Daily Sustainability Job Post

* The link and job description provided was active on December 12, 2022 – the date this was posted. Please refer to the employer’s website for up to date information. This is not our search, we are providing these links as a service to the community of sustainability and ESG jobseekers.

Position Overview:

Manages key initiatives and leader and team member engagement of the system-wide sustainability program at Advocate Aurora Health. This leader will partner across AAH divisions, departments, and functions to operationalize waste, water, and energy reduction, greenhouse gas reduction, avoid exposure to toxic chemicals, and pollution prevention. This role aims to drive cost savings and improve environmental and human health in Advocate Aurora’s facilities and the surrounding communities which it serves by promoting resource conservation and sustainable operations tactics and strategies. This position will be responsible for supporting goal-setting activities aligned with all of Advocate Aurora’s Purpose, Values and Key Result Areas, in addition to tracking, benchmarking, and coordinating environmental health programs between department and facility leaders, being the system lead for communication, and representing the organization’s environmental initiatives with both internal and external stakeholders through thought leadership opportunities.

This is a remote position.

Major Responsibilities:

• Leads at all levels of the organization, coaching and communicating the vision and strategies of Advocate Aurora’s environmental excellence and stewardship aims. Optimizes Advocate Aurora’s ability to deliver health care into the future by mitigating its impact on human and environmental health and reducing operational costs.
• Manages a comprehensive sustainability program for Advocate Aurora including leading, coaching, and collaborating with clinical and support operations teams on sustainable and safe industry best practices; adoption of system-wide sustainable product and food procurement; energy, water, and waste reduction initiatives; avoidance of chemical toxicity in operations and purchasing; greenhouse gas emissions accounting and carbon emissions strategy development among other initiatives.
• Oversees implementation of systemwide staff engagement, education, and recognition initiatives to increase awareness and sustain a culture of conservation of resources and accountability (e.g., hospital site sustainability leaders, wellness champions).
• Leads internal sustainability program reporting and communications used to educate, engage, and solicit team member action. Internal communication examples span from sustainability program dashboard, program newsletter, Yammer, internal web development, and others.
• Leads and manages the completion of external sustainability award applications for eligible Advocate Aurora Health sites in partnership with site- and system-based leaders. Provide coordination and support for the annual sustainability and wellness team member recognition program.
• Identifies environmental sustainability opportunities that will result in cost reductions and improved staff engagement. Reviews revises, recommends, and implements sustainable practices system-wide or as appropriate for each site within Advocate Aurora Health.
• Responsible for the provision of sustainable operations expertise to key decision-makers throughout the organization. Analyzes and assesses current operating procedures, materials, and methods; anticipates and implements changes or modifications based on sustainability goals. Performs life cycle assessments and cost analyses of proposed modifications.
• Provides technical expertise on current environmental stewardship, environmentally preferable purchasing, and sustainability trends within the healthcare industry.
• Performs waste audits and opportunity assessments for other key initiatives and necessary monitoring related to the use of regulated waste, water, and energy usage.
• Provides leadership and support as needed to other strategic initiatives, such as the sustainable building certification program, the medical supply donation program, and others.

Education/Experience Required:

• Bachelors degree Environmental Science / Climate, Nursing, or Business.
• Typically, 4 years of sustainability management experience with at least 2 years of experience in healthcare.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities Required:

• Interpersonal, presentation and management through influence skills.
• This position must be able to accomplish through relationships and manage the competing priorities of the organization.
• Extensive knowledge of local, regional and national emerging sustainable business strategies, life cycle assessments (LCA), offset registries, ROI analysis and other key sustainability tools and techniques.
• Ability to analyze data, evaluate outcomes and recommend actions
• Word, Excel, PowerPoint – database familiarity
• Knowledge of financial planning, including budget development, consultant contract review and project budgeting.
• Understanding of Safety, Lean Management, the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Environmental Design, The Green Guidelines for Health Care, and basic Environmental Compliance for Healthcare.
• Ability to utilize a network of sustainable business resources.
• Commitment to understanding and valuing individual differences and ability to foster an environment of acceptance, fairness and mutual respect.
• Facilitation, change management and group process skills. Superb presentation skills:
• Verbal and written. Comfortable with public speaking, training, and education.
• Experience in developing and presenting sustainable business concepts, training, and burgeoning technologies.
• Knowledge of waste and inefficiencies common to the healthcare setting

Advocate Aurora Health is committed to diversity and inclusion every single day and in everything we do. Diversity lives in the differences, great and small, that matter to us and make each of us unique – from our age and the color of our skin, to our abilities and the things we believe in. We know that empowering our differences inspires creativity that leads to innovative solutions – for our team members, consumers and communities. And because health care is built upon relationships, it’s important for the people we serve to be able to trust us to meet their unique needs. By cultivating an atmosphere of acceptance and compassion, we create a welcoming environment where our patients can heal, our team members can thrive and our business can grow. As a team member, working in a diverse setting allows you the chance to grow in ways that will broaden your perspective to deliver the best possible patient care.