Associate Vice President for Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency

Northeastern University

Associate Vice President for Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency

Northeastern University seeks an accomplished leader to serve as the inaugural Associate Vice President for Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency (AVP). Northeastern’s commitment to leadership in sustainability is manifest in all areas of operations: teaching, research, and campus operations. With nearly 200 courses that integrate sustainability, sustainability-related research funding in excess of $45M this year, and a pledge to reduce the University’s carbon footprint by 80 percent before 2050, Northeastern’s pursuit of a sustainable future is relentless. This newly created AVP role presents an exciting opportunity to provide leadership and strategic direction for broad-based, University-wide initiatives, advancing sustainability efforts throughout the facilities and operations of a dynamic, top tier, urban research university.

The AVP for Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency will join Northeastern University as it continues on a more-than-decade-long trajectory of unprecedented growth in student enrollment, faculty, staff, and physical space along with tremendous advances in academic and research rankings. Sustainability at Northeastern has been called out as one of the three major research priorities for the University in the Northeastern 2025 strategic plan, which centers on the foundational themes of health, security, and sustainability – the global challenges that define the path to sustainable human communities. To meet the ambitious goals Northeastern has laid out for itself, the University has prioritized the creation and work of a support team for Northeastern’s community of educators, researchers, and learners, to help shape the University’s response and impact. This team, headed up by the AVP for Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency, will identify and seize opportunities to reduce the institution’s environmental footprint while managing the built and natural environment of Northeastern University.

The AVP will marshal engagement across the University community, drawing on the deep expertise to be found across the enterprise and building partnerships for the Sustainability, Energy, and Resiliency Hub. The AVP will advance an ongoing participatory community process to update Northeastern’s Climate Action Plan, originally developed in 2010, creating a bold, innovative vision and roadmap for climate resilience, renewable energy projects, and sustainability at Northeastern that realizes the transformation of the University to a carbon and climate neutral campus. This leader will also utilize strategic communications to advance broad internal and external understanding of Northeastern’s sustainability commitments, progress, and accomplishments.

The AVP will draw on both technical expertise and significant intellectual capacity to envision, develop, and communicate innovative sustainability planning. At the same time, this leader will ensure effective oversight and direction for hands-on management of sustainability, energy, and resiliency projects across a wide array of specialized areas. The AVP will assess the effectiveness of current practices, processes, and systems; identifying areas for improvement, and recommending, developing, and implementing projects to optimize sustainability practices. Facility with data and analytics, as well as fiscal and budgetary experience, will be crucial for the successful candidate.

The ideal candidate will bring relevant degrees or other formal training in environmental science or engineering or a related field, and at least 10 years of increasingly responsible experience that includes managing sustainability projects in an urban research university or a comparably complex, multi-facility setting. The ability to collaborate across an institution and with a wide range of colleagues will be critical. Success in this role requires proven leadership skills, a commitment to team building and professional development, along with outstanding communication, strategic thinking, diplomacy, and problem-solving skills to work effectively with all levels of internal and external constituencies. The successful candidate will also bring demonstrated commitment to fostering a culture that is diverse and inclusive.

Northeastern University has retained Isaacson, Miller, a national executive search firm, to assist in this search. Please direct all inquiries, nominations, referrals, and resumes with cover letters in confidence to:

Rebecca Kennedy, Partner

Kennedy Kearney-Fischer, Managing Associate

Isaacson, Miller

263 Summer Street

Boston, MA 02210

www.imsearch.com/7800

Electronic submission of materials is strongly encouraged. Review of application materials will begin immediately and will continue until an appointment is made.

Northeastern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Educational Institution and Employer, Title IX University. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by the law.

Northeastern University is an E-Verify Employer.