-
Job Description
SOUTH COAST AQMD AND JOB OVERVIEW
ABOUT SOUTH COAST AQMD
South Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated environmental regulatory agencies in the Nation. We serve a four-county region that includes large areas of Los Angeles, Orange County, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley, which is home to more than 17 million people. South Coast AQMD's headquarters is located in Diamond Bar, 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, at the junction of the 57 and 60 freeways. With a highly diverse "Clean Air Team" of over 850 employees, an annual budget of $211.4 million, and a state-of-the art air quality laboratory, our mission is to ensure clean air and a healthy environment. South Coast AQMD is an organization you can be proud to work for -- we make a difference in the quality of life in Southern California!
South Coast AQMD’s mission requires diverse perspectives, talents, and life experiences to solve some of the most complex technical air quality issues. We are committed to creating and maintaining a work environment that appreciates the unique contributions of our employees and fosters professional development and growth. South Coast AQMD respects the distinct ideas and perspectives of our stakeholders and works to bring them together toward the common goal of clean air.
ABOUT THIS POSITION
The current Air Quality Specialist vacancy will provide critical support for developing and implementing community air plans in disproportionally impacted communities through Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617). AB 617 became law in 2017 and requires the California Air Resources Board (CARB) and air districts to develop and implement additional emissions reporting, monitoring, and community emissions reduction plans to reduce air pollution exposure in disadvantaged communities. These positions are responsible for writing the community emissions reduction plans, including describing and tracking targets for air quality improvements in that community and working with community stakeholders to develop the plan. Stakeholders include community leaders, businesses, environmental groups, agencies, and others. The positions will also provide support for community outreach and risk communication efforts.
The ideal candidates will have subject-matter expertise in environmental health, public health, toxicology, environmental engineering, air pollution program planning and implementation, community program planning and implementation, and/or risk communication.
Examples of specialized duties for this vacancy include:- Review complex technical data or analysis in preparation of a program plan.
- Collect and review South Coast AQMD permits, compliance information, emissions data, or other data to help develop implementation approaches for proposed plans.
- Prepare plan concepts, staff reports, and presentation materials as part of a program development and implementation process.
- Develop and implement air pollution reduction programs in disproportionally impacted communities.
- Outreach and collaboration with other agencies to address air toxic issues in communities.
- Interact and work with community representatives and local governments to develop solutions for issues impacting disproportionally communities and to help ensure that the key concerns from the communities are addressed.
- Support community outreach, public communication, and health risk communication around high-profile situations.
- Develop and conduct presentations at public meetings.
- Address public inquiries related to air pollution concerns and program plans.
- Develop written materials (fact sheets, reports) for a public audience to address the key questions regarding program elements.
AIR QUALITY SPECIALIST is the experienced, journey-level class in the professional air pollution control series. Incumbents perform the more responsible, varied, and complex work. Air Quality Specialist is distinguished from the next higher class of Program Supervisor in that the incumbents of the latter class either supervise a unit of professional and technical employees or are responsible for the development and oversight of specific programs involving more independent and complex professional work.
EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
The general Example of Duties for this classification are highlighted below, for full description of duties please refer to this link here .- Works with engineers, planners, other environmental professionals, Information Management staff, and other personnel to develop and implement methods and techniques for the analysis and evaluation of air quality studies and plans.
- Applies mathematical, statistical, and engineering modeling and analytical techniques to the analysis of research and survey data; prepares graphs, charts, and statistical summaries from derived data; determines appropriate data collection methods for use in research projects; and may assist in determining methods for more complex studies.
- Assists in developing or develops recommendations concerning air quality management programs, plans, and rules and prepares related reports and correspondence.
- Assists in preparing technical analyses and recommended positions on proposed and pending legislation relating to air quality management.
- Reviews and analyzes a wide variety of environmental documents; conducts air quality impact analyses and assessments; and writes or coordinates the writing of Environmental Impact Reports.
- Evaluates economic impacts of air quality regulations and develops economic incentives to achieve designated air quality standards.
- May assist in organizing and participating in workshops and meetings, and provide consultation and advice to individuals and businesses in matters related to area of expertise.
- May assist in preparing and making presentations on proposed rules, rule amendments and other air quality-related projects and studies.
MINIMUM AND DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS
In addition to the Minimum Qualifications that follow, the most competitively qualified candidates will possess:- Training and experience in air pollution science, environmental health, public health, toxicology, environmental engineering, community program planning and implementation, and/or risk communication.
- Proven abilities in designing and implementing community air pollution programs and working with community groups on air pollution-related issues or abilities in designing similar programs or working with community groups on issues that would be transferable to air pollution reduction programs.
- Strong technical abilities in research and analysis, including the use of spreadsheets, databases, and other automated statistical software.
- Knowledge of procurement and contracting procedures.
- Demonstrated ability to gather and analyze data and prepare reports on complex technical issues in succinct, easily understood formats.
- Ability to research and review complex air quality issues and technical documents, make recommendations, and communicate key issues, orally and in writing.
- Proven ability to work under extremely aggressive timelines.
- Knowledge of and experience with relevant federal and State laws and South Coast AQMD environmental rules and regulations.
- Proven ability to handle controversial issues and concerns raised by special interest groups and other members of the public.
- Skill with related computer applications and tools for data analysis, research, and report preparation.
- Ability to effectively communicate agency positions and potential air pollution issues at meetings, workshops and public hearings.
MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
EDUCATION:
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in engineering, environmental science, planning, or the physical, social, or biological sciences, depending upon the functions of the assigned unit.
EXPERIENCE:
Two years of technical air quality or professional analytical experience that would demonstrate the requisite knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position to which assigned.
KNOWLEDGE OF:
One or more professional disciplines, such as chemistry, toxics, statistics, economics, environmental planning, or engineering, with emphasis on its relationship to planning, rule development, or engineering activities; principles, methods, and procedures of environmental review, planning, rule development, or air quality monitoring, including related instrumentation; air quality regulations and review process; air quality modeling; emissions calculations; PC software applications commonly used in the field; research methods and techniques, including statistical and computer applications for data analysis; professional report writing; and State, federal, and local programs, guidelines, and code regulations related to air quality management.
SKILL OR ABILITY TO:
Compile, analyze, and interpret technical air quality data; learn and apply South Coast AQMD air quality regulations to stationary and mobile source monitoring; monitor and evaluate the performance of consultants; oversee stationary and mobile source monitoring projects under minimum supervision; maintain accurate records of air quality planning, research, monitoring, or rule development projects and prepare clear and persuasive reports and recommendations; represent South Coast AQMD interests at public, professional, and internal meetings and communicate with a variety of technical and professional air quality and legal staff; maintain current knowledge of applicable federal, State, and local regulations and technical or scientific developments; provide expert testimony, advice, and counsel in a specialized field; apply appropriate computer-based analytical techniques to complex air pollution control problems; develop new techniques and approaches to the solution of complex air pollution control problems; proficiently use PC and mainframe software applications common to the field and to the general business environment of South Coast AQMD; read, understand, and follow verbal and written directions; communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing; and establish and maintain effective relationships with all those contacted in the course of work.
OTHER IMPORTANT INFORMATION
APPLICATION PACKETS MUST INCLUDE:
A completed employment application covering at least the past 10 years of employment history (or longer if you have other relevant experience), and your entire South Coast AQMD employment history if you are a South Coast AQMD employee.Responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire (SQ). The SQ is a form of written test, and will be evaluated as such. Your responses should be well written, clear, concise, and directly responsive to the question. Up to four references which include the names and phone numbers of your present and past supervisors or managers, and/or college professors or persons for whom you have directly provided services, not peers .An unofficial copy of your transcripts (or equivalency evaluation if your education was obtained outside the U.S.), documenting all qualifying education claimed, submitted as an attachment to your online application* .
*You MUST submit acceptable documentation for all education claimed on your application. Acceptable documentation consists of an unofficial copy of your transcripts/equivalency evaluation attached to your application . At a later date, candidates under final consideration will be required to arrange for original, official transcripts (or equivalency evaluation, if applicable) to be mailed directly from their college/university to South Coast AQMD, documenting all education claimed on their application.
Job applications must be completely filled out. A resume cannot be substituted for the required information. Be sure to detail any education, training or other relevant coursework that would make you a particularly strong candidate.
THE SELECTION PROCESS
Application packets, including responses to the Supplemental Questionnaire, will first be screened, and the most competitively qualified candidates will be invited to a multiple-choice examination, to be rated on a pass/fail basis. Candidates who pass the exam will advance to the next step in the process, which may include a panel interview. (Please note that all assessments will be conducted remotely).
Following the assessment process, a ranked eligible list is expected to be created, from which the current vacancy may be filled, during the 6-12-month life of the list. Only those who demonstrate at each successive step of the selection process that they are among the most competitively qualified will be advanced to the next step. (Meeting the minimum qualifications does not guarantee an invitation to future steps in the process.)
Important note for potential candidates who do not have the continued and unrestricted right to work full time in the United States: If you currently, or will in the future, require sponsorship (i.e., H1-B Visa) in order to maintain your right to work in the United States, please be aware that this position is not eligible for visa sponsorship.
South Coast AQMD reserves the right to add, delete, and modify any elements of the selection process as deemed appropriate, based on the number and quality of applicants at each step.
Candidates who may need accommodations during the selection process must call the Human Resources Department at least one week prior to any test dates.
If you have any questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Human Resources Department at (909) 396-2800.
PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYEE BENEFIT OVERVIEW
BENEFIT
DESCRIPTION
Monthly Benefit Allotment
$1,912, to purchase medical, dental, and life insurance, with unused portion paid to you as cash. Your insurance coverage becomes effective on the first of the month following completion of 30 days of continuous service. Dependent children may be covered to age 26 on medical, dental and vision plans.
Medical Health Plans
Blue Shield PPO
Blue Shield PPO Savings Plus 2250 (High Deductible Plan)
Blue Shield HMO
Kaiser HMO
Kaiser HSA HMO 1500 (High Deductible Plan)
Dental Plans
Delta Dental PPO (without orthodontic benefits)
Delta Dental PPO (with orthodontic benefits for children only)
DeltaCare (PMI) Dental
Vision Plan
EyeMed - Optional
Life Insurance
$10,000 Term Life Insurance
(Optional additional life insurance, paid by you, at 1X, 2X, or 3X your salary)
Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Claremont EAP, powered by Uprise Health. EAP is available to all employees and their familiels at no cost. EAP offers confidential advice, support and practical solutions to real-life issues.
Accidental Death & Dismemberment
Optional
Section 125
Optional Plans (Medical Reimbursement; Dependent Care)
Work Schedule
Four 10-hour days, Tuesday through Friday
Vacation
80 hours per year, increasing to 120 after five years
Holidays
13 paid holidays per year
Sick Leave
100 hours per year
Other Leaves
Bereavement; Jury Duty; Military; Witness
Tuition Reimbursement
Reimbursed up to $5,000 per year
Deferred Compensation (457 Plan)
Optional (Employee may contribute up to the IRS maximum). South Coast AQMD matches, dollar for dollar up to $300 per year for the regular plan.
Retirement
2.5% @ 67 defined benefit plan - Applies to employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 who, at time of hire, were not members of the San Bernardino County Employees' Retirement Association (SBCERA) or another public employee retirement system through which reciprocity may be established.
2.0% @ 55 defined benefit plan - Applies to employees who, prior to January 1, 2013, were active members of SBCERA or another public employee retirement system through which reciprocity may be established.
Employees pay only the Medicare portion of Social Security.
03/01/2024
Closing Date/Time: 3/5/2025 11:59 PM Pacific -
ABOUT THE COMPANY
-
-
South Coast Air Quality Management District
Show moreSouth Coast Air Quality Management District (South Coast AQMD) is one of the largest and most technologically sophisticated environmental regulatory agencies in the nation. We serve a four-county region that includes all of Orange County and the urban portions of Los Angeles, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties, home to more than 17 million people. South Coast AQMD's headquarters is located in Diamond Bar, 30 miles east of downtown Los Angeles, at the junction of the 57 and 60 freeways. With a highly diverse "Clean Air Team" of over 750 employees, an annual budget of $170.9 million, and a state-of-the art air quality laboratory, our mission is to ensure clean air and a healthful environment.
Mission
To clean the air and protect the health of all residents in the South Coast Air District through practical and innovative strategies.
What is the South Coast AQMD?
South Coast AQMD is the regulatory agency responsible for improving air quality for large areas of Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside and San Bernardino counties, including the Coachella Valley. The region is home to more than 17 million people–about half the population of the entire state of California.
Despite significant improvements to air quality, more work needs to be done to protect public health through innovative and practical strategies. Air pollution can cause or worsen many health problems, including asthma attacks, heart disease, certain types of cancers and premature death. South Coast AQMD has been at the forefront of the nation’s air pollution reduction efforts for more than eight decades.
What South Coast AQMD Does
South Coast AQMD is responsible for controlling emissions primarily from stationary sources of air pollution. These can include anything from large power plants and refineries to the corner gas station. There are about 28,400 such businesses operating under South Coast AQMD permits. Many consumer products are also considered stationary sources; these include house paint, furniture varnish, and thousands of products containing solvents that evaporate into the air. About 25% of this area's ozone-forming air pollution comes from stationary sources, both businesses and residences. The other 80% comes from mobile sources–mainly cars, trucks and buses, but also construction equipment, ships, trains and airplanes. Emission standards for mobile sources are established by state or federal agencies, such as the California Air Resources Board and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, rather than by local agencies such as the South Coast AQMD.
How South Coast AQMD Controls Pollution
South Coast AQMD develops and adopts an Air Quality Management Plan, which serves as the blueprint to bring this area into compliance with federal and state clean air standards. Rules are adopted to reduce emissions from various sources, including specific types of equipment, industrial processes, paints and solvents, even consumer products. Permits are issued to many businesses and industries to ensure compliance with air quality rules. South Coast AQMD staff conducts periodic inspections to ensure compliance with these requirements.
The test of whether these efforts are working is the quality of the air we breathe. South Coast AQMD continuously monitors air quality at 38 locations throughout the four-county area. This also allows South Coast AQMD to notify the public whenever air quality is unhealthful.
South Coast AQMD’s Sources of Revenue
To meet its financial need, the South Coast AQMD utilizes a system of evaluation fees, annual operating fees, emission fees, Hearing Board fees, penalties/ settlements and investments that generate approximately 73% of South Coast AQMD’s revenue. The remaining 27% of its revenue is from federal grants, California Air Resources (CARB) subvention funds, and California Clean Air Act Motor Vehicle fees.
Progress So Far
Air quality in this area has continually improved despite an enormous increase in population and cars. For example, maximum levels of ozone, one of our worst smog problems, have been cut to less than one quarter of what they were in the 1950s, even though today we have nearly three times as many people and four times as many vehicles.
In recent decades, we have eliminated Stage I smog alerts, which used to occur 100-120 times a year. We have not reached Stage II levels since the 1980s.
The Job Ahead
The clean air effort still has a long way to go. In 2005, the federal 1-hour standard was replaced by a stricter 8-hours standard that was further strengthened in 2008. Even though recent years have been the cleanest on record, our air in the South Coast Air Basin still exceeded the federal health 8-hour standard for ozone on 113 days in 2009. Maximum levels are almost twice as high as the federal standard for clean air.
State and federal law requires this area to meet existing clean air standards by the year 2015 for annual PM 2.5; and by 2023 for the 8-hour average ozone standard. However, tougher federal air quality standards for particulates and ozone issued in 2006 and 2008 require reductions above and beyond those already planned. South Coast AQMD estimates it will take until at least 2020 to meet the new 24-hour average particulate standard, and until 2030 to meet the new ozone standard. This may seem like a long time to continue to live with smog. But the cleanup effort is enormous. Even though we already have the strictest pollution control requirements in the nation, we still have to reduce some types of pollution by up to 90% if we are to rid the area of smog.
The war on smog began in this region more than a half century ago. With continued commitment and sensitivity to the impacts of efforts to control smog, residents can be assured that public health standards for air quality will be achieved.
-