About the Facilities Management Department
Mount Royal University’s Facilities Management department is responsible for the planning, development, construction, design, operation, maintenance, safety, security and stewardship of all the buildings, infrastructure, sites and services within Mount Royal's campus community. Through efficient and environmentally sustainable operation, we offer grounds, custodial, building operations, facilities planning, security services and engineering professional services to provide a physical environment that supports and enhances our academic space for students and staff. Our team of professionals are dedicated to providing customer service excellence. Our staff respond to daily service requests and emergency/ priority situations as needed.
About the Role
The Sustainability Specialist is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing sustainability initiatives within the Facilities Management department. This role involves collaborating with diverse stakeholders to advance sustainable practices, minimize the environmental impact of campus operations, and foster sustainability awareness among staff and students. The role focuses on optimizing energy and resource management, conducting regular audits to improve efficiency, and leading the university's efforts in achieving sustainability goals such as the STARS certification. Key responsibilities include researching and applying for grants, engaging stakeholders across the university to foster sustainability awareness, and preparing comprehensive sustainability reports. The specialist ensures all practices comply with relevant regulations while continually seeking opportunities for improvement and innovation.
Responsibilities
Responsibility 1 (30%): Data Collection and Energy/Resource Management
- Conducts regular audits and assessments to identify potential areas for improvement in resource management and/or sustainability practices;
- Coordinate with a cross-functional MRU team to deliver the STARS program and provide recommendations to senior leadership for enhancing sustainability strategies and initiatives;
- Analyze utility data and leverage EnergyCAP to provide recommendations for informed sustainability decisions;
- Conduct sustainability audits to assess the university’s performance in areas such as energy use and waste management;
- Use data to benchmark MRU's performance against industry standards for measuring and tracking energy use and emissions. This supports making informed decisions to improve energy efficiency, reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, and plan for long-term sustainability improvements.
Responsibility 2 (30%): Monitoring, Reporting, and Compliance
- Monitor, analyze, and report on Facilities Management’s sustainability metrics and progress;
- Summarize and organize information to identify trends, assess performance, and recommend improvements;
- Monitor progress toward sustainability goals and provide regular updates to the AVP, FM and other stakeholders;
- Prepare annual sustainability reports;
- Design and maintain a data collection system to gather community feedback, track key sustainability performance indicators, and inform future initiatives;
- Prepare and submit data for sustainability reporting and certifications.
Responsibility 3 (30%): Stakeholder Engagement
- Collaborate with the Facilities Management team to enhance energy efficiency, waste reduction, water conservation, and other resource management practices;
- Engage with students, faculty, staff, and external partners to promote sustainability awareness and participation in sustainability programs;
- Participates in committees, task forces and workshops to engage with students, faculty, staff and administration to support the development of tactics to operationalize the institution’s strategies and goals related to sustainability;
- Builds and maintains connections with counterparts in other post-secondary institutions to collaborate and share ideas;
- Chair and coordinate meetings for the university's Sustainability Committee;
- Makes recommendations to senior leadership to execute strategies to enhance our approach to sustainability initiatives.
Responsibility 4 (10%): Research and Grant Applications
- Conducts research to identify opportunities for grants, rebates, etc.; helps prepare and submit grant and rebate applications;
- Researches and stays current on industry best practices and emerging sustainability trends.
Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Sustainability, Facilities Management or related field. Master’s degree preferred.
- Minimum of 5-8 years of experience in sustainability or environmental management, preferably in a higher education or facilities management setting.
- Strong understanding of sustainability principles, energy management, waste reduction, and environmental compliance.
- LEED accreditation or other relevant sustainability certifications.
- Knowledge of sustainable building practices and green technologies.
- Prior STARS program experience preferred.
- Previous experience in a post-secondary environment is an asset.
- Experience with project is an asset.
- Experience with identifying external funding opportunities and/or grant writing for sustainability-related projects an asset.
- Excellent project management and organizational skills.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities.
- Proficiency in data analysis and sustainability reporting tools.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills.
- Ability to work collaboratively with diverse groups.
Salary: $65,500.00 - 82,916.00 per annum
Closing Date: Open until a suitable candidate is found
A cover letter and resume should be submitted in one .pdf document. Please title your .pdf document as follows: [Last Name], [Requisition Number], [Document Title].pdf (ex. Smith, 999999, CV.pdf).
