Environmental Services Specialist Series – Environmental Services Department (20287223)

Per the City’s COVID19 Mandatory Vaccination Policy, the City requires all employees starting on or after February 11, 2022, to provide proof of vaccination as a condition of employment absent a documented medical and/or religious exemption. Proof of vaccination means that employees are required to be “up-to-date” with regards to the COVID-19 vaccine. Consistent with the Santa Clara County Public Health Order issued on December 28, 2021, "up-to-date" means that an employee is not only "fully vaccinated," but has also obtained any booster doses of a COVID-19 vaccination for which they are eligible, within 15 days of first becoming eligible.
 
Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third-party job board application system. To apply, applicants must complete an application via the City of San Jose’s website at www.sanjoseca.gov/citycareers.
 
The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is recruiting for the Environmental Services Specialist (ESS) series which includes three levels/classifications: Assistant ESS, Associate ESS, and ESS. ESD intends to use the candidate pool developed from this recruitment to fill current vacancies, as well as future ESS series vacancies. Depending on your qualifications (see Minimum Qualifications below), the application you submit may be considered for an Assistant ESS, Associate ESS, or ESS position.
 
General Overview of the Environmental Services Specialist (ESS) Series Job Classification:
 
ESS employees play a critical role in providing the many vital services that help protect our environment and improve the lives of San Jose residents!
 
Employees in the ESS series perform highly technical and specialized functions to preserve environmental resources and provide public protection in the area of environmental sciences. ESS employees develop, organize, and coordinate assigned plans, programs, and/or special projects for the City and its environmental services; and act as a primary resource to City officials, the community, and businesses.
 
Typical duties for ESS positions across the department include:
• Developing and evaluating assigned environmental program goals and policies
• Developing, monitoring, and overseeing contract terms and negotiations, grant proposals, and project budgets
• Analyzing and interpreting data to prepare presentations and written reports
• Assisting the public with environmental compliance issues and City provided environmental services through coordinating environmental outreach events and programs, as well as preparing public education material regarding environmental services information
• Providing project or program-level environmental compliance support, serving as a liaison to outside agencies and regulatory bodies
• Performing duties in the field, such as outreach, inspections, etc.

Current ESS Series Vacancies
Currently, there are a number of exciting ESS series opportunities in the department’s Integrated Waste Management, Watershed Protection, and Sustainability and Compliance divisions! To learn more about the great work we do in these divisions, please go to sjenvironment.org. Overviews of these teams and their ESS series positions are below:
 
Watershed Protection Division’s Stormwater Management Group – Trash Load Reduction Team
 
The Trash Load Reduction Team is responsible for coordinating, supporting, reporting, and implementing the Trash Load Reduction C.10 provision of the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Stormwater Permit (Permit). This position coordinates the implementation of projects in collaboration with other City departments and external partners. Key projects of the Trash Team include trash capture projects, the Direct Discharge Trash Control Program, creek assessments, cleanup coordination, grant and contract management, and reporting. 
 
Watershed Protection Division’s Stormwater Management Group – Monitoring and Pollutants of Concern Team
 
The Monitoring and Pollutants of Concern (MPC) Team focuses on reducing pollutants to storm drains from routine municipal operations; implementing control methods for pollutants of concern, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, trash, pesticides, etc.; and assessing exempted and conditionally exempted non-stormwater discharges. The MPC Team works collaboratively with internal and external partners to address these regulatory requirements, and team members frequently support one another in various stormwater management activities to ensure compliance with the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Stormwater Permit.
 
Integrated Waste Management Division’s Residential Services Team
 
Residential Services oversees San José’s Residential Garbage and Recycling Program, which provides curbside garbage and recycling, yard trimmings, garbage processing, household hazardous waste drop offs, and junk pick up to approximately 331,000 households and over 140 City facilities through four contracted service providers with an annual budget in excess of $150 million. This ESS helps co-manage contractor agreements, perform data management and analysis for reports and presentations, and implement Senate Bill 1383 requirements and other state and local solid waste regulations.
 
Responsibilities include:
• Monitoring and evaluating contractor operations and performance to continuously improve service delivery and provide excellent customer service
• Providing public education and environmental advocacy

Sustainability and Compliance Division’s Sustainability & Policy Team 
The Sustainability and Policy team implements initiatives that support vital utilities for the community. This position assists the Energy and Water Building Performance Ordinance (BPO), which requires owners of large buildings in San José to benchmark energy and water use and make improvements if standards are not met. BPO staff annually assists more than 2,000 local building’ owners with compliance. The ideal candidate possesses  database, analytical, and technical writing skills, and expertise in building benchmarking or utility efficiency. Learn more at sjenvironment.org/benchmarking.
 
Responsibilities include:
• Maintaining databases, noticing, and providing customer service for benchmarking and invoicing compliance
• Conducting data quality control, data analysis and visualization to prepare technical reports and presentations
• Coordinating program implementation with other ESD groups, City Departments, Local and State Agencies

Sustainability and Compliance Division’s Municipal Environmental Compliance Group
 
The Municipal Environmental Compliance group provides technical support in the assessment, investigation, and cleanup of environmentally impaired or potentially impaired City properties/projects. Projects include fuel leak investigations, closed landfill compliance, and property acquisition investigations.
 
Responsibilities include:
• Performing Phase I Environmental site assessments and technical report writing
• Soil and groundwater sampling and field inspections.

As vacant positions may change based on internal movement, we will provide updated and detailed position information prior to interviews.
 
Salary Information
The actual salary shall be determined by the final candidate’s qualifications and experience. In addition to the starting salary, employees in the Environmental Services Specialist Series classification shall also receive an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation pay. 

The annual salary range for the positions are presently as follows:
Assistant Environmental Services Specialist: $75,260.64 – $91,465.92
Associate Environmental Services Specialist: $87,207.12 – $105,967.68
Environmental Services Specialist: $96,139.68 – $116,844.00

Please note that the above salary ranges are inclusive of the five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation pay.
 
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.

Selection Process
The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant's training and experience based on the application and responses to the Job Specific Questions. 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.
 
You will be prompted to answer the following job-specific questions during the online application process. Please note that there is a 4,000-character limit, including spaces, for each text response.

1. Please describe your experience working on environmental services programs or projects in air quality, integrated waste management, biology, agriculture, energy, forestry or parks, habitat restoration, wastewater, water resources, archaeology, geology, resources conservation, land use planning, environmental regulatory permitting/compliance, or any program emphasizing environmental sustainability. In your response, please provide specific examples of how you promoted, developed, and implemented environmental services programs. Include your role(s), employer(s), and dates of employment.
2. Describe your experience with compiling, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating information. Include your experience with report writing and presenting data to an audience. Specify the subject, audience, recommendations or findings, and the outcomes achieved.
3. Describe an experience working with a variety of stakeholders, such as members of the public, commercial businesses, engineering staff, contractors/consultants, regulators, advocacy groups, or similar. In your response, describe the project you were responsible for coordinating/managing and how you were able to work with these stakeholders to successfully accomplish a project or task.
 
You must answer all job-specific questions in order to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration.
 
If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Phil Dunbar at Phillip.Dunbar@sanjoseca.gov.