Strategic Energy & Utilities Program Manager
Working Title: Strategic Energy & Utilities Program Manager
State Role Title: N/A
Position Type: Administrative & Professional (Non-teaching Faculty)
Position Status: Full-Time
FLSA Status: Exempt: Not Eligible for Overtime
College/Division: Business Services
Department: 100250 - FM Administration
Pay Band:
Pay Rate: Commensurate with Experience
Specify Range or Amount:
Is this a JMU only position? No
Is this a grant-funded position? No
Is this a Conflict of Interest designated position? No
Beginning Review Date: 5/22/2026
About JMU:
Mission
We are a community committed to preparing students to be educated and enlightened citizens who lead productive and meaningful lives.
Vision
To be the national model for the engaged university: engaged with ideas and the world.
Who We Are
Situated in the heart of Virginia's beautiful Shenandoah Valley, the city of Harrisonburg is a vibrant community with a population of approximately 52,000. Harrisonburg is conveniently located approximately 120 miles from Washington, D.C. and Richmond, VA.
JMU is a selective, public institution with a growing national reputation for offering experiences that lead to an outstanding education and supportive environment for students, faculty and staff. The student body includes approximately 21,000 undergraduate and 1,800 graduate students, with over 1,000 full-time instructional faculty.
JMU offers thriving programs in the liberal arts, science and technology, and professional disciplines at the undergraduate, master's and doctoral levels. JMU has achieved national recognition for the high quality of its academic programs, focus on maintaining strong student/faculty interaction, and innovative faculty research.
General Information:
James Madison University is seeking a highly motivated and experienced professional to serve as the Strategic Energy & Utilities Program Manager. This senior, results-driven role leads the University's energy and utilities strategy, applying professional judgment to optimize an approximately $28M annual utilities portfolio and deliver provable financial outcomes through utility procurement governance, risk mitigation, forecasting, and performance reporting. Success is measured by documented, recurring reductions in annual utility spend while serving as an institutionally integrated partner with academic programs (including East Campus/CISAT), student employees, and sustainability collaborators to advance University priorities.
Duties and Responsibilities:
Leads, governs, and optimizes the University's utilities portfolio and procurement strategy through independent delegated authority and risk-informed decision-making to deliver documented, recurring cost reductions.
- Advises Facilities leadership and other University units by analyzing rate, fuel, and contract options; recommending portfolio actions for the annual utilities portfolio; and prioritizing high-impact initiatives that produce verified, recurring reductions in annual utility spend.
- Demonstrates results through documented year-over-year savings captured and verified; performance is expected to include measurable reductions in annual utility spend.
- Leads evaluation of energy supply and purchase agreements (including market monitoring and contract structures) and makes recommendations that balance cost, risk, reliability, and institutional priorities.
Develops, leads, and continuously improves an enterprise energy management strategy grounded in advanced analysis, sound professional discretion, and measurable financial outcomes.
- Partners with Facilities Operations and the Building Automation System (BAS) team to translate analytics into prioritized decisions, implementation roadmaps, and verified savings.
- Leads identification and evaluation of demand-side and supply-side opportunities (including renewable integration and demand response) using non-standardized analysis to inform business cases, prioritization, and implementation planning.
- Leverages metering, analytics, and energy management platforms to generate decision-quality insights, validate savings, and support leadership choices on investments, priorities, and operational changes.
Works directly with faculty and students in close academic program alignment to deliver applied energy and sustainability initiatives, develop curriculum-connected experiential learning, and advance the University's student work priorities
- Builds sustained partnerships with faculty and academic program leaders and engages as a peer/subject-matter expert to identify applied projects that advance operational needs and academic goals.
- Supervises, mentors, and develops student employees, interns, and capstone teams in roles aligned with their academic programs; helps design structured experiential learning opportunities tied to real energy management decisions and outcomes.
Provides institutional leadership and subject-matter expertise to integrate energy performance and sustainability outcomes into capital projects, standards, and campus initiatives
- Provides expert guidance on facilities design and construction standards, processes, and project decisions to improve life-cycle energy performance and support institutional priorities.
- Works collaboratively with inspection and facilities teams to incorporate energy and performance assessments into building surveys, prioritization, and corrective action planning.
- Partners with institutional stakeholders (including the Institute for Stewardship of the Natural World) to advance sustainability goals and integrate energy outcomes into broader University initiatives.