Director, Sustainability and Energy Management

The Facilities & Services portfolio at the University of Toronto (U of T) seeks an inspirational leader in the role of Director, Sustainability & Energy Management. The Director will help to maintain the University’s status as the world’s most sustainable university while leading its objective of becoming climate positive by 2050.

Reporting to the Chief Operations Officer, Property Services & Sustainability, the Director, Sustainability & Energy Management is responsible for providing leadership and strategic direction on sustainability efforts with a goal of improving environmental performance. The Director develops large conservation projects for the St. George Campus in areas such as energy management, water and recycling, while overseeing energy reducing initiatives.  An expert in sustainability and energy conservation, the Sustainability & Energy Management leader works with University Faculties to promote projects to reduce energy and water usage in buildings and serves as a subject matter expert, providing energy reducing advice to all campuses and properties beyond the St George campus.

The Director provides advice and expertise to planning and construction committees for major construction and renovation projects at a tri-campus level and is responsible for the development of Institution wide (tri- campus and all satellite properties) energy performance and sustainability standards.

A key aspect of this role involves reviewing current construction/design standards and making recommendations for changes that will improve sustainability. The Director actively promotes the University’s sustainability initiatives through the Sustainability Office, including public presentations, participation at conferences, the production of an annual report, including promotional materials and contributions to trade and other publications.

The Director, Sustainability & Energy Management will be responsible for:

Energy Conservation & Project Management

• Responsible for the implementation of the Climate Positive Action plan, a tri-campus initiative to achieve the University’s carbon commitments;
• Responsible for the implementation of the 2050 net zero carbon commitments. This will include the oversight and accountability of over 100+ projects, valued at over $250M in capital expenditure to reduce our carbon footprint.

Consultation Services

• Reviews all major capital projects for all campuses for compliance with Sustainability Standards. Provides advise to all campuses on how to achieve the targets within the appropriate budgets;
• Provides opportunities for students to become engaged in projects related to sustainability and advises and guides those engaged in sustainability projects.

Sustainability Office Leadership

• Develops and manages operating and project budgets and manages staff;
• Provides strategic direction and guidance to the Manager of the Sustainability Office;
• Lead the development of programs to promote sustainability on campus.

Financial Management

• Develops and manages departmental operating budget (approximately $500,000) and campus non-discretionary energy reduction revolving fund (approximately $10M) budget in accordance with all University policies and practices.

Human Resources Management

• Full managerial authority over the staff in the work Unit/Department;
• Plan strategically for and define the organizational structure for the Unit/Department.

Experience and Qualifications

The Director Sustainability & Energy Management brings highly developed interpersonal, leadership and negotiation skills, including the ability to influence others to gain consensus. The Sustainability & Energy Management leader and subject matter expert possesses excellent oral and written communication skills, including the ability to make effective presentations. The Director brings excellent organizational, time management and project management skills to the position and is able to develop cost benefit analyses and business cases using strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize information and develop solutions.

• Bachelor’s degree in engineering with professional license and eligibility to practice in the Province of Ontario; P. Eng required (registered or the ability to register and be in good standing with Professional Engineers Ontario). Master’s Degree in Energy Management or related field is an asset.;
• LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certification and/or BOMA (Building Owners and Managers Association) certification an asset. Extensive knowledge of building operations and district energy systems;
• Minimum of ten (10) years of management experience, in sustainability, energy management or related sector with operations experience;
• Extensive related experience in the field of building operations and project management involving a diversity of building types, preferably in a broader public sector environment;
• Thorough knowledge of sustainability, environmental and climate-related concepts and issues, including energy and climate strategies and best practices, sustainable building strategies, science-based targets, climate risk assessment and management and other emerging trends and concepts;
• Budget planning and management experience;
• Experience developing and executing sustainability and renewable energy strategies;
• Experience in managing staff in a unionized environment.

Based in the vibrant and diverse city of Toronto, U of T is a tri-campus academic system renowned for its leadership in professional education, its pre-eminence in graduate education, its three historic federated universities (Victoria, Trinity, and St. Michael’s), and its tradition of strong senior leadership. U of T is a truly global institution with an extensive alumni network of over half a million people in over 190 countries and territories.

U of T is fully committed to being a climate positive campus and is consistently ranked among the top 25 universities in the world for teaching, research, and innovation.  The University was named the most sustainable university in the world by QS World University Rankings: Sustainability 2024, which evaluates post-secondary institutions for their environmental impact, social impact and governance.

The University of Toronto embraces diversity and is building a culture of belonging that increases our capacity to effectively address and serve the interests of our global community. This search aligns with the University’s commitment to strategically and proactively promote diversity among our community members (Statement on Equity, Diversity & Excellence). Recognizing that Black, Indigenous, and other Racialized communities have experienced inequities that have developed historically and are ongoing, we strongly welcome and encourage candidates from those communities to apply.