Principal Environmental Planner

Bay Area Air District•San Francisco, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Join an agency committed to creating a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and the global climate! The Air District is conducting an open recruitment for the position of Principal Environmental Planner in the Planning and Climate Protection Division. This is a full-time, represented position for one (1) vacancy. The Principal Environmental Planner will join a high performing and motivated team of professional planners, engineers, technical, and legal experts working on preparing and implementing plans, policies and programs to address regional air quality challenges while also bringing a specific focus on reducing longstanding air pollution and health disparities in the most overburdened communities in the Bay Area. In this role, under direction, you will: Be a thought leader using innovation and creativity to integrate air quality, climate, health, equity, and environmental justice. Lead and contribute to the successful preparation and implementation of community-scale air quality plans in partnership with Air District staff, community members, partner organizations, local governments, the California Air Resources Board, and other state agencies. Support the development and implementation of regional-based plans and assistance to local governments to advance health protective and equitable air quality and climate plans and policies. Cultivate strong working relationships and collaborations with community-based organizations, community members, local governments, regional, state and federal agency partners. To be successful in this role, you must be a strong team leader, have excellent communication, project management and analytical skills, and be able to work with people of varied backgrounds and perspectives, including low-income communities of color and communities overburdened by air pollution. You will leverage your knowledge of land use, transportation, air quality, equity and environmental justice to lead interdisciplinary team-based projects that research, analyze issues, and craft high impact recommendations to support community and Air District decision making. You will work with your team to prepare and deliver community centered materials including presentations, writing summaries, and plan documents. First-hand experience developing and implementing local land use policies and plans that consider air quality, equity and environmental justice; planning, organizing and facilitating community and stakeholder meetings and interpreting, analyzing and visualizing geospatial environmental, health and socio-economic data to support plan and policy development is a plus.

Requirements

Equivalent to graduation from a college or university with a graduate degree in regional, urban, or environmental planning or a closely related field and four years of professional environmental planning experience.
Additional relevant experience may substitute for the graduate degree.
Methods for developing environmental planning programs.
Organization and functions of agencies involved in local and regional planning.
Objectives, principles, procedures, standards, practices, information sources and trends in the field of air quality environmental impact assessment and land use, transportation and environmental planning.
Application of land use, physical design, demographic, environmental, and social/economic concepts as applied to regional planning.
Objectives, principles, practices, information sources and trends in the field of air quality environmental impact assessment.
Statistical analysis and mathematical concepts related to the planning process.
Applicable district rules and regulations and state and federal laws.
Local planning procedures and customs.
Terminology, symbols, methods and techniques of environmental, land use, and transportation planning.
Directing and conducting complex environmental planning studies and activities.
Reading and interpreting laws, policies, procedures, regulations, maps, specifications, site and building plans, graphs and statistical data.
Making persuasive presentations of ideas and recommendations.
Exercising sound independent judgement within established guidelines.
Preparing clear, concise and complete technical documents, reports and correspondence.
Establishing and maintaining cooperative and effective relationships with those contacted in the course of the work.

Nice To Haves

First-hand experience developing and implementing local land use policies and plans that consider air quality, equity and environmental justice; planning, organizing and facilitating community and stakeholder meetings and interpreting, analyzing and visualizing geospatial environmental, health and socio-economic data to support plan and policy development is a plus.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and delivery of new and innovative policies, programs and projects to accelerate emission and exposure reductions in communities most disproportionately impacted by air pollution.
Develop and maintain strong working relationships with community-based organizations, community members, local governments, regional, state and federal agencies to develop and implement local and regional air quality plans and programs.
Lead collaborative projects and programs that actively engage staff from other Divisions to advanced local community health protection goals and objectives in overburdened, low-income, and communities of color.
Prepare and make presentations to Air District staff, Committees and Board of Directors, as well as members of the public, other stakeholders and community organizations.
Coordinates or provides a lead role in developing new projects and programs.
Provides project leadership for difficult, sensitive, innovative or critical projects.
Coordinates and participates in research, administrative and technical activities necessary to achieve environmental review, planning and transportation/air quality program objectives.
Monitors and evaluates legislation and other governmental actions relating to air quality management planning; develops recommendations for District regulations, policies and programs.
Interfaces with local, state, and federal agencies regarding land use, transportation and air quality planning and environmental review.
Represents the District and responds to inquiries from governmental officials, consultants, and the public related to environmental planning issues.
Coordinates and participates in the preparation, review and editing of environmental impact assessment documents from other agencies; prepares District Lead Agency documents in accordance with relevant guidelines.
Directs the preparation of non-attainment area plans related to assigned work.
Analyzes issues, prepares reports and recommendations relative to land use, regional development, transportation planning and programming, and related issues; provides input into planned development's impact on air quality.
Confers with personnel from other divisions and agencies in coordinating assigned work; meets with community organizations and other groups to encourage cooperative action or resolve problems.