Director of Energy Management & Decarbonization

University at Buffalo

• $125K — $150K *
Energy & Utilities
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, energy, or related field.
  • 5-7 years of progressive experience in energy management or decarbonization planning.
  • Expertise with building systems (HVAC, BAS/BMS) and energy metering analytics.
  • Familiarity with energy modeling software and carbon accounting systems.
  • Strong organizational and communication skills for stakeholder management.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.
  • Valid driver's license required for position.

Responsibilities

  • Lead development and evaluation of energy use policies and procedures.
  • Collaborate on energy-focused capital and operational projects.
  • Oversee utility billing and budget development.
  • Manage energy metering and performance monitoring processes.
  • Develop and report utility KPIs to comply with regulations.
  • Identify and manage energy incentives and grants.
  • Drive initiatives for building performance improvements.
  • Cultivate partnerships with sustainability and communication teams.
  • Assess and lead the establishment of an energy management team.

Benefits

  • Professional development opportunities.
  • Collaborative work environment focused on sustainability.
  • Access to health benefits and retirement plans.
  • Opportunities to contribute to climate action goals.
  • Support for pursuing certification and training in energy management.
Full Job Description
Posting Details

Position Information

Fiscal Year


Position Title
Director of Energy Management & Decarbonization

Classification Title
Facilities Director

Department
AVP Office of Facilities

Posting Number
P260214

Posting Link
https://www.ubjobs.buffalo.edu/postings/64442

Employer
State

Bargaining Unit
13 - MC Professional

Position Type
M/C Professional

Professional Appointment Term
Term

Salary Grade
MP4

Posting Detail Information

Position Summary

University at Buffalo seeks a dynamic Director of Energy Management & Decarbonization to drive operational efficiency, energy conservation, clean energy adoption and aggressive emission reduction to accelerate the university's pace in achieving greater resilience, sustainability, and climate neutrality.

Drawing on best practices in energy management and clean-energy, the Director will develop and implement procedures, manage energy focused projects, and operational improvements aimed at reducing energy consumption, cutting greenhouse-gas emissions, and meeting New York State climate mandates (e.g., CLCPA).

Key responsibilities of this role include but are not limited to:

  • Lead the development, maintenance, and evaluation of campus wide policies, procedures, standards, and guidelines related to energy use, utilities management, electrification, building performance, carbon accounting, and decarbonization strategies. Ensure policies align with SUNY, New York State mandates (including CLCPA), and UB's Climate Action Plan, while balancing operational feasibility, financial impacts, and long-term institutional risk. Recommend policy changes to senior Facilities leadership and the Chief Sustainability Officer and participate in governance and compliance discussions affecting university operations. Serve on the University at Buffalo Climate Action Leadership Counsel with other senior leaders across the institution.
  • Provide Strategic Collaboration on Energy-Focused Capital and Operational Projects - Consult closely with design, planning, operations, and sustainability teams to incorporate energy efficiency, electrification, and decarbonization strategies into new construction and major renovation projects. Assess energy savings / decarbonization potential to ensure measurable energy performance improvements.
  • Utility Account Management - Oversee utility billing, cost allocations, budget development and procurement of energy resources for the University.
  • Manage Campus-Wide Energy Metering and Performance Monitoring - Oversee metering infrastructure, data collection, and analytics for all campus utilities. Track and report progress on energy-use intensity, utility cost performance, and carbon-emission reductions driven by capital renewal, maintenance activities, and operational improvements.
  • Oversee Utility KPI Development / Reporting - Oversee all internal and external utility related KPI development, and reporting. Examples include but are not limited to SUNY and New York State reporting under Executive Order 22, the Climate Leadership Community Protection Act, and other regulatory agencies.
  • Identify, Secure, and Manage Energy Incentives and Grants - Proactively identify projects eligible for financial incentives; prepare business cases, coordinate applications with the Chief Sustainability Officer and Associate Vice President of Facilities, and cultivate relationships with utilities, state agencies, and other funding entities. Partner with faculty and staff in collaboration with the Chief Sustainability Officer to pursue competitive grant opportunities that advance UB's energy and climate priorities.
  • Advance Building Performance and Commissioning Efforts - Drive continuous improvement in building operations through collaboration with Facilities partners. Support commissioning and retro-commissioning efforts to optimize system performance, extend asset life, and enhance occupant comfort and reliability.
  • Advance Decarbonization Initiatives Across the Facilities Enterprise - Serve as a key driver of carbon-reduction strategies and climate-action implementation, ensuring alignment with the University's Climate Action Plan, state mandates, and UB's long-term decarbonization goals.
  • Partner with Sustainability and Communications Teams - Collaborate with UB Sustainability and University Communications teams to highlight progress, document successes, and promote awareness of UB's energy and climate initiatives across the university community.
  • Assess, Build, and Lead an Energy Management Team -Evaluate the operational, technical, and analytical needs of UB's energy and decarbonization portfolio to determine the appropriate structure, size, and skill sets for an energy management team. Develop role definitions, participate in hiring, and provide ongoing leadership and supervision as the team is established. Foster a collaborative, high-performance environment that supports UB's strategic energy, utility, and carbon-reduction goals.


Minimum Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in engineering, energy, or related field.
  • Proven history of progressively responsible experience in energy management, utilities or district-energy operations, decarbonization planning, or large-scale facilities management, with a demonstrated record of delivering measurable energy savings and greenhouse-gas reductions.
  • Demonstrated expertise with building systems (HVAC, BAS/BMS), energy metering and analytics, and measurement and verification (M&V), along with strong project management and vendor/contractor oversight skills.
  • Familiarity with energy modeling and tracking software (e.g., building energy simulation tools, utility data platforms, carbon accounting systems) and the ability to use these tools to support forecasting, project evaluation, performance validation, and strategic planning.
  • Excellent organizational and communication skills to manage multiple priorities and interact with diverse stakeholders.
  • Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint) for daily administrative and reporting tasks.
  • Valid driver's license.


Preferred Qualifications
  • Advanced degree in engineering, energy, or related field.
  • Certified Energy Manager (CEM) or equivalent certifications.
  • Experience with microgrids, energy storage, building electrification, and utility rate structures.
  • Familiarity with GHG Protocol (Scopes 1-3), New York State's CLCPA compliance requirements, and higher-education sustainability reporting frameworks.
  • Experience with Energy CAP.


Our University Community

Prodig+
No

Executive Position
Yes

Physical Demands

Driving Requirements
A Class D driver's license is a required minimum qualification for this position. Employees must operate university owned vehicles for business purposes and be enrolled in the LENS program to verify license validity.

Salary Range
$125,000 - $150,000

Additional Salary Information

Job Type
Full-Time

Campus
All Campuses

Posting Alerts

Special Instructions Summary

Additional Information

Is a background check required for this posting?
Yes

Background Check Notification
For non-internal applicants: a selected candidate will have to complete and pass a background check prior to appointment.

Contact Information

Contact's Name
Ryan McPherson

Contact's Pronouns

Contact's Title
Chief Sustainability Officer

Contact's Email
[email protected]

Contact's Phone
716-645-2054

Posting Dates

Posted
09/25/2026

Deadline for Internal Applicants
10/24/2026

Deadline for External Applicants
Open Until Filled

Date to be filled
12/31/2026

References

Number of References Required
3

Reference Cutoff Date

Instructions to Applicant

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