Germantown Friends School and Westtown School are seeking a full-time, shared Director of Sustainability to initiate and coordinate efforts to carry out the schools’ missions in a way that prioritizes environmental sustainability as an essential educational and institutional value. The Director should be an innovative but diplomatic changemaker, a systems-thinker, a knowledgeable and passionate advocate for sustainability, a lifelong learner, a self-starter, and a program builder. The Director should also be culturally competent and deeply committed to equity, justice, and belonging. Tasked with working with a range of constituencies — from preschool to 12th-grade day and boarding students to faculty, staff, trustees, and alums — the Director will serve as the schools’ champion for sustainability values and programs. This position’s work will be overseen by one supervisor at each school. 

The Director of Sustainability responsibilities extend to four areas on each campus.  

The Institution

• Partners with each school to advance institutional-wide sustainability efforts. More specifically: 
• Assists in setting and working toward goals in the areas of carbon emissions, consumption and waste, land use, and food systems.
• Serves as a partner to various constituencies, such as the Parents Associations, Admissions, Advancement, and new faculty/staff and student orientations to ensure alignment and engagement with the schools’ sustainability efforts.
• Provides content for publications and social media to promote the efforts and accomplishments of sustainability in partnership with Communications.
• Serves as the Co-clerk or as a member of each school’s Sustainability Committee.
• Provides support to the schools’ Buildings, Grounds, and Environment Committees as needed.
• Facilitates ongoing professional development around sustainability for faculty/staff and other constituencies.
• Identifies potential grant/funding opportunities, prepares grant applications, and submits all required documentation, forms, and supporting materials.

The Curriculum

• Partners with academic leaders and faculty to develop content and experiences in the courses and other programs to cultivate a deep understanding of environmental and sustainability issues, including their interconnectedness with racial and economic justice locally and globally.

Student Life

• Partners with school personnel, students, local organizations, and other groups to help each school “walk the walk” of environmental stewardship in daily campus life.
• Develops buy-in from key groups of students and helps them explore the best ways to create culture and develop buy-in from their peers.
• Assists in creating and/or finding environmental service learning opportunities.
• Advises and/or supports advisors to student environmental clubs and programs.

Experiential Education

• Partners with school personnel to offer field trips and travel experiences related to environmental awareness and stewardship.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 3+ years of sustainability/environmental experience in schools, non-profit organizations, community organizing efforts, or a similarly related field
• Capacity to balance multiple roles and responsibilities
• Expertise with Google products 
• Excellent speaking, writing, and listening skills 
• Culturally competent with a demonstrated commitment to equity, justice, and belonging
• Demonstrated personal and professional commitment to sustainability and sustainability education
• Ability to inspire, motivate, and collaborate with a wide range of constituencies
• A demonstrated commitment to inclusive Quaker pedagogy based on cultural competence, commitment to social justice, and respect for all voices
• A strong affinity for the missions of our two schools and an appreciation for Quaker values and how these inform community processes and interactions

Interested candidates should send a cover letter, resume, writing sample of your choice, and the names and contact info of three references, all as attachments, to resumes@germantownfriends.org. Please include “Director of Sustainability” in the subject line.

Westtown School is a Quaker, independent, co-educational, pre-K to 12, college preparatory day and boarding school located in suburban West Chester, PA, approximately 30 miles from Philadelphia. Situated on a beautiful 600-acre campus, Westtown offers a program where our committed faculty and staff inspire and prepare our students to be stewards and leaders of a better world. For more information about the school, visit www.westtown.edu.

Germantown Friends School is a Quaker, independent, coeducational day school, serving early childhood to 12th grade. Located in northwest Philadelphia, the school is home to a vibrant intellectual community, located in a historic neighborhood, serving a diverse school community, with a robust educational program that is grounded in Quaker principles. For more information about the school, visit www.germantownfriends.org.

Germantown Friends School is an equal-opportunity employer committed to diversity in its student body, faculty, and staff. The school does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class status. People demonstrating a commitment to diversity and multiculturalism in education are encouraged to apply. For more information about the school, please visit our website at www.germantownfriends.org.