Open Positions

The Office of Sustainability supports alternative transportation programs and works to catalyze a campus culture that values commuting options that are sustainable, flexible, and rewarding. The Alternative Transportation Associate facilitates this process in partnership with Office of Sustainability staff and the Alternative Transportation Coordinator. Duties include helping with marketing the Driving Change Campaign and planning/marketing the bi-annual Active Transportation Month. The spring semester Active Transportation Month takes place in April, and it features activities such as the Active Transportation Challenge, bike tune-ups, personal transportation consultations for University members, and an award ceremony. The Associate will also promote alternative transportation initiatives and events through tabling, flyers, and social media. 

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to approach challenges creatively and problem solve
• Experience with event planning and creating promotional materials (PowerPoint, graphics, flyers, etc.) are a plus
• Experience with and passion for alternative/active/public transit and biking. Knowledge of and interest in the environmental and health benefits of alternative transportation
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff members
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision

The Office of Sustainability is seeking a student to support development and implementation of an institutional carbon neutrality strategy. Particular focus will be given to tracking scope 3 emissions, including business travel emissions, commuting emissions, purchased goods and services emissions, emissions associated with generated waste, and carbon offset strategy. In regard to air travel and commuting emissions, the student will build on an existing body of research and develop an accurate estimation model. In regard to carbon offsets, the University is currently in the early stages of exploring a potential carbon offset strategy as both a buyer and a seller. The prospective intern will be involved in all parts of the process, including research, strategy, project verification, and project monitoring. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Gather air travel data and calculate emissions for business travel and student travel to and from the University each semester
• Gather commuting data and calculate emissions for daily travel and from the University
• Analyze carbon offset methodologies, including those published by the Verified Carbon Standard (VCS) to understand potential applications for WashU
• Communications – Prepare and present carbon offset material to administration and key stakeholders
• Research and synthesis – Follow current trends in the carbon offset space and develop reports and presentations on relevant topics
• Carbon offset documentation – Complete project related forms and excel models 
• Carbon offset monitoring – Prepare monitoring documentation and submit to verifying body 
• Assess potential carbon offset purchases from a quality and cost perspective, and monitor active projects to ensure quality 

Preferred Skills /Knowledge

• Basic working knowledge of carbon offsets and various scopes of carbon emissions
• Basic understanding of markets, supply/demand, and drivers of cost
• Familiarity with Excel and PowerPoint
• Comfortability seeking and synthesizing information from multiple sources
• Comfortability reaching out to and communicating with a range of stakeholders
• Quantitative analysis

The Sustainable Buildings Associate will work with the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning & Management to further improve how sustainability is integrated into the planning, design and construction of the built environment, landscape, and campus infrastructure.

The Associate will assist with research and building projects such as resiliency planning and developing guidelines, healthy building material research and developing standards, research various green building certification rating systems and develop a priority standard to help implement these certifications, research embodied carbon reduction targets and methods.

Other building specific projects may include but are not limited to creating sustainable project case studies/project profiles, LEED credits research and documentation, construction waste diversion tracking and tracking performance goals. Duties will include conducting research in various fields, organizing, and documenting findings, creating presentations, attending meetings, and interacting with professionals in the field.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and Adobe Suite.
• Proficiency with InDesign, Photoshop is preferred.
• Strong verbal, written communication, and presentation skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision with excellent time management skills.
• Ability to conduct in-depth research to understand new concepts, evaluate different strategies and develop recommendations.
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff and Consultants/Design Team members.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and ability to concisely present concepts/recommendations.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to reach out to peer institutions and industry professionals.
• Familiarity with sustainable design, green building systems, energy efficiency is preferred, or a willingness to learn is required.
• Background in Architecture or construction management is preferred.
• Familiarity with LEED and/or other building certification systems such as WELL, Living Building, Passive House is preferred.

**This position is for Brown School students only who are pursuing their practicum hours for a MSW Concentration, MPH or MSP.**

Dates: Spring semester 2023; Summer 2023; Fall 2023

Positions available: 1-2 positions per semester. Preference towards candidates that are able to stay in the position for multiple semesters.

Compensation: Students fulfilling practicum hours through work at the Office of Sustainability will be compensated up $1,000 per credit hour, up to three credit hours per term.

Supervision: Reports to the Assistant Director of the Office of Sustainability

About the Circularity Center and Share Our Stuff program

To encourage and support circularity broadly and build on existing programs, The Circularity Center launched as a pilot in May 2022. The project is funded through the Office of the Executive Vice Chancellor for Administration and made possible by numerous partners, including Mail & Receiving Services, Resource Management, Residential Living, Quadrangle Housing, and Government & Community Relations. The Circularity Center is located on WashU’s North Campus.

From April – September, the Circularity Center operates Share Our Stuff, a program that collects and processes materials donated from students moving out of on-campus and off-campus housing, and makes the materials available for reuse to other students moving into housing over the summer and fall. From October – April, the Circularity Center is available as a resource for offices, labs, and departments looking for lightly-used office supplies, equipment, electronics and furniture.

Position Description

The Office of Sustainability is seeking a practicum student (or students) to lead efforts to build on the 12-year success of the Share Our Stuff program that collects and recirculates materials from student move out after the close of the academic year. The program coordinator will guide and develop the program, channeling new resources (a physical warehouse space and store) to achieve greater social and environmental impact for the WashU and St. Louis communities. The coordinator will develop standard operating procedures for program operations, evaluation and assessment tools, annual reports for leadership, and marketing materials. In addition, the coordinator will support program operations and logistics, in collaboration with staff from the Office of Sustainability, Campus Mail, the Office of Government and Community Relations, Residential Life, and other program stakeholders.

Successful applicant and supervisor will work out a mutually-agreeable schedule, which could be part-time or full-time in scope. While some work can be done remotely and on a flexible schedule, significant portions of the position may require in-person work during business hours. Work locations include the Circularity Center (warehouse and store on WashU’s North Campus, 700 Rosedale), the Office of Sustainability (Schnuck Pavilion on the Danforth Campus), and various networking meetings with campus and community partners (though these will likely be mostly remote). At least 1 1-hour meeting with supervisor and student will occur weekly through the duration of the engagement, at a mutually agreeable time during the work week.

In addition, the practicum students will be encouraged to participate in the Environment, Sustainability and Climate Change internship program, which provides interdisciplinary professional development and social experiences with undergraduate and graduate students working in internship positions through WashU.

Fully engaged students will gain a broad range of hands-on experience that mirror non-profit and start-up social enterprise contexts with the resources and support of a large institution.

Preferred skills, qualifications, and characteristics

Some combination of coursework and experience in the following areas are desired, though not all are required to apply:

• Self-starter, independently motivated, entrepreneurial spirit
• Working knowledge of sustainability and “circular economies”
• Program evaluation and assessment design
• Basic marketing and communication concepts
• Highly organized and talented at setting up systems
• Networking and stakeholder mapping
• Familiarity with WashU networks and administration and/or environmental or social service organizations active in the St. Louis area
• Retail experience
• Data tracking and reporting

To apply, send a letter of interest and resume to cassandra.hage@wustl.edu. Applications will be reviewed and interviews scheduled on a rolling basis with the goal of filling the position by January 20, 2023.