CAREER RESOURCES
Turn Your Interest in Science Into an Impactful Career
Graduates solve disruptive sustainability issues, influence decision-making processes of policymakers and managers, and protect earth’s natural resources and environmental conditions using scientific tools and knowledge. Alumni hold leading positions in private companies, government agencies, and non-profit organizations both in the United States and abroad.
Examples of alumni roles:
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Director, Climate Growth Fund | Blue Earth Capital
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Neighborhood Air Pollution Control Lead | MN Pollution Control Agency
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Environmental Scientist | Langan Engineering & Environmental Services
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Director, Sustainability Graduate Programs | Columbia University
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Senior Analyst, Environmental Chemistry | Gradient
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Director of Research | Map Collective
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Environmental Health Safety Engineer | SpaceX
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Senior Decarbonization Analyst | EcoAct
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Investment Manager | Korea Federation of Small and Medium Business (KBIZ)
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Associate | McKinsey & Company
School of Professional Studies’ Career Design Lab
M.S. in Sustainability Science students and alumni are supported with individualized career coaching and a wide variety of career resources. The Career Design Lab partners with program faculty, administrators, students, and alumni to provide tailored career services and programming along with self-directed online tools for professional development.
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Leslie Rich
Sustainability Career Mentor
Adjunct Professor, Columbia University’s Sustainability Management program; Sr. Consultant, U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office
Leslie Rich, currently an adjunct professor in Columbia University’s Sustainability Management program, has over 25 years of experience as an equity analyst covering the US utility sector for major asset management institutions. Following a multi-decade career on Wall Street, Rich is now a consultant to the U.S. Department of Energy Loan Programs Office. In this capacity, Rich will support the design and implementation of new loan authorities including the $250 billion Energy Reinvestment program. She will also assist in outreach and business development to finance technologies and infrastructure projects that enable the energy transition.
Previously, she worked at JP Morgan Asset Management covering companies in the electric, gas, and water utility sectors. Prior to JP Morgan, Rich held similar equity analyst roles at Columbia Threadneedle Investments and Neuberger Berman. Additionally, she served on the advisory council of the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) from 2018 - 2023. She regularly speaks at industry conferences on topics including ESG, utility capital allocation, and decarbonization strategies. She earned a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College and holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Taylor Wordsman
Climate School Professional
Development Opportunities
M.S. in Sustainability Science students and alumni benefit from professional development opportunities at the Columbia Climate School. The program focuses on skill building, access to leading practitioners, career networking, and specialized job search strategies and tools. Initatives include:
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Research, Fieldwork, and Internships Opportunities
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Climate & Sustainability Career Planning
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Access to Climate and Sustainability Practitioners
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Climate & Sustainability Alumni Network
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Associations & Clubs
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Fellowships & Scholarships
For more information about career support through the Columbia Climate School, click here.
Sustainability Job Board
CLIMATETECHLIST
ClimateTechList.com is the web's most comprehensive climate tech job search tool with over 30,000 climate tech jobs from 1,000 companies, updated daily. The site also has blog posts that explain the climate hiring/recruiting/company landscape and thousands of university/internships/early career-specific climate tech jobs.
CLIMATEBASE
climatebase.org is the world's leading hiring platform for climate organizations. Climatebase supports thousands of climate tech companies, renewable energy companies, and environmental nonprofits in hiring the top talent they need to succeed — while helping their community of over 1M yearly users discover jobs and transition to a mission-driven career.
GREEN JOBS BOARD
Green Jobs Board provides pathways for people looking to enter the green economy by connecting employers and job seekers with education, community, and empowerment. Their mission is to bridge the gap between opportunity and access within the environmental field, especially for BIPOC, LGBTQIA+, Peoples with Disabilities, etc., seeking work in this industry.