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Sustainable Communities Program Director
The Vermont Natural Resources Council (VNRC) has an exciting opportunity for a motivated individual to help guide policies and programs related to community development, land use planning, environmental justice and environmental health, natural resource conservation and climate resilience.
Working with a committed staff in Montpelier, the Sustainable Communities Program Director will oversee VNRC’s work on local and state land use and community development policy; provide technical support to members, state and regional agencies and municipalities; and work closely with our Forests & Wildlife, Energy & Climate Action, and Water Programs on an integrated approach to meeting the challenges facing Vermont’s environment, communities and people. Occasional in-state travel and attending evening meetings will be required.
The successful candidate must be self-directed and have excellent communication skills; the ability to work collaboratively in a busy work-environment; a practical understanding of smart growth principles (e.g., a mix of land uses, a range of housing types and transportation options, compact settlement patterns surrounded by working lands and natural areas); and the skills necessary to advocate for smart growth and community development policies that promote the health and safety of Vermont residents before state agencies, the Vermont Legislature, and municipal and regional boards and commissions; a passion for protecting Vermont’s people and the environment; a commitment to racial, social and environmental justice; and a belief that individuals working together can affect positive change.
We welcome applications from those with academic training in community planning, and we recognize that formal education is not the only pathway to gaining relevant experience. We invite candidates with any combination of academic, professional, and life experience who can demonstrate outstanding ability and commitment to building sustainable communities.
VNRC is committed to a process of centering equity, environmental justice, diversity, and inclusion in our work through such values as humility and reciprocity, collaboration and power sharing, and integrity and accountability, and applicants should share a commitment to this effort.
Starting salary is commensurate with experience, with total salary and benefits package ranging between $70,000-$80,000.
How to apply
Email a letter of interest, resume and three references to aconnizzo@vnrc.org. Letters should be addressed to Brian Shupe, Executive Director. Position will remain open until filled.
VNRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer
VNRC strongly encourages applications from candidates whose identities have been historically underrepresented in the environmental movement, including people who identify as Black, Indigenous, Hispanic or Latino, Asian or Pacific Islander, or people of color; people from marginalized economic backgrounds; and people living with disabilities.
We encourage applications from all qualified individuals without attention to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, national origin, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, or disability.
About VNRC
As Vermont’s oldest independent environmental advocacy organization, VNRC works from the grassroots to the Legislature to advance policies, programs and practices that strengthen the foundation upon which Vermont’s economy thrives — vibrant communities and healthy downtowns, clean and abundant fresh water, working farms and forests, wild places, a healthy population, clean energy, and climate action.
