The Environmental Equity Officer (Class: 461 equal to Division Chief) will have responsibility for ensuring that MRCA’s programs and services promote and achieve equitable outcomes. TheEnvironmental Equity Officer will recommend best practices in all aspects of MRCA operations and oversee the inclusion of communities that traditionally have been overlooked and ignored.
In this context, equity is defined as a systemic process where the benefits of MRCA’s mission (to acquire, protect, and preserve open space, wildlife habitat, and urban, mountain and river parkland that is easily accessible to the public) shall accrue to the public in a manner that reflects the demographics of MRCA’s stakeholder base. The Environmental Equity Officer will ensure that disadvantaged communities are a priority for projects with an emphasis on increasing access to public local and regional natural assets for historically excluded, marginalized, underrepresented and under-resourced communities.
The Environmental Equity Officer serves as the primary point of contact for Tribal issues and acts as a liaison between the agency and tribes, tribal communities, and stakeholders, to strengthen relationships and create partnerships. Collaborations will include working to develop rematriation plans, plans for co or total management of specific properties, and the development and implementation of an inclusive process with tribes, tribal communities and stakeholders that is relevant and specific to each site in question.
The Environmental Equity Officer will be responsible for reviewing MRCA’s policies related to inclusion, diversity, equity and environmental justice and make recommendations to Executive Staff and/or the Governing Board for revisions and/or new policies. These policies include but are not limited to MRCA’s Outreach and Advertising Policy and MRCA’s Outreach and Employment Recruitment Policy.
This position requires a highly motivated, responsible, organized and self-starter individual who can handle an array of tasks, has good judgement, and can make decisions, and works independently or as part of a team. The individual must be able to come up with multiple solutions to any given problem, in areas that may be outside their expertise, and be willing to take on challenges. The ability to successfully communicate with a wide variety of interested parties is essential, and proficiency in a second language that reflects the constituency where the agency operates, at minimum conversationally, is highly desirable.
This is professional work related to the planning, construction, and operation of parkland at a senior management level of local government. The work performed will support MRCA’s operation of nature parks within greater Los Angeles, land acquisition and capital improvement Work programs, and other efforts related to public access, open space conservation, habitat restoration, and urban park development. The agency has adopted a goal to increase the number of disadvantaged businesses and individuals benefitting from MRCA opportunities and this work will directly relate to this goal.
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Type
This is a full-time, exempt, at-will position.
Supervision
This position reports to the Chief of Staff. The position may supervise other staff, and generally works collaboratively as part of a team with coworkers and stakeholders. Direct and regular communication with the Executive Officer will be expected.
ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
The following duties are typical for this classification. Incumbents may not perform all of the listed duties and/or may be required to perform additional or different duties from those set forth below to address business needs and changing business practices.
- Supervise the development and implementation of projects and plans to benefit disadvantaged communities in urban areas of Los Angeles, as part of a project team. Identify and scope efforts to increase inclusion and participation in project planning, and to eliminate or mitigate barriers to inclusion.
- Address specific issues or concerns raised by Tribal representatives and facilitate communication to address these issues.
- Assisting staff in communications and consultation with tribal representatives.
- Evaluate and recommend changes to procedures, policies, and operational practices that would increase equitable outcomes and achieve the goals set forth in MRCA’s equity and inclusion policies. Consult with MRCA’s ADA Coordinator regarding accessibility needs.
- Implement multiple initiatives simultaneously: The Officer will be the central point of contact on all issues concerning their assigned projects and will be responsible for project quality. Perform project tracking, scheduling, and budget management.
- Monitor MRCA’s contracting process to evaluate the inclusion of disadvantaged businesses and make regular reports to the Governing Board. Recommend procedures to staff that could increase DBE participation.
- Attend meetings of community organizations and partner agencies to keep apprised of current conditions. Act as liaison between MRCA and other entities with respect to equitable outcomes and featured projects.
- Prepare and give public presentations on a variety of topics related to MRCA operations, plans and projects benefiting disadvantaged communities and along the Los Angeles River and tributaries. The purpose of this outreach is to create and develop relationships with the entities and communities that have not traditionally been part of MRCA or other government processes and ensure that MRCA programs and services reflect the demographics of its stakeholder base.
- Make reports to Executive Staff, Governing Board, funders, and the general public. Keep Executive Staff apprised of progress regularly.
- Attend senior staff and cabinet meetings and participate in management discussions.
- Select and manage contractors and consultants, in conjunction with other staff, with respect to their work implementing MRCA plans and policies related to inclusion, diversity, equity and environmental justice.
- Work closely, collaboratively, and practice clear and frequent communication with other staff, and other project stakeholders, to complete projects and accomplish project goals.
- Produce written materials including staff reports, text for publication, proposals, progress reports, and a variety of other documents.
- Provide support to coworkers on other projects.
- Maintain files, including documentation and authorization for expenses, project progress, contracts and agreements, project budgets, contacts, board actions and all other items related to a project’s development.
- Maintain good habits of answering and responding to incoming telephone calls, correspondence, and when communicating and providing customer service to citizens who seek assistance.
- Maintain positive relationships with coworkers, representatives of other government agencies, non-profit organizations, homeowner’s associations, and the public at large.
- Assess MRCA’s programs and services to determine if they are serving a representative population and provide resources for staff training and improvement.
- Work directly with agencies responsible of tribal affairs and advancement, elected representatives and other parties responsible for or developing tribal policies and procedures to keep MRCA current with evolving issues.
- Perform related duties as required.
NON-ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS
- Lead and participate in group hikes and project site tours with project stakeholders.
- Write and coordinate grant proposals and research new funding opportunities for related efforts.
- Analyze, verify and obtain payment approvals for invoices.
JOB SPECIFICATIONS
Physical Demands
Required Hours and Location
Monday through Friday, 8 hours per day, 40 hours per week with some scheduling flexibility. The position is exempt from overtime. The position will work out of the Los Angeles River Center and Gardens but may be required to travel to various other locations. Offices at the River Center are spread among multiple buildings and floors. Remote working hybrid option may be allowed, subject to supervisor approval.
Public Contact
As public parklands, the majority of MRCA properties are open to the general public during operating hours. This position is likely to have physical contact with members of the public in public areas such as parking lots and shared public/office restrooms and during in-person public meetings. The MRCA is committed to protecting its staff by ensuring appropriate physical distancing and proper infection control while supporting equitable access to services. Our requirements are based on the current County of Los Angeles guidance, and are subject to change as the County updates their policies.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
The following generally describes the knowledge and ability required to enter the job and/or be learned within a short period of time in order to successfully perform the essential functions. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential job functions.
Education and Experience
- At least five (5-8) years of employment with satisfactory performance, performing duties that provide knowledge relevant to the position.
- B.A. or B.S. degree. One year of relevant experience may be substituted for each year of required education.
- Experience working directly with marginalized communities, tribes and tribal communities is preferred.
Training and Certification
Knowledge of:
- Environmental justice and equity issues in the MRCA service area as they relate to parks, park operations, recreational access, and related planning processes.
- Local and State legislative processes.
- Common Windows-based programs including word processing, spreadsheets, and databases.
- Office practices and procedures.
Ability to:
- Prioritize varying tasks and projects and manage multiple projects at once.
- Work independently to handle multiple tasks under deadlines.
- Revise work approach to address changed conditions.
- Complete projects and follow oral and written directions.
- Quickly change tasks and focus.
- Consistently follow agency procedures.
- Innovate and improve processes.
- Learn new software including WordPerfect.
- Exercise discretion and sensitivity to confidential information.
Competencies:
- Excellent oral and written English language skills. Not required to be a native English speaker, but fluency in English will be required.
- Proficiency in a second language that reflects the constituency where the agency operates, at minimum conversationally, is highly desirable.
- Excellent organizational skills.
- Establish and maintain cooperative relations with those contacted in the course of work, including the general public.
- Bilingual skills in English and other locally common language, such as Spanish, Korean, Farsi, Chinese, Armenian, Yiddish, or Tagalog is highly desired.
Other Requirements
Candidates must have a valid California driver’s license in good standing with a satisfactory driving record. Employees must be willing to participate in agency emergency response.
All appointment offers are contingent upon the following:
- Background check including submission of fingerprints to Department of Justice, and a record clean of violent crimes or felonies.
- Successful completion of a physical examination including a drug test and TB test.
- Verification of the right to work in the United States.
This job announcement is not intended to, and does not, create an employment contract of any kind and does not create any express or implied contractual obligations. Employment at MRCA is at-will without exception. The employee and MRCA may terminate employment at any time with or without advance notice and with or without cause.
Any provision contained in this job announcement may be modified or revoked at any time without notice.
