Supervising Environmental Services Specialist – Environmental Services Department

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About the Department

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility service provision, and climate action. Together, ESD employees positively impact every resident and business in San Jose.

Our department is an exceptional place to start or grow your career. We have a supportive leadership team, numerous professional growth opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture that is welcoming of your talents! We offer an array of meaningful career paths and value flexibility - offering hybrid work and alternative work schedules in select roles. Additionally, the City offers excellent health and pension benefits, as well as 15 paid holidays!

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X (formally Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn.

Position Duties

The Environmental Services Department is currently seeking to fill one (1) full-time Supervising Environmental Services Specialist vacancy.

Job Classification Overview - Supervising Environmental Services Specialists (SESS):
Supervising Environmental Services Specialists plan, organize, and supervise the activities of assigned staff and program area within a division of the Environmental Services Department. This classification is designated as management and supervises other professional staff, as well as manages programmatic teams by providing direction and leadership. Incumbents in this classification are responsible for the successful development, implementation, and/or ongoing supervision and overview of assigned program(s). This classification not only supervises and oversees assigned professional staff, but also performs the most complex and specialized functions in support of assigned program(s).

This position requires an organized and motivated self-starter with strong collaboration, communication, negotiation, and problem-solving skills, and a demonstrated track record of successfully managing multiple projects.

About the Sustainability and Compliance Division’s Sustainability & Policy Position:

The Sustainability & Policy (SuPo) workgroup, which is under the Watershed Protection Division and part of the Emergency Preparedness & Real Estate Division, is seeking to fill a SESS position. This role will focus on developing, analyzing, and influencing sustainability and environmental utility policy for the Environmental Services Department (ESD) and the City. The position involves handling sensitive work related to sustainability, utility services policies, legislation management, planning, and analysis at the city, regional, state, and federal levels.

The SESS role will serve as a critical team member supporting ESD utility divisions, including Water Resources (San José Municipal Water System/South Bay Water Recycling), Integrated Waste Management, Watershed Protection, Wastewater Management (Regional Wastewater Facility), Wastewater Facility CIP, Regulatory Affairs & Purified Water, and Climate Smart San José. With a vision of "Collaboration on all levels," this role demands teamwork, strategic thinking, and proactive engagement. The ideal candidate should have a bachelor’s degree in a relevant field that facilitates effective communication, political strategy, and policy implementation. Additionally, the candidate should have experience in advancing sustainability policies for environmental utilities, project management, data gathering, problem-solving, and technical writing/review.

Responsibilities may include but are not limited to:

• Analyze legislation, regulatory proposals, and environmental policy initiatives at the City, regional, state, and federal levels to assess impacts on the Department’s programs and goals. Prepare recommendations, memoranda, letters, presentations, and technical documents that synthesize policy considerations and guide decision-making.
• Track and influence Federal, State, and regional environmental/utility legislation or policies, engaging with relevant associations, professional coalitions, and environmental networks. Provide timely updates to management, give update presentations as needed, and participate in events to further the utility divisions’ objectives.
• Engage with organizations and monitor regulatory agency activities and coalition efforts to ensure compliance and identify opportunities for collaboration.
• Managing ESD-developed environmental policies and making updates as required or requested by leadership, including the City’s environmentally preferred purchasing policy.
• Identify and pursue funding opportunities at all levels of government (including grants and legislative earmarks) to advance ESD’s utility programs, initiatives, and community outreach efforts.
• Proactively build partnerships among ESD divisions, other City departments, non-profit organizations, educational institutions, and community stakeholders to align policies, share resources, and achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for providing world-class utility services.
• Enhancing SuPo’s services through online tools and innovative methods to improve transparency and collaboration.

NOTE: ESD intends to use the candidate pool developed from this recruitment to fill all current vacancies, as well as any future vacancies that may occur in the coming months throughout the entire department. If you are interested in employment in the SESS classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment. Divisions that have SESS classifications are below.

Division Descriptions

Climate Smart Division
Climate Smart San José, adopted by the City Council in 2018, lays out how we are doing our part to address climate change. It’s a community wide initiative to reduce air pollution, save water and improve quality of life.

Climate Smart San José is one of the first detailed city plans for reaching the targets of the international Paris Agreement. To get there, Climate Smart sets ambitious goals for energy, water, transportation, and local jobs.

In 2022, the City adopted a carbon neutrality by 2030 goal and, in 2023, created a Pathway to Carbon Neutrality by 2030plan to focus the City’s climate efforts. This one-page flyer provides a summary of the Pathway.

Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Division
ESD’s Integrated Waste Management (IWM) Division leads one of the largest and most advanced solid waste management systems in the United States through creativity and innovation. Division staff collaborate with other City departments and establish strong partnerships with private companies, other government agencies, nonprofits, and the community on a variety of key efforts. Experience fast-paced work and learn new skills that contribute to the bigger purpose of protecting the environment at a local level.

Regulatory Affairs & Purified Water (RAPW) Division
This team of will collaborate with Valley Water in the pursuit of a variety of projects and activities within the "One Water" strategy, such as the coordination and development of plans for a substantial water recycling project for the production of potable water from wastewater effluent. This team will work closely with internal and external stakeholders and decisionmakers to develop the first potable reuse project in the region.

Wastewater Facility Capital Improvement Program (CIP)
The San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility Capital Improvement Program (CIP) division is leading one of the largest public works programs in San José’s history! Check out CIP’s website for more information on the $1.4 billion infrastructure construction program currently in its first 10-year phase. While all this planning and construction is on-going, the facility is in continuous operation, serving 1.4 million residents and over 17,000 businesses in eight cities.

Combine your expertise with the on-the-job experience you’ll gain in CIP by working with multi-discipline engineering professionals, program management consultants, and San José Public Works staff. You will enjoy career development, new skills, mentoring, and the benefits of contributing to your community.

Water Resources Division (WRD)
ESD’s Water Resources Division brings together engineers, operations, and maintenance, technical, and program staff to supply clean water to over 100,000 customers and recycled water to more than 850 customers; in addition, we lead conservation efforts to preserve our region’s precious drinking water supply. You can contribute to the local community by joining us in meaningful and important work focusing on water supply, resource sustainability, customer outreach, and infrastructure reliability. We are a small, but fun, division of ESD located in South San José.

Watershed Protection (WSP) Division
The Watershed Protection (WSP) Division provides services that support the City's efforts to protect water quality in local creeks and the Bay. These services are integral to the City's management of both wastewater and stormwater. The Watershed Protection Division is comprised of more than 100 employees with four key functions: Stormwater Management, Environmental Enforcement, Industrial Pretreatment, and Laboratory Services.

Salary Ranges
Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience. The salary range for this classification is:

• Supervising Environmental Services Specialist: $124,291.44 - $151,525.92

This salary range includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation.

Minimum Qualifications

Education: A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.

Experience: Four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in developing, promoting, AND/OR implementing environmental programs (e.g.: programs in air quality, integrated waste management, biology, agriculture, energy, forestry or parks, habitat restoration, wastewater, water resources, stormwater, archaeology, geology, resource conservation, industrial or environmental health and safety, OR any program emphasizing environmental sustainability or environmental regulatory compliance), INCLUDING two (2) years of experience leading people or projects.

Relevant experience in environmental services programs typically includes the following: preparing outreach/educational materials, conducting survey work, tracking and monitoring deliverables, coordinating special events, promoting programs, implementing new programs, policy development, planning and permitting, grants or contracts administration, analyzing data and creating reports, and/or tracking budgets.

Acceptable Substitutions:

• A master’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental studies or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience developing, promoting, and/or implementing environmental programs.
• Additional years of experience in developing, promoting, and/or implementing environmental programs maybe substituted for the bachelor's degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.

Required Licensing: Designated positions may require a valid State of California Environmental Health Specialist registration pursuant to California Health & Safety Code, Sections 106600-106735.

Form 700 requirement: This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Job Expertise - Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.

Teamwork and Interpersonal Skills - Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills.

Supervision - Sets effective long and short-term goals based on a good understanding of management practices; establishes realistic priorities within available resources; provides motivational support; empowers others; assigns decision-making and work functions to others in an appropriate manner to maximize organizational and individual effectiveness.

Fiscal Management - Understands the relationship of the budget and resources to the strategic plan; complies with administrative controls over funds, contracts, and procurements.

Initiative - Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.

Project Management - Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.

Problem Solving - Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem; collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.

Communication Skills - Effectively conveys information and expresses thoughts and facts clearly, orally and inwriting; demonstrates effective use of listening skills and displays openness to other people's ideas and thoughts.

Selection Process: The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Only the candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of this position, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Zoe McChesney via email at zoe.mcchesney@sanjoseca.gov

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility: Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application. If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided. IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.

The City of San Jose offers a wide range of core health benefits including Medical, Dental, Vision, Employee Assistance Program, Life Insurance, Disability, and Savings Plans. Please visit the City's benefits pagefor detailed information on coverage, cost, and dependent coverage.

For information on the City’s Retirement Plan(pension for full-time employees), please visit the Office of Retirement Services website. You will be able to view information based on different Sworn/Federated job classification.

In additional to the benefits above, there is an additional perks siteto explore further benefits of working for the City of San Jose like paid leave, educational reimbursements, and holiday pay are specific to the job classification and union membership.

Closing Date/Time: 1/21/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• City of San Jose

• 408-535-1285

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