Administrator IV

ARA•Baltimore City, MD

7d•Onsite

About The Position

This recruitment is limited to current Maryland State Government employees only. We encourage you to consider an exciting career with the Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE). If you are dedicated to protecting and preserving Maryland's air, water, land resources, and safeguarding the health of all its citizens, we invite you to apply and become a part of our team. MDE is committed to a mission of protecting and restoring the environment for the health and well-being of all Marylanders, with a vision of healthy, vibrant, and sustainable communities and ecosystems throughout the state. The Administrator IV serves as the State Plan and Policy Senior with the key role in providing planning and technical expertise for the development, interpretation, and implementation of the Department's plans and policies related to EPA's ozone, PM 2.5, SO2, NO2, and regional haze standards.

Requirements

Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.
Six years of administrative staff or professional work.
Candidates may substitute 30 credit hours from an accredited college or university for each year up to four years of the required experience.
Candidates may substitute the possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and two years of experience in administrative staff or professional work for the required experience.
Candidates may substitute the possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university for five years of the required experience.
Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a commissioned officer involving staff work related to the administration of rules, regulations, policy, procedures and processes, or overseeing or coordinating unit operations or functioning as a staff assistant to a higher ranking commissioned officer on a year-for-year basis for the required experience.
Employees in this classification may be assigned duties which require the operation of a motor vehicle. Employees assigned such duties will be required to possess a motor vehicle operator's license valid in the State of Maryland.

Nice To Haves

State Implementation Plan (SIP) development: Experience with the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for criteria pollutants (O3, PM, NO2, CO, etc.), nonattainment designations, classifications, attainment plan requirements, redesignation requests and maintenance plans, etc., under Clean Air Act section 110 and Part D. Experience with SIP hearings and submission processes.
Transportation Conformity: Experience with projects governed by the Transportation Conformity Rule (40 CFR Part 93, Subpart A). Includes developing and/or assessing mobile source emissions inventories and modeling for emissions budgets, working directly with Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs), State Departments of Transportation (DOTs), and environmental agencies to ensure mobile budgets and long-range plans or transportation improvement plans meet emissions budgets, hot spot analysis, and leading or participating in interagency consultation.
General Conformity: Experience with projects governed by the General Conformity Rule (40 CFR Part 93, Subpart B). This includes reviewing estimated emissions, comparing them to de minimis levels and developing General Conformity letters.
Clean Air Act policy projects: Experience evaluating proposed state or federal proposals and submitting formal comments to (1) protect agency interests and (2) build an administrative record for potential legal challenges. This includes evaluating proposals, developing legal and/or technological comments, and, where appropriate, requesting changes that align with the agency's policy goals.

Responsibilities

NAAQS & SIP Leadership: Focuses primarily on implementing the federal National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS). Leads and coordinates the development, planning, and execution of State Implementation Plans (SIPs) for criteria air pollutants to ensure compliance with federal and regional requirements.
Policy & Regulatory Support: Coordinates policy-relevant projects, including drafting comment letters and position statements, and assisting with legal arguments that support the Department's objectives and help the state achieve NAAQS attainment. Evaluates policies, supports regulatory implementation, and contributes to long-term air quality strategies.
Conformity & Multi-Jurisdictional Leadership: Leads research and planning for conformity projects, holding full responsibility for regional initiatives involving the Metropolitan Washington Air Quality Committee (MWAQC), the Interstate Air Quality Committee (IAQC), and the Baltimore Metropolitan Council's (BMC) Freight Movement Task Force. MWAQC and IAQC work requires close collaboration with agencies in Virginia and the District of Columbia.
Collaboration & Mentorship: Advises and collaborates with internal ARA programs and external stakeholders on SIP and conformity requirements, while guiding lower-level Natural Resources Planners on complex projects.
Strategic Development: Develops and recommends innovative pathways for state attainment reclassification, methods to streamline the SIP process, and policy positions on state or federal actions that impact Maryland's attainment status or present legal concerns.