Sustainability Coordinator

The Sustainability Coordinator  will work with senior leadership to develop, lead, and execute a property-wide sustainability framework for the Ojai Valley Inn. They will be responsible for ensuring that OVI will establish, work to achieve and track progress for environmental goals in a hospitality setting. In partnership with other resort leaders, they will develop and enliven a culture that celebrates green progress and  prioritizes sustainable practices at work and at home. They will train and promote the OVI Green Pledge to new and existing associates and lead a “Green Team” program for all associates to be involved in sustainability. They will research industry best practices and report on feasibility and costs for implementation. They will develop sustainability strategies to ensure  that OVI practices, products, and services are environmentally friendly and compliant with government rules and regulations. The Sustainability Coordinator will collaborate with leadership to implement processes and technologies that support progress in: Water conservation, Energy Conservation, Waste Management, Chemical usage, and more. They will be the primary point of contact for corporate GHG reporting and manage our sustainability certifications such as Green Lodging, Oceanic Global and FTG Verified Responsible. At times, the Sustainability Coordinator may be asked to assist the Executive Office and/or Spa operations with special projects or tasks.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES: 

This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position.  Employees will be required to perform any other job-related duties assigned by their supervisor.

• Establish and manage a tracking system, or dashboard, for progress and analysis of new and existing sustainability plans and initiatives.

• Facilitate data collection and communication for corporate carbon assessment project(s). 

• Develop and lead a “Green Team” to engage employees and to “walk the talk” showing environmental sustainability commitment

• Evaluate industry specific sustainability trends and help identify potential innovative technologies, processes, or investments which would warrant consideration from executive team and ownership

• Track emerging regulations that could be reasonably applicable to the resort or industry

• Develop OVI’s sustainability strategy, working cross functionally to ensure continuous improvement toward OVI’s long-term sustainability goals

• Research, develop and implement sustainability policies, programs, and initiatives that improve OVI’s environmental impact

• Build and manage relationships with internal teams, coordinate with associates to deliver timely projects and meet goals.

• Promote resort services and programs; assist department leaders with a sustainability focus in their SOPs

• Partner with Marketing on internal and external communications making sure there is a sustainability focus represented in our communication strategy.

• Manage tracking of OVI sustainability metrics and recommend targets and annual goals to meet strategic plan initiatives..

• Demonstrate knowledge of property’s style, practices, culture, terminology, organizational structure, and general philosophy. That Philosophy should be portrayed in the professional appearance, behavior, integrity, and openness to guest and fellow employees.

• Develop programming to educate guests on sustainable practices and initiatives at the resort.

• Provide research support on company sustainability projects to assist the management team on decisions and courses of action.

• Serve as a hub for insights on industry standards, test practices, and regulatory trends.

• Develop department appropriate training for sustainability education programs, goals and initiatives to support compliance and associate knowledge.

• Effectively communicate and engage associates on program progress, goals, and results. Participate in NHO and General Sessions in collaboration with Dir of Training.

• Support resort Leaders  in writing SOPs to launch green processes, standards and initiatives

• Develop new green programs/initiates: Green Meetings, Repurposing Landscaping clippings, Green Amenities, Camp Oak, Artist Cottage, Farmhouse, Edible Flower Gardens, etc.  

• Manage special projects: Pathwater Refill Stations, RMR Waste Management partnership, Annual Gleaning, Quarterly Ojai Trail Clean ups, and more. 

• Support supplemental tasks assigned by Executive Offices or Spa operations as needed.

   

STANDARD SPECIFICATIONS: 

Requirements are representative of minimum levels of knowledge, skills and/or abilities.  To perform this job successfully, the incumbent will possess the abilities or aptitudes to perform each duty proficiently. Some requirements may exclude individuals who pose a direct threat or significant risk to the health and safety of themselves, other associates or guests.

SKILLS AND QUALIFICATIONS:

Essential: 

• Bachelor's degree in related field (ideally Sustainable Hospitality, Sustainability Management, or Environmental Science) or the equivalent work experience.

• Passionate about sustainability/Climate/Environment 

• Ability to follow the OVI standards of Presentation.

• Ability to follow the OVI standards of Body Language.

• Ability to follow the OVI standards of Verbiage.

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills

• Confident in overseeing large projects

• Project management skills; Planning, organizing, tracking, and reporting

• Using data to make informed decisions to help OVI reduce environmental impact

• Critical thinking to analyze data

• Employee engagement and motivation 

• Strong understanding of sustainability principles and practices

• Proficient in Microsoft Office and Google Suites 

• Ability to work a flexible work week including weekends and holidays.

• Excellent people skills.

• Ability to direct and manage people.

• Ability to read and interpret documents such as memos, communication log, safety rules, operating and procedure manuals, reservation print-outs.

• Ability to deal with and solve problems presented by applying knowledge and expertise.

• Ability to efficiently process information and prioritize tasks at hand.

• Ability to think and respond quickly to problems at hand.

• Maintain professional appearance, behavior, integrity, and openness to guests and fellow employees.

• Be cognizant of all emergency-reporting procedures.

• Ability to maintain discretion and confidentiality of all guests and pertinent hotel information.

• Personable and interested in the health and wellness field.

   

Desirable:

• Minimum of 2 years experience developing and managing sustainability programs

• Experience managing multiple projects and coordinating with internal and external team members.

• Extensive knowledge of environmental issues and sustainable business practices with a progressive, proven track record.

• Ability to operate computers efficiency, knowledge of basic programs including Microsoft Office products

• Bilingual in both English and Spanish