Join an agency committed to creating a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and the global climate!

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (District) is a regional government agency, committed to achieving clean air to protect the public's health and the environment. The District accomplishes this goal through regulation of industrial facilities and various outreach and incentive programs designed to encourage clean air choices. The District's jurisdiction encompasses all of seven counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Napa, and portions of two others - southwestern Solano and southern Sonoma.

At the Air District, we take pride in our commitment to fostering a workplace that values diversity and promotes cultural awareness. We prioritize employee engagement by providing a collaborative and inclusive environment that encourages active participation and open dialogue. Additionally, we believe in pay equity and strive to create an equitable compensation structure. With a strong emphasis on work-life balance, we understand the importance of supporting our employees' well-being both inside and outside the workplace. Join us in a dynamic and inclusive culture where your contributions are celebrated and your growth is nurtured.

Are you interested in reducing air pollution and improving health outcomes in the most impacted and overburdened communities in the Bay Area? Are you motivated to lead the development and implementation of plans, projects and policies that address air pollution injustices and inequities? Are you energized by collaboration, enthusiastic about inter-disciplinary work, and committed to working to build and maintain a culture of shared trust and respect?

The AB 617 Principal Environmental Planner will join a high performing and motivated team of professionals who work in deep partnership with the communities most impacted by air pollution. You will lead and contribute to the successful preparation and implementation of community-scale air quality plans in partnership with Air District staff, community members, partner organizations, local governments, the California Air Resources Board, and other state agencies. You will work to support community steering committees and other community partners determine how to best improve air quality and reduce health disparities while centering equity and addressing environmental justice. To be successful in this role, you must be a strong team player, have strong communication, project management and analytical skills, and be able to work with people of varied backgrounds and perspectives, including low-income communities of color and communities overburdened by air pollution. You will leverage your knowledge of land use, transportation, air quality, equity and environmental justice to lead and conduct research, analyze issues, prepare community centered planning materials including preparing and delivering presentations, writing summaries and plan documents, and craft recommendations to support community and Air District decision making.

Assembly Bill 617

Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017) was signed into law alongside Assembly Bill 398 which extended California's cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions. AB 617 addresses environmental justice concerns regarding the extension of the cap-and-trade program by requiring the California Air Resources Board, with input from community groups, air districts and others, to select locations around the state to prepare community-led plans to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria pollutants. The primary requirement for community selection is a demonstrated high cumulative exposure burden to air pollution and associated health disparities. In the Bay Area, and around the state, these communities are often low-income communities of color.

In 2017, West Oakland and the Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo area were selected as the first communities to participate in the AB 617 program. Since then, East Oakland and Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco communities have been added to the program. The Air District works closely with these communities to both develop and implement emission reduction and monitoring plans.

Air Quality Planning Section (State and Federal Attainment Planning Role)
Are you interested in using your understanding of local and regional air quality challenges to develop actionable strategies to meet state and federal air quality standards while also addressing local air quality and health disparities? Do you possess strong project management and communication skills? Do you have a deep understanding of air quality regulations, technical complexities, and planning requirements? Are you committed to addressing air pollution injustices and promoting equity through actionable plans and policies? If you excel in collaboration, thrive in an interdisciplinary environment, and value a culture of trust and respect, then this role is a perfect fit for you.

The Principal Environmental Planner will join a high performing and motivated team of professional planners, engineers, technical, and legal experts working on preparing and implementing regional air quality plans, policies and programs to address regional air quality challenges while also bringing a specific focus on reducing longstanding air pollution and health disparities in the most overburdened communities in the Bay Area. You will be a thought leader using innovation and creativity to integrate air quality, health, equity, and environmental justice into air quality plans, policies, and programs. You will be responsible for leading collaborative efforts across the Air District, and for working in close partnership with a variety of stakeholders including communities and local governments. You will leverage your knowledge of land use, transportation, air quality, CEQA, equity and environmental justice to lead and conduct research, analyze issues, prepare and deliver presentations, develop planning documents and resources, lead environmental impact assessments, and crafting actionable recommendations.

To be successful in this role, you must have experience in project management, be able to lead and manage teams, be committed to collaboration and partnerships, and be excited to inspire others to work together to achieve shared goals and objectives. You will need to be comfortable juggling multiple, complex projects simultaneously and be able to adapt to changing circumstances and priorities. You will need strong project management, organization, communication, and interpersonal skills and be willing and able to work with people of varied backgrounds and perspectives, including low-income communities of color and communities overburdened by air pollution.

Definition

Under direction, participates in the most complex environmental planning activities; performs related work as assigned.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This class provides high-level professional environmental planning services in support of the Air District's goals and objectives. Incumbents are responsible for handling difficult and/or innovative environmental planning activities for the Air District and providing project leadership for developing programs. This class is distinguished from Supervising Environmental Planner, in that the latter supervises assigned staff on a continuing basis and prepares performance evaluations.

(Illustrative only)

Lead the development and delivery of new and innovative policies, programs and projects to accelerate emission and exposure reductions in communities most disproportionately impacted by air pollution.

Develop and maintain strong working relationships with community-based organizations, community members, local governments, regional, state and federal agencies to develop and implement local and regional air quality plans and programs.

Lead collaborative projects and programs that actively engage staff from other Divisions to advanced local community health protection goals and objectives in overburdened, low-income, and communities of color.

Guide difficult, sensitive or high visibility projects, including updates to the Air District California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Thresholds of Significance, Air Quality Guidelines, and supporting tools and technical guidance.

Prepare and make presentations to Air District staff, Committees and Board of Directors, as well as members of the public, other stakeholders and community organizations.

Lead and support efforts to achieve local, regional, state and federal air quality planning objectives through land use and transportation planning, policy research and development, and technical analyses and reports.

Respond to inquiries from governmental officials, consultants, and the public related to CEQA, air quality, and other environmental planning issues.

Coordinate the review of environmental impact assessments prepared by other agencies pursuant to CEQA and assist other Divisions in the preparation of Air District Lead Agency CEQA documents.

Education & Experience

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills is:

Equivalent to graduation from a college or university with a graduate degree in regional, urban, or environmental planning or a closely related field and four years of professional environmental planning experience. Additional relevant experience may substitute for the graduate degree.

Desirable Qualifications

• Knowledge of the principles, practices, information sources and trends in air quality, environmental impact assessment and land use planning.
• Skill in directing and conducting complex environmental planning studies and reading and interpreting laws, policies, procedures and regulations.
• Ability to effectively and sensitively communicate with a broad and diverse variety of stakeholders including low-income communities and communities of color.
• Bilingual proficiency in one or more languages commonly spoken in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Please visit our Job Description page at http://www.baaqmd.gov/about-the-air-district/job-opportunities/job-descriptions to view the full list of knowledge, skills, and abilities for this position.

How to Apply

Interested individuals must submit a completed Air District application, chronological resume, and responses to the supplemental questionnaire by 5:00 p.m. on Monday, June 3, 2024. Applications are accepted online; please visit our website at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs to apply.

Resumes must be attached to the application and will not be accepted in lieu of the required application materials. Postmarks, faxes, and e-mailed applications will not be accepted.

Except as requested in this announcement, do not include any additional documents, such as letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, work samples, etc. They will not be considered or returned.

Supplemental Questions Instructions

Individuals who apply for this position must respond to each of the required supplemental questions. Applications must be received by the Human Resources Office no later than the time and date specified in this vacancy announcement. The responses to the supplemental application questions will be used in accordance with the procedures indicated under the Selection Criteria section.

Please limit your responses to no more than 250 words per question. Do not combine your responses or reference your application, resume, or any other requested documentation that you have included with your application packet to answer a question. This information will be evaluated as is and may be used to determine those applicants with the most directly related experience, education, and training to continue in the selection process. It is very important to provide a concise, clear, legible, complete response to each question.

Selection Criteria

Selection may be based upon a competitive examination consisting of a written exercise, interview, or combination of the two. Depending on the number of qualified applicants, an application screening and/or panel interview may be used to determine the most qualified applicants.

The District may hire from this recruitment process to fill future vacancies occurring within the next 18 months.

Persons with disabilities who may require reasonable accommodations during the application and/or selection process should notify the Human Resources Office at (415) 749-4980.

The District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.