Patriot Green Fund Program Manager

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Department: Facilities & Campus Operations

Classification: Program Admin Specialist 1

Job Category: Classified Staff

Job Type: Full-Time

Work Schedule: Full-time (1.0 FTE, 40 hrs/wk)

Location: Fairfax, VA

Workplace Type: Hybrid Eligible

Sponsorship Eligibility: Not eligible for visa sponsorship

Pay Band: 04

Salary: Salary commensurate with education and experience, $70000

Criminal Background Check: Yes

Motor Vehicle Records Check: Yes

About the Department:

George Mason University Facilities ensures a quality physical environment supporting the mission of the university. We will be the technical and business experts of choice with the total trust and confidence of our students, faculty, and staff. The mission of University Sustainability is to use the strengths of George Mason University - innovation, responsiveness, flexibility, and community strength - to provide leadership in stewardship on our campuses and throughout the local and global communities of which we are a part. University Sustainability's objectives are to reduce Mason's environmental footprint and to advance a sustainable culture at Mason.

About the Position:

Ready to start the New Year with a new position as a State employee of Virginia?

We have a wonderful opportunity for you. You'll be a State employee of Virginia, work at our beautiful Fairfax campus with 677 acres of wooded land, and become part of the George Mason University patriot team.

We've got the work. We now require an additional team member to contribute to our busy environment. We are looking for someone reliable who takes pride in their work and will make a noticeable contribution to the educational facilities at George Mason. Your manager can trust that you will get the job done.

Great benefits for you...

• Lots of leave, including paid annual leave, paid holidays, paid sick leave, paid two-week winter break (please note - the break employees often receive during the holiday season is not regularly guaranteed and is subject to annual approval);
  
• Free tuition, up to 12 credit hours during the academic year, and professional development. Yes, you can earn a college education while earning a salary.
• Commuter Choice Transit Benefit;
• Virginia Retirement System Hybrid Plan; and
• Patriot Perks discounts to restaurants, events, and more!

For you and your family...

• Health/dental/vision benefits; and
• Tuition dependent benefit (restrictions apply).

The position supports University Sustainability and George Mason University in meeting the missions stated above, with primary responsibility to comprehensively manage the Patriot Green Fund (PGF), a large annual grantmaking fund financed by Facilities and Campus Operations to support sustainability-related research and campus infrastructure. The Program Manager is also responsible for providing leadership and support in promoting the integration of George Mason's strategic planning and related goals for energy efficiency in PGF student, faculty, and staff research and infrastructure projects, driving sustainability behaviors through the PGF on Mason's campuses, and strengthening collaboration with academic units by integrating and embedding the PGF.

We think it's a great opportunity and can't wait to speak with you. Here's a partial list of the duties.

Responsibilities:

Patriot Green Fund (PGF) Program and Project Management

• Provide overall management and oversight of all aspects of the Patriot Green Fund to ensure efficient and impactful operation, particularly distribution of funds to high-impact projects;
• Utilize project management software to track proposal reviews, monitor project milestones, coordinate stakeholder communication, and ensure sustainability initiatives are completed on time and within scope;
• Establish and make reasonable efforts to utilize the entire annual allocation of funding to finance high-impact projects, furthering key University Sustainability, Facilities, and Campus Operations goals and objectives;
• Promote the Patriot Green Fund as a resource to students, staff, and faculty, facilitating high-quality project applications and regular, long-term student participation on the PGF Committee for professional development and co-curricular learning;
• Promote and solicit project applications for the Patriot Green Fund's grant monies through various channels, both virtual and in-person;
• Collaborate with faculty and staff to support the development of real-world problem-solving skills and provide co-curricular learning opportunities for students through high-impact projects;
• Develop a target list of outreach opportunities to focus PGF efforts on high-impact projects;
• Promote and solicit responses to specific sustainability challenges, including those identified by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS), as well as Facilities & Campus Operations' strategic projects and initiatives;
• Collaborate with faculty to incorporate ongoing sustainability projects into course assignments or capstone projects;
• Work with Facilities & Campus Operations, other George Mason stakeholders, and students as lead project manager to ensure PGF projects are completed; and
• Manage outreach and communications for PGF; collaborate with Facilities & Campus Operations, Communications, and Marketing to develop and implement strategic communications strategies and plans.

Patriot Green Fund Administration

• Develop an annual strategic plan for the PGF aligned with key George Mason University and Facilities and Campus Operations goals/objectives;
• Develop annual spending goals and strategies for increasing success rates for funded projects and ensuring projects align with university strategies and goals;
• Manage all aspects of the PGF's budget, including budget development, planning, monthly reconciliations, etc.;
• Manage all aspects of PGF's administrative processes (ex. PGF interest form, PGF application process) and offer improvements where necessary;
• Work with Facilities Purchasing to purchase equipment for PGF-funded projects;
• Manage the PGF Committee, including all recruitment, onboarding, training, and ongoing management of student members;
• Manage and supervise student interns supporting the PGF, when necessary; create structured internship opportunities for students to work on targeted projects; and
• Research best practices in similar programs at other institutions to continually improve Mason's PGF program.

Academic Integration and Strategic Collaborations

• Promote and solicit PGF project responses for specific sustainability challenges, including those identified in AASHE STARS and other initiatives of Facilities & Campus Operations;
• Develop a target list of outreach opportunities to focus PGF efforts on high-impact projects;
• Promote the Patriot Green Fund as a resource to support these strategic initiatives;
• Collaborate with faculty across disciplines to integrate active and planned sustainability initiatives into course curricula, lab activities, and capstone projects, ensuring students gain hands-on experience, apply classroom knowledge to real-world challenges, and contribute measurable outcomes to George Mason's sustainability goals;
• Serve as Facilities & Campus Operations lead for the "Mason as a Living Lab" program, in collaboration with staff and faculty from the Institute for a Sustainable Earth;
• Integrate the PGF into academic units and other offices across campus, such as the Office of Student Scholarship, Creative Activities, and Research (OSCAR), Provost's mini-grants, and programs in other offices; and
• Collaborate with the Facilities and Campus Operations, Communications, and Marketing teams to ensure appropriate promotion and marketing of the PGF to facilitate participation and collaboration from the George Mason community.

Other Related Duties as Assigned

• Related tasks assigned by the supervisor and department head.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a related field such as Environmental Science and Policy, Public Policy, Sustainability, Environmental Engineering, Business, Project Management, or possess an equivalent combination of related education and experience;
• Working on sustainability, resource efficiency, waste minimization, energy usage, water usage, sustainable landscaping, and/or alternative transportation initiatives;
• Promoting efficiencies in areas such as waste minimization, energy usage, or water usage, sustainable landscaping, and/or transportation alternatives programs within an organization;
• Considerable experience in project management, including successfully managing the scope, timeline, and budget of multiple projects;
• Budget development, management, procurement, record-keeping, and reporting;
• Knowledge of (either through coursework or practical work experience, or both):
  
  
  
  • The range and diversity of sustainability topics in higher education;
  • How to develop and support programming strategies and initiatives, to include developing specific strategies for grantmaking, team-building, and behavior change;
  
  
  
  
• Demonstrated skills in:
  
  
  
  • Program and project management;
  • Management of committees;
  • Project oversight to ensure completion and success;
  • Developing and managing budgets;
  • Managing staff and volunteers;
  • Developing and improving processes;
  • Grant management;
  • Writing, oral communication, public speaking, meeting facilitation, time management, problem solving, network-building, fundraising, and research;
  
  
  
  
• Ability to:
  
  
  
  • Perform data analysis in support of reporting and decision making;
  • Perform purchasing and reimbursement tasks;
  • Perform monthly budget reconciliations and tracking of fiscal transactions for the PGF;
  • Write project summaries, annual progress reports, process documentation, and reports with little oversight, and incorporate feedback from various individuals into those documents;
  • Direct and work effectively with faculty, staff, and students seeking research and infrastructure improvement project experience; this includes interactions with students in the office and classrooms, and on the PGF Committee;
  • Build networks and partnerships across the campus by engaging in direct outreach to academic and operational departments;
  • Effectively oversee the work of interns and wage staff;
  • Perform work effectively, independently, and with minimal oversight, completing assignments in a timely fashion and of high quality; and
  
  
  
  
• Valid driver's license: must currently possess an appropriate, active, valid motor vehicle operator's license that meets all of GMU's requirements for operating state vehicles and equipment under Mason's Vehicle Use Policy 1411 https://universitypolicy.gmu.edu/policies/vehicle-use/. The Office of Risk Management reserves the right to review the driver's licenses and Motor Vehicle Reports (MVRs) of all candidates selected for employment, contingent upon a favorable review.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master's degree in a related field;
• Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Green Associate or Accredited Professional (preferred)
  Project Management Professional (preferred);
• Experience working with all levels of university constituents, especially students;
• Experience with budgeting, procurement, and facilities improvement in higher education;
• Experience writing policies, plans, or strategies for sustainability topics;
• Experience presenting sustainability topics to large audiences;
• Knowledge of (either through coursework or practical work experience, or both):
  
  
  
  • The challenges associated with sustainability in higher education; and
  • The AASHE STARS sustainability assessment and reporting platform.
  
  
  
  

Instructions to Applicants:

For full consideration, applicants must apply for the Patriot Green Fund Program Manager at https://jobs.gmu.edu/. Complete and submit the online application to include three professional references with contact information, and provide a Resume for review.

Posting Open Date: January 23, 2026

For Full Consideration, Apply by: February 6, 2026

Open Until Filled: Yes