Sustainability Specialist III - Commute Alternatives Program (20660508)

Description

 

The County's Sustainability Department seeks well qualified applicants for the position of Sustainability Specialist III – Commute Alternatives Program (CAP) on the Climate Resilience team.
  
The Climate Resilience Program works on community and government operations hazard mitigation and adaptation, implements water quality regulations, supports efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in county operations, and administers Shift, the County’s employee commute alternatives program.

 

The Sustainability Specialist III will lead efforts to reduce emissions from employee commute and help the County achieve its goal of carbon neutrality for operations by 2035. The CAP lead staff will:

• Empower people to walk, bike, carpool or take transit rather than drive alone.
• Manage daily operations of the CAP for our employees.
• Re-design and implement an integrated CAP for our employees.
• Share ideas of how we can change the way people make sustainable transportation decisions.

 

The ideal candidate has:

• Transportation expertise – knowledge of transportation demand management and demonstrated success in achieving sustained mode shift.
• Strong interpersonal skills – a natural marketer that easily connects with people and can build excitement about alternative transportation and sustainable growth.
• Diplomacy – experienced facilitator and problem solver who can take on projects with active, highly engaged program participants.
• Clear communication – both verbally and in writing
• Strong analytical skills – experienced in conducting research and analyzing data.
• Independence – can "hit the ground running" and work with minimal supervision.
• Flexibility – able to change course quickly and effectively.
• Commute field experience – prior experience working with commuting programs or initiatives.
• Contract management – skilled in managing contracts to support program goals. 
• Equity – committed to ensuring transportation programs are inclusive and accessible to all.

 

About the Sustainability Department
Established in July 2014, the Sustainability Department is dedicated to enhancing the environmental resilience and sustainability of both the County’s operations and the wider community.

 

Our mission is to build innovative solutions that address today’s changing environment while solving for a sustainable future. Through our comprehensive programs, we lead efforts to combat and adapt to climate change, ensure access to clean energy, water, and air, and conserve resources through effective waste reduction strategies.

 

Examples Of Duties

 

The duties of the Sustainability Specialist, may include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Help develop the strategic vision and goals and manage daily operations for the CAP.
• Coordinate the evaluation of the current CAP and launch the re-designed program.
• Pro-actively develop relationships with County departments and regional and local transportation agencies and other partners.
• Develop and implement a marketing and communications strategy and oversee all customer service-related issues for the CAP.
• Identify Transportation Demand Management best practices to be incorporated into the CAP.
• Serve as a liaison to County departments and regional transportation planning initiatives and partnerships.
• Execute contracts, monitor budgets, and coordinate with contractors and County Departments on logistics of the CAP (enroll employees, resolve any issues regarding transit passes, etc.)
• Conduct commute surveys and analyze commute and emissions data.
• Coordinate and support outreach events.

 

Qualifications  

Education and Experience:
Any combination of education and experience that would likely provide the required knowledge, skills and abilities is qualifying. A typical way to qualify is three years of experience in the field of transportation planning or resource conservation which has included program analysis and coordination.

 

Application/Examination

 

Open & Promotional. Anyone may apply. Current County of San Mateo and County of San Mateo Superior Court of California employees with at least six months (1040 hours) of continuous service in a classified regular, probationary, or extra-help/limited term position prior to the final filing date will receive five points added to their final passing score on this examination.

The following are required to be submitted:

 

1. Regular online County Employment Application Form, including completion of the Supplemental Questionnaire.
2. Resume.
3. Cover letter expressing your interest in the position and how your education and/or experience qualify you for the position.

The examination process will consist of an application screening based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions (weight: pass/fail). Candidates who pass the application screening may be invited to a panel interview (weight:100%). Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in San Mateo County, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.
 
IMPORTANT: Applications for this position will only be accepted online. If you are currently on the County's website, you may click the "Apply" button. If you are not on the County's website, please go to https://jobs.smcgov.org/ to apply. Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

Tentative Recruitment Schedule
Final Filing Date: Monday, September 22, 2025
Application Screening: Thursday, September 25, 2025
Panel Interviews: Monday, October 6, 2025