Office of Sustainability

We are looking for enthusiastic and hard-working graduate or undergraduate students who want to be part of the movement to advance sustainability at Washington University. The multi-semester positions require a commitment of 5-10 hours/week during the school year; summer positions are full-time (37.5 hours/week). Undergraduate positions start at $10/hour; graduate positions start at $12/hour. Associates work collaboratively in groups on projects with oversight from the Office of Sustainability staff.

 

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. Positions are currently filled.

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 (PowerPoints, 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 Communications & Marketing Associate will work with the Office of Sustainability to strengthen communications and marketing of the University’s sustainability initiatives, accomplishments, and upcoming events. The Associate will play a role in managing the ongoing communications needs of the Office of Sustainability. Duties will include coordinating with campus partners to develop content for the website; developing communications materials including flyers, posters, and pamphlets; assisting with the bi-monthly Office of Sustainability newsletter; maintaining and building the Office of Sustainability’s social media communications on Facebook and Twitter; and outreach to students at events. Positions are currently filled.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Strong written and verbal communications skills
• Design experience with the Adobe Creative Suite
• Self-motivated with strong organizational and time-management skills
• Basic knowledge of and passion for sustainability issues
• Interest in outreach and education
• Basic familiarity with social media
• Experience with marketing strategy is desirable

 

The Environmental Justice Associate supports the development of a strong internal and external Environmental Justice network by informing, energizing, and connecting students, faculty, staff and community partners through forming relationships and offering resources. Associates support the soon-to-be-launched Environmental Justice Steering Committee (scheduled to convene in February 2018); coordinate events; represent the EJ Initiative through presentations, event attendances and outreach activities; and conduct research to build out the EJ database and resources on the EJ Initiative website. Associates must be highly collaborative and have excellent communications skills.   Positions are currently filled.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to approach challenges creatively and problem solve
• Prior experience or coursework providing greater context for EJ issues is highly desirable
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff and community members
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Experience facilitating group discussion
• Demonstration of a strong connection to a variety of student groups is desirable
• Experience with event planning and creating promotional materials (PowerPoints, graphics, flyers, etc.) are a plus

 

The Office of Sustainability seeks to foster a food system that advances environmental and public health while supporting a strong local economy. The Food Associates facilitate this process in partnership with Office of Sustainability staff, WashU Dining Services, and other campus stakeholders.

The Associate will support a variety of food-related initiatives outlined in the 2015-2020 Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations and assist with tracking report metrics that will improve transparency and accountability in the university food system. Duties may include: plan and market the Green Monday program, which asks students, faculty, and staff to eat plant-based, low-carbon meals at least one day per week; deliver food choice/Green Monday presentations to WashU departments and student groups; organize events during Food Week in October; and promote participation in the Community Supported Agriculture program, which will be available at Danforth, School of Medicine, and West Campuses in 2018. The associates promote the Office’s efforts through tabling, flyers, social media, and e-newsletter stories. Positions are currently filled.

Skills / Qualifications: 

Preference is given to graduate-level students or undergraduate seniors with relevant experience and education. Other qualifications include:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including presentation and public speaking skills
• Ability to approach challenges creatively and problem solve
• Experience with event planning and creating promotional materials (PowerPoints, graphics, flyers, etc.)
• Commitment to supporting local and sustainable food options
• Knowledge of and interest in the environmental and public health impacts of food choices
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with university staff members
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision

The Green Office Program synthesizes goals within the Strategic Plan for Sustainable Operations into a checklist and educates staff about how to incorporate more sustainable practices into their operations and practices. Through participation, staff transform into new advocates for the university’s sustainability ethic. The program is comprised of a point-based, self-assessment checklist with which offices can assess their current practices, set goals, and be recognized for their achievements. For more information about the program please visit http://sustainability.wustl.edu/community-involvement/green-offices/.

The Green Office Associate plays a key role administering, promoting and expanding this important program. Tasks include marketing the program to new offices, meeting with offices to provide an overview of the program, processing completed checklists as they are submitted, sending re-submission reminders to offices, making periodic updates to the checklist, and writing monthly newsletters. This position acts as a liaison between the Office of Sustainability and participating offices and WashU staff. As a liaison, s/he will promote various initiatives and events coordinated by the OOS, like Alternative Transportation Month and Green Mondays. The associate will also play a role planning an annual certification ceremony for newly certified offices. Positions are currently filled.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff members
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Works well in a group setting
• Experience giving presentations and creating promotional materials (PowerPoints, graphics, flyers, etc.)
• Strong communication skills and willingness to “cold call” potential participants

The Office of Sustainability plays a key role in the Green Rehab Project – an ongoing multiyear study of energy efficiency in off-campus housing. The Green Rehab Associate will work closely with staff as well as other university stakeholders to advance the research goals of the project. The associate will be responsible for collecting, organizing and analyzing data sets from multiple sources to make conclusions both about building energy performance and the effects of strategies aimed at helping building occupants reduce energy consumption. Additional responsibilities include producing and revising data-driven reports, presentations, and educational materials as well as conducting meetings with various project stakeholders. 2 positions available.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Familiarity with building systems, energy efficiency systems and techniques, or a willingness to learn
• Advanced usage of Excel spreadsheets functions
• Excellent verbal and written communication and ability to creatively solve problems
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision.
• Preferred: experience manipulating and analyzing large data sets from multiple sources
• Preferred: coding experience in Python
• Preferred: proficiency in Adobe InDesign

The Office of Sustainability plays a lead role developing renewable energy projects for the University. The Renewable Energy Associate will work closely with staff to explore renewable energy project opportunities including on-site solar PV and solar thermal projects, as well as off-site wind projects. Projects will vary in scale from large-scale projects that generate a lot of energy to smaller-scale projects with a strong research component. Tasks will include: gathering information about and assessing the viability of potential sites, researching options for structuring projects, and interaction with professionals in the field. 2 positions available.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Strong verbal and written communication skills; ability to approach challenges creatively and problem solve
• Knowledge of renewable energy technologies, policy, financials, and/or project development
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff and external consultants
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Project management experience preferred

 

The Sustainable Buildings Associate will work with the Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning & Management to further improve how sustainability is integrated into the design and construction of campus infrastructure. The Associate will explore projects involving construction waste diversion standards, plug and process load planning, thermal comfort, healthy building material standards, and various green building certification systems.  Duties will include: conducting research in various fields, organizing and documenting findings, and interacting with professionals in the field. 2 positions available.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word, Excel, and Powerpoint.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision.
• Ability to conduct research to evaluate different strategies.
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff members.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and willingness to “cold call” industry professionals
• Familiarity with building systems, energy efficiency systems and techniques, or a willingness to learn
• Familiarity with LEED and/or other building certification systems

Washington University is working diligently to reduce the amount of waste we send to the landfill through recycling, composting, reuse, and donations. The Waste Reduction/Diversion Associate plays a critical role moving these efforts forward. We are seeking a data-driven individual who is good at and has experience with problem solving, communications, and data analysis.

Intern position duties will include: conducting waste audits in various campus locations to help determine opportunities for improvement and diagnose problems; organizing and recruiting volunteers for waste audits and the Recycling Genius outreach program; tracking campus-wide waste data; researching a variety of waste-related projects on campus, such as the environmental impact of different approaches and the feasibility of composting on-site; and working on various other waste-related projects as they arise. Positions are currently filled.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel
• Experience planning and running projects
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Experience recruiting and training volunteers is a plus
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Ability to conduct research to evaluate different strategies
• Foundational knowledge of sustainability, the impact of different waste streams, and how waste sorting operates on campus

We are looking for individuals who are able to make a multi-semester commitment to be a part of our team, beginning in June. The positions require 37.5 hours/week, Monday through Friday, and pay starts at $10/hour. Student Associates will work collaboratively in groups on projects with oversight from the Office of Sustainability team, and will engage in a broad range of projects including renewable energy, alternative transportation, waste diversion, sustainable food and dining, green buildings, green offices program, etc. Applications are closed.

Skills / Qualifications:

• Basic knowledge of and passion for sustainability issues
• Systems thinker
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Proficiency with MS Word and Excel, design experience with the Adobe Creative Suite is a plus
• Ability to interact professionally and confidently with University staff members
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
• Self-motivated and able to work with limited supervision
• Works well in a group setting
• Ability to conduct research to evaluate different strategies
• Interest in outreach and education