Details
Posted: 15-May-23
Location: San Francisco, California
Type: Full Time
Salary: $251,333 - $305,497 Annually
Categories:
Executive Management
Required Education:
Masters
About the Air District
The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District), created in 1955, is the state’s first regional agency to regulate air pollution. The Air District was created during this time, as the air in the Bay Area was often unhealthy to breathe due to burning, vehicle exhaust, and factories polluting the air.
The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties, with the number of board members from each county being proportionate to its population.
The Board of Directors oversees policies, adopts regulations, and promotes and incentivizes clean air actions to reduce air pollution within the Air District jurisdiction. The Board also appoints the Air District’s Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer (EO/APCO), who implements these policies, gives direction to staff, and provides air quality thought leadership on a state, national and global scale. The Air District consists of over 400 dedicated staff members, including engineers, inspectors, planners, scientists, and other professionals.
The Air District has a mission to create a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and global climate. Five core values that drive the Air District are: excellence, leadership, collaboration, dedication, and equity. The Air District also aims to achieve its mission through many strategic goals including: reducing and eliminating health problems caused by air pollution, achieving and maintaining air quality standards for all criteria pollutants, creating high-quality regulatory programs, establishing the Bay Area as a leading area for emissions reductions, and applying environmental best practices in all operations.
The Air District has made vast improvements in the quality of air we breathe by controlling air pollution from stationary emission sources such as factories, refineries, and power plants, and from small facilities like gas stations and dry cleaners. The Air District oversees one of the most robust air monitoring networks in the nation with more than 30 air monitoring stations that measure air quality throughout the Bay Area and inform daily air quality forecasts. The Air District also ensures that businesses comply with some of the nation’s most stringent air pollution laws and regulations, provide incentives and grants to encourage clean air alternatives and actions. On days where ozone or fine particulate pollution levels are high, the Air District issues “Spare the Air” alerts to warn the public of the potential health hazards. While the Air District has improved air quality over the past six decades, there are still challenges today due to the growing population, traffic, and especially due to catastrophic wildfires driven by climate change.
The Air District recognizes and values the contributions of every employee and works to sustain an environment where everyone is respected. We incorporate the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion within our decision-making strategies, policies, procedures, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and hiring.
The Position
The Air District is currently accepting applications for the position of Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs. There is one (1) vacant full-time position. This at-will position is appointed by the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer and serves under the terms of a three (3) year contract after which they will be subject to renewal.
Under direction of the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, the Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs provides high-level technical, policy, and strategic direction in the management of the Air District's programs and activities. The Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs serves as a liaison for the District to the media, public, and external partners and stakeholders and developing effective public relations strategies. The Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs oversees the following functions:
Communications:
Reports news and information about Air District efforts to the public and media. Communications manages outreach programs such as Spare the Air. In addition to media releases, Communications publishes the Air Currents newsletter and other publications for the general public and oversees advertising and public relations for Air District programs.
Legislative and Government Affairs:
Advocates for Air District policy and budget priorities at both the state and federal levels. Legislative and Government Affairs tracks and develops positions on state and federal legislation and budget proposals impacting the Air District, meets with legislators and legislative staff about policy proposals and updates them on Air District activities. Legislative and Government Affairs represents the Air District at legislative hearings, and interacts with stakeholder groups, state and local agencies, cities, counties, and members of the public.
Outreach and Special Projects:
The Air District advances partnerships and messaging programs to further solutions to reduce air pollution. The program works at building partnerships between
employers, municipalities, transit agencies, and other stakeholders.
This position is accountable for overseeing and establishing priorities and goals for the assigned functions and for furthering District goals and objectives in an effective manner; acts as the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer as assigned or delegated; and performs related work as assigned. Other responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Provides technical and policy direction and support to the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer and the District Board.
- Represents the District and/or the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer in varied situations with various groups and agencies both within and outside of the District; interacts with elected officials
- Plans, organizes, coordinates and directs the work of assigned functions.
- Directs the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for assigned functions.
- Directs the management of and makes policy recommendations regarding assigned programs and activities.
- Organizes and coordinates the development and implementation of projects and activities with other agencies.
- Ensures conformance with program schedules, budgets, and contracts.
- Develops and presents technical and policy issues and recommendations to the District Board and the Executive Officer / Air Pollution Control Officer.
The Ideal Candidate
The Air District is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and goal-oriented Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs. This person will be trusted to make quality decisions and ensure accountability. A candidate who is mission driven, strategic and can guide a team will be successful. The successful candidate has:
- Strong supervisory and leadership skills with the ability to create a team-oriented, nurturing environment that emphasizes cooperation, diversity, communications, accountability, and responsiveness to achieve the goals and objectives of the Air District
- Politically astute and high emotional intelligence, understanding the value and importance of clear communication and direction
- Excellent administrative skills and desire to mentor and develop staff
- Strong ethics possessing the highest level of integrity
- Forward thinking, innovative, creative, and solution-oriented
- Articulate with the ability to interact with a variety of groups
- Excellent presentation skills as well as the ability to prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
- Strong commitment to the Air District and must have passion and aptitude for their work and the mission of the organization
The ideal candidate has the knowledge, skills and ability in:
- Developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
- Analyzing complex technical and administrative issues
- Interpreting, explaining, and applying Air District, federal, state and local rules and regulations
- Representing the Air District effectively in contacts with the media, elected officials, public, industry, and other stakeholders
- Strong interpersonal skills and establishing effective working relationship internally and externally
- Social and political issues influencing Air District programs, including organization and functions of state legislature, congress, state and local agencies involved in environmental management
- Principles and practices of effective media and public relations and public affair strategies
- Principles and practices and techniques of journalism, expository writing and editing
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduate degree or equivalent experience in business or public administration, political science, mass communication or a closely related field and five years of experience managing public affairs programs, preferably with a public agency.
Compensation and Benefits
Salary: $251,333 - $305,497 Annually
Health Benefits
Employees receive an allowance to pay for various types of insurance, including health, dental, and vision. The allowance varies depending on employee category.
The California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) provides retirement benefits for District employees. The District pays the employer contribution and a portion of the employee contribution.
Other employee benefits include a transit subsidy, education reimbursement, vacation and sick leave, and holidays.
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 Friday, June 23, 2023. Applications are accepted online and must be received no later than the date and time specified. Please visit our website at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs to apply.
Supplemental Questions Instructions
Individuals who apply for this position must respond to each of the required supplemental questions. The responses to the supplemental application questions will be used in accordance with the procedures indicated under the Selection Criteria section. The supplemental questions can be found at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs.
Selection Criteria
Depending on the number of qualified applicants, an application screening and/or panel interview may be used to determine the most qualified applicants. The most qualified applicants will be invited to an in-person interview.
Equal Employment Opportunity
It is the Air District’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age or sexual orientation.
The Air District is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and goal-oriented Deputy Executive Officer of Public Affairs. This person will be trusted to make quality decisions and ensure accountability. A candidate who is mission driven, strategic and can guide a team will be successful. The successful candidate has:
- Strong supervisory and leadership skills with the ability to create a team-oriented, nurturing environment that emphasizes cooperation, diversity, communications, accountability, and responsiveness to achieve the goals and objectives of the Air District
- Politically astute and high emotional intelligence, understanding the value and importance of clear communication and direction
- Excellent administrative skills and desire to mentor and develop staff
- Strong ethics possessing the highest level of integrity
- Forward thinking, innovative, creative, and solution-oriented
- Articulate with the ability to interact with a variety of groups
- Excellent presentation skills as well as the ability to prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials.
- Strong commitment to the Air District and must have passion and aptitude for their work and the mission of the organization
The ideal candidate has the knowledge, skills and ability in:
- Developing and implementing goals, objectives, policies, procedures, work standards, and internal controls
- Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously
- Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders
- Analyzing complex technical and administrative issues
- Interpreting, explaining, and applying Air District, federal, state and local rules and regulations
- Representing the Air District effectively in contacts with the media, elected officials, public, industry, and other stakeholders
- Strong interpersonal skills and establishing effective working relationship internally and externally
- Social and political issues influencing Air District programs, including organization and functions of state legislature, congress, state and local agencies involved in environmental management
- Principles and practices of effective media and public relations and public affair strategies
- Principles and practices and techniques of journalism, expository writing and editing
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Graduate degree or equivalent experience in business or public administration, political science, mass communication or a closely related field and five years of experience managing public affairs programs, preferably with a public agency.