Director, Sustainability
The University of California, San Diego
About this position
Position Description
In alignment with UC Health climate commitments and the UC Sustainable Practices Policy, the Director, Sustainability leads strategy, alignment, and execution of sustainability efforts across UC San Diego Health within a highly matrixed, policy-driven environment. This role ensures that Health system priorities are advanced while maintaining alignment with UC systemwide and campus sustainability goals. Success in this role requires the ability to navigate shared governance, balance competing priorities, and influence outcomes across a wide range of stakeholders. The Director, Sustainability leads a small, high-impact team and works in close partnership with clinical, operational, campus, and UC system leaders to integrate sustainable practices into how care is delivered and how decisions are made across the organization. This role is part of the Office of Transformation at UC San Diego Health, reflecting a strong emphasis on integrating sustainability with continuous improvement, operational excellence, and organizational change and awareness that the best results come from connected, collaborative teams. Key Responsibilities: • Leads interpretation, implementation, and advancement of sustainability-related policies, translating enterprise-level requirements into actionable strategies for UC San Diego Health • Acts as primary liaison between UC San Diego Health, UC San Diego campus, and UC systemwide sustainability teams, advocating for Health system needs while ensuring alignment with broader climate and sustainability goals • Oversees sustainability data strategy, including collection, validation, analysis, and reporting of metrics that inform decision-making, support regulatory and UC reporting requirements, and contribute to external rankings and reputation • Leads a small, high-performing team, aligning work to strategic priorities and focusing efforts on initiatives that deliver the greatest environmental impact and organizational value • Partners with clinical and physician leadership to align sustainability initiatives with enterprise priorities and operational realities • Operates effectively in a highly matrixed environment, building consensus across clinical, operational, campus, and systemwide stakeholders • Develops and leads implementation of sustainability initiatives across key domains, including climate action, waste reduction, water conservation, sustainable procurement, food, and transportation • Works closely with facilities, infrastructure, and energy management teams to ensure alignment with sustainability goals (this role does not directly oversee energy operations) • Partners with the Office of Transformation to apply continuous improvement methodologies, including Lean and data-driven approaches, to advance sustainability efforts and embed sustainable practices into daily operations • Leads workforce planning and talent management for the Sustainability team, including hiring, performance management, and role development • Champions a collaborative environment and actively supports the professional growth of team members. Builds an inclusive, supportive daily work culture • Develops and executes communication strategies that build organizational awareness and engagement in sustainability across staff, physicians, and leaders • Serves as a representative of UC San Diego Health in sustainability-related external forums, committees, and professional settings
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in a related field and seven or more years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience Demonstrated experience working in complex, highly structured environments with layered governance and shared accountability Advanced knowledge of sustainability principles, policies, and regulatory frameworks Strong ability to influence, build alignment, and lead through complexity across diverse stakeholders Experience leading programs or initiatives that require cross-functional collaboration and strategic prioritization