedes Quintanilla at m.quintanilla1@lausd.net.

> Note: Our applicant system is only compatible with Chrome, Firefox, and Microsoft Edge.

ADDITIONAL POSTING INFORMATION

The Los Angeles Unified School District is committed to providing a working and learning environment free from discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct, or bullying. The District prohibits discrimination, harassment, intimidation, abusive conduct or bullying based on actual or perceived race or ethnicity, gender/sex (including gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding/lactation status and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, religion, color, national origin (including language use restrictions and possession of a driver’s license issued under Vehicle Code), ancestry, immigration status, physical or mental disability (including clinical depression and bipolar disorder, HIV/AIDS, hepatitis, epilepsy, seizure disorder, diabetes, multiple sclerosis, and heart disease), medical condition (cancer related and genetic characteristics), military and veteran status, marital status, registered domestic partner status, age (40 and above), genetic information, political belief or affiliation (unless union related), a person's association with a person or group with one or more of these actual or perceived characteristics, or any other basis protected by federal, state or local law, ordinance, or regulation in any program or activity it conducts or to which it provides significant assistance.

For inquiries or complaints contact our Equal Opportunity Section, (213) 241-7685.

Selection and promotion are based on a competitive employment assessment process. Candidates who pass all parts of the assessment process are placed on a hiring (eligibility) list based on their assessment score. Hiring departments may make job offers to candidates on the top three ranks of the hiring list. Eligibility typically lasts for 12 months. The hiring list resulting from this assessment process may be used to fill open positions in related job classifications.

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