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ASSIST DIR, CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY RES
Job Title: ASSIST DIR, CLIMATE & SUSTAINABILITY RES
Job Code: 2593
FLSA: E
Job Level: 14
Revised Date: 11/14/2025
Job Family: JF 28
Occupational Summary
The Assistant Director of Climate and Sustainability Research will support Duke's Climate Commitment through the implementation and strategic support of keystone programming including the Scholars for Climate and Advanced Leadership in Environment and Sustainability (SCALES) post-doctoral fellows program, Climate Commitment-funded research grants, the Climate Commitment Advisory Council's research subcommittee, and university-wide, interdisciplinary research collaborations on climate and sustainability.
This role will report to the Executive Director of Climate and Sustainability within the Office of Climate and Sustainability and work closely with the Director of Research and External Engagement.
Work Performed
Lead coordination of the Scholars for Climate and Advance Leadership in Environment and Sustainability (SCALES) post-doctoral fellows program.
Manage program policies, logistics, communications, documentation and other administrative support as necessary. This includes organizing orientation, cohort events, and professional development opportunities.
Collaborate with host units throughout the hiring process to ensure that the hiring process and position descriptions reflect the goals and structure of the fellowship program.
Collect feedback from Fellows, faculty mentors, and host units to assess program effectiveness and progress on research projects. OCS will use this data to inform future iterations of the program and support continuous improvement.
Plan, coordinate and administer climate and sustainability research programs including managing RFPs, funding allocations, partners, reporting and evaluation.
Make operational and programmatic decisions necessary for successful achievement of program strategies and objectives.
Develop and implement procedures and processes to ensure all program projects are meeting objectives and timelines.
Develop collaborative frameworks to track Duke's climate and sustainability research efforts and make recommendations for improvements/enhancements.
Draft correspondence and reports on research programs; prepare presentations as needed.
Develop strategies and projects that support and expand the research focus area of the Duke Climate Commitment (DCC). Serve as staff liaison for this area of the DCC.
Support OCS Director of Research and External Engagement in providing strategic leadership and coordination for the many projects, programs, and initiatives that touch on climate- and sustainability-related research at Duke. Develop tools, resources, events, and programing that help illuminate the climate and sustainability research landscape across campus and provide opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration.
Provide operational and logistical support for Duke Climate Commitment governance structure,including support for the Climate Commitment Advisory Council's research subcommittee. Activities would include scheduling, meeting support, topic tracking, context sharing, project implementation, building of documents, thought partnership with Chairs, serving on logistic leads team meetings and leadership team meetings.
Learn about the other aspects of the Duke Climate Commitment (e.g. education, campus operations, external engagement, and community partnerships) to be able to represent the OCS and Duke Climate Commitment more broadly, as needed.
Cultivate collaborative and strategic relationships and partnerships with stakeholders, including departmental research coordinators and support staff, to support the programs and initiatives of the Office of Climate and Sustainability.
Maintain relationships with Duke departments (e.g. Duke's Office of Research Initiatives),programs, organizations, and groups as well as professional associations and colleagues at otherinstitutions to achieve goals and objectives.
Facilitate the outreach and engagement around climate and sustainability research with stakeholders including students, staff, faculty, and community partners to bridge connections for projects and other opportunities through relationship building.
Engage and support informational workshops for interested faculty, students, staff, and community partners.
Present on OCS work internally and externally as needed.
Develop metrics and structures to regularly evaluate the success and impact of Duke's climate and sustainability research.
Monitor and evaluate program effectiveness using qualitative and quantitative researchtechniques. Coordinate with internal and external stakeholders doing evaluation to ensure evaluation metrics.
Evaluate and interpret collected data and prepare oral presentations and/or written reports and analyses setting forth progress, adverse trends and appropriate recommendations or conclusions.
Support other members of the Office of Climate and Sustainability team as needed in the strategy and/or execution of programs, initiatives and events.
Complete administrative tasks including scheduling, purchasing, room reservations, and data entry.
Monitor and verify expenditures of programming in Duke's financial systems.
Required Qualifications at this Level
Education/Training
Work requires a Bachelor's degree (Master's or higher degree preferred) in a relevant field of study.
Experience
Work requires five years of relevant experience; or equivalent combination of training and experience.
Skills
The intent of this job description is to provide a representative and level of the types of duties and responsibilities that will be required of positions given this title and shall not be construed as a declaration of the total of the specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Employees may be directed to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically presented in this description.
Duke University is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, (including pregnancy and pregnancy related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas-an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.
Essential Physical Job Functions
Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.
