Deputy Director, Air & Radiation Administration

ARA•Baltimore City, MD

14h•Onsite

About The Position

The Maryland Department of the Environment is seeking a visionary, results-driven leader to serve as the Deputy Director of the Air & Radiation Administration. This is a pivotal executive role designed for an experienced pollution regulator who can blend technical expertise with operational excellence. As Maryland aggressively pursues nation-leading goals in climate change mitigation, clean air, environmental justice, and radiological health protection, the Deputy Director will be the architect of the Air and Radiation Administration’s internal modernization efforts. The Deputy Director will report directly to the Director of Air & Radiation, serving as a primary partner in transforming how the State protects its atmosphere and its people. The Deputy Director oversees seven diverse programs executing regulatory policies centered on clean air, radiation safety, and carbon pollution reduction. This role is central to Maryland’s commitment to equity, requiring a leader who can diagnose systemic Environmental Justice challenges and implement actionable solutions for overburdened communities. The Deputy Director assists in the overall management and direction of the Air and Radiation Administration (ARA), holding delegated authority from the ARA Director to execute Maryland’s air quality, radiological health, and climate change missions under both state and federally delegated authorities. This role directs administrative, technical, and fiscal operations to ensure the achievement of the Administration’s mandates and goals. The Deputy is also responsible for managing legal, fiscal, federal oversight, or reputational risk to the Department, and serves as the primary executive advisor to the Director on air quality and radiation-related risk and consequence management. This is a Management Service position and serves at the pleasure of the Appointing Authority.

Requirements

Six (6) years supervising professional staff in an environmental field or serving as an environmental project manager, including assigning tasks, setting priorities, and reviewing work products.
Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in engineering, biological, environmental, physical sciences, economics, or a degree in Environmental Law, Environmental Public Policy, or another related field.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing environmental programs, including areas such as the Clean Air Act, climate change mitigation, and/or radiological health protection.
Experience communicating environmental issues to the public, including air quality, environmental justice, climate change, radiological health, or other community impacts.
Experience managing environmental programs, including supervision of professional staff and oversight of program operations.
Experience with government administration, including budget management

Responsibilities

Provides guidance and input in establishing and implementing long-range program goals, performance measures, and work procedures for the Administration.
Supervises the various personnel activities of the Administration to include hiring, allocation of PINs, and disciplinary actions.
Hears and issues decisions in grievances.
Provides objective oversight for the Administration’s employees by assisting the Director in developing and enforcing standardized Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to ensure consistency across Administration’s programs.
Ensures effective implementation of all agency policies, including rigorous fiscal management.
Implements effective oversight mechanisms to track the productivity of all staff, ensuring workload alignment with statutory deadlines, fiscal responsibility, and departmental goals.
Identifies fiscal and programmatic options to meet departmental priorities and advises the Director on strategic adjustments.
Advises the Director for areas of the Administration’s legal authority.
Provides executive-level judgment and recommendations on high-risk policy, enforcement, and compliance matters involving the Clean Air Act and Radiation Control.
Represents the State and the Department before the General Assembly, Congress, and federal agencies such as the USEPA and the USNRC.
As delegated by the Director, the Deputy oversees and manages the Administration’s integrated permitting, inspection, and compliance programs, including mobile/stationary source air controls, asbestos licensing, and radiation safety.
Provides executive leadership for "modernized permitting" and digital transformation to improve turnaround times and workforce sustainability.
Manages consent decrees and complex litigation-sensitive regulatory matters in coordination with the Office of the Attorney General.
Assists the Director in providing executive oversight for emergency operations, including radiation accident response and critical air quality crises.
May serve as the Department’s executive on call for air and radiation-related emergencies and the primary escalation point for the Director and/or Secretary during environmental crises or critical safety failures.