Sustainability Program Associate

Start Date: July 16, 2025 | End Date: August 03, 2025
County: Cumberland County
Job Type: Other
More Information: Click here

ABOUT GPCOG

The Greater Portland Council of Governments (GPCOG) is seeking a full-time Sustainability Program Associate to join our team. This position is grant-funded with an initial term of one year. It is intended to become permanent subject to funding availability.

GPCOG unites cities and towns across rural, suburban, and urban areas to collaboratively plan for our region’s future. We are committed to enhancing community life and making our region a top destination through impactful planning, infrastructure coordination, and technical assistance. As an equal opportunity employer, GPCOG observes all applicable laws and welcomes applicants regardless of race, color, creed, gender, or other protected characteristics.

To support our team, we offer benefits that promote work/life balance, including flexible schedules, remote work options, professional development, and health insurance. If you have a passion for delivering high-quality community planning, shaping regional policies, and helping towns implement meaningful change, we’d love to hear from you.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Sustainability Program Associate is a position within the Sustainability Department that supports our agency’s sustainability program, which includes municipal climate action planning and implementation, regional resilience and adaptation work, and statewide transportation and energy emissions reduction activities. The Associate interacts with internal staff, external stakeholders, clients, vendors, elected and appointed officials, and residents in support of the agency’s mission.

The Sustainability Department at GPCOG is a leader on regional and municipal climate action planning and implementation. Joining the department will provide you with an opportunity to create change at a community level and lead regional action that reduces emissions, builds resilience to climate impacts, and prepares the region for the climate crisis. You will be asked to work on a wide range of programs, projects, and activities, and asked to do a wide range of tasks. Some are described below.

What you’ll do

• Provide technical assistance to member cities and towns for sustainability initiatives. This includes the following activities:
  • Collect data (climate data and greenhouse gas emissions, sea level rise information, social and economic indicators, and land use data).
  • Analyze data to draw conclusions that support our program activities. Organize and present data in the best manner possible to convey information, this may be a map, chart, graph, etc.
  • Develop recommendations for our members through reports, one-pagers, and presentations.
  • Provide recommendations to members and execute community engagement events, surveys and presentations to bring data to the public, elected officials and municipal staff.
• Develop and deliver high-quality public communication materials, reports, and presentations.
  • Draft and coordinate public engagement materials, including social media posts, press releases, and newsletters to support programs.   
  • Design and create compelling graphics and stories using local data.
• Attend public meetings, public events and municipal meetings, in person, occasionally off hours or on weekends.
• Support clean energy initiatives, including
  • Plan and execute two high profile clean transportation events in October 2025. This will include coordination, event planning, outreach and communications work, as well as day of, in-person, event support.
  • Provide program coordination support for a regional energy coaching program that engages volunteers in delivering energy upgrade support to residential homeowners and renters.

What you bring

• Knowledge of and demonstrated experience with effective strategies that reduce greenhouse gases and build resilience. For example, experience with one or more - electrification of transportation, green and energy-efficient buildings, renewable energy, resilient infrastructure, and social strategies for resilience.
• Strong writing, copy editing, and presentation building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to research, analyze, and interpret data from various sources to produce technical and nontechnical information and reports.
• Experience with stakeholder outreach and engagement with a diverse range of partners.
• A strong sense of professionalism and ability to meet deadlines.
• Strong organizational and record-keeping skills with an emphasis on accuracy and efficiency.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook.
• Experience with graphic design, creating strong graphics, and storytelling. GPCOG uses Canva, PowerPoint, and Adobe Photoshop and In Design for graphics. Experience in all is not required but an interest in graphic design and an ability to quickly learn software is desirable.
• Ability to multitask and perform under tight deadlines independently and as part of a team.
• At least two (2) years’ experience in a professional setting or any equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates possession of the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

What to know

• Driving or access to reliable transportation is needed, as occasional travel and extended hours are required, including occasional nights and weekends for events and conferences.
• GPCOG offers competitive benefits, a fun, flexible, family-friendly, and creative work environment, and an annual salary in the low fifties for the right well-qualified candidate.
• Work hours and schedule may be flexible, up to 40 hours per week, with the ability to work from home part of the time. There is some flexibility to adjust hours and work times based on circumstances and on what you bring to the position; however, in-person meetings and events will be required of this position and is not fully remote.
• This position is for an initial term of one year, with the intent of it becoming permanent subject to funding availability.

What to do now

• Go to https://tinyurl.com/ydjuyb3x to provide your contact information, then:
  • Upload your cover letter telling us why you want to join GPCOG’s team as a Sustainability Program Associate.
  • Upload your résumé, highlighting your education, relevant experience, and skills.
• Submit all required materials no later than August 3, 2025.
• All applications must be submitted using this application portal to be considered.

More to know

Visit us at www.gpcog.org