Supervising Environmental Services Specialist - Code Division, PBCE

City of San Jose • San Jose, CA

11d • $129,926 - $158,384 • Onsite

About The Position

The City of San José’s Department of Planning, Building, and Code Enforcement serves to ensure the orderly and safe development of private properties, compliance with all applicable building, zoning, and quality of life ordinances and regulations, and to promote healthy and safe community standards. The Code Enforcement Division works with property owners, business owners, and residents to promote and maintain the health, safety, and quality of life for all neighborhoods by facilitating compliance with City Municipal Codes and standards on private property. This includes aspects ranging from the quality of residential housing conditions to land-use zoning and business activities within all neighborhoods to ensure the highest health, safety, and quality of life for all neighborhoods. These goals and objectives are achieved through outreach, education, inspection, and administrative enforcement. The Planning, Building and Code Enforcement Department is currently seeking to fill one full-time Supervising Environmental Services Specialist vacancy in the Legal Enforcement Agency (LEA) Section within the Code Division. This position serves as the programmatic and operational lead for the City of San José's Local Enforcement Agency (LEA), a state-certified program operating under the authority of CalRecycle and Public Resources Code sections 40000 et seq. This position ensures that all solid waste facilities within the City's jurisdiction operate in compliance with state minimum standards and permit conditions, protecting public health, safety, and the environment. The Supervising Environmental Services Specialist provides direct supervision of Environmental Inspection staff, manages program planning and reporting obligations to CalRecycle, and serves as the City's primary liaison to state and regional regulatory partners. The incumbent leads the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of the LEA's Enforcement Program Plan (EPP), coordinates responses to facility violations and complaints, and ensures the City's compliance with CalRecycle's triennial evaluation requirements. The position also oversees permitting activities for solid waste facilities, including landfills, transfer/processing stations, material recovery facilities, composting operations, and construction and demolition waste facilities operating within the City's jurisdiction.

Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Four (4) years of increasingly responsible experience in developing, promoting, and/or implementing environmental programs (e.g.: programs in air quality, integrated waste management, biology, agriculture, energy, forestry or parks, habitat restoration, wastewater, water resources, stormwater, archaeology, geology, resource conservation, industrial or environmental health and safety, or any program emphasizing environmental sustainability or environmental regulatory compliance), including two (2) years of experience leading people or projects.
• Relevant experience in environmental services programs typically includes: preparing outreach/educational materials, conducting survey work, tracking and monitoring deliverables, coordinating special events, promoting programs, implementing new programs, policy development, planning and permitting, grants or contracts administration, analyzing data and creating reports, and/or tracking budgets.
• Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited: MS Outlook, mS word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, and MS Excel.
• This position requires a disclosure of outside investments, real property interest, income, and business positions. You must complete and file an “Assuming Office Form 700” with the City Clerk’s Office within the first 30 days of employment with the office.

Nice To Haves

• A master’s degree from an accredited college or university in environmental studies or related field may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience developing, promoting, and/or implementing environmental programs.
• Additional years of experience in developing, promoting, and/or implementing environmental programs may be substituted for the bachelor's degree requirement on a year-for-year basis.
• A valid State of California Environmental Health Specialist registration pursuant to California Health & Safety Code, Sections 106600-106735

Responsibilities

• Plans, organizes, and supervises the daily work activities of Environmental Inspection staff assigned to the LEA program, including scheduling inspections, reviewing inspection reports, and ensuring timely submission to CalRecycle's Solid Waste Information System (SWIS) database.
• Oversees solid waste facility permitting, including review and processing of permit applications, permit modifications, and closures for landfills, transfer stations, material recovery facilities, composting operations, anaerobic digestion facilities, and construction/demolition waste processing operations.
• Conducts and coordinates facility inspections - both routine and complaint-driven - to evaluate compliance with California Code of Regulations Title 14 and Title 27, applicable Public Resources Code provisions, and facility-specific permit conditions; ensures inspection findings are accurately documented and communicated to operators.
• Initiates and manages progressive enforcement actions, including issuance of Notices of Violation, Compliance Orders with Milestones, Corrective Action Orders, and Cease and Desist Orders; escalates to civil penalty proceedings or permit suspension/revocation when cooperative compliance efforts are unsuccessful.
• Prepares and maintains the LEA's Enforcement Program Plan (EPP) and all required annual reports to CalRecycle, ensuring the City's program meets certification standards and satisfies triennial evaluation requirements.
• Coordinates with CalRecycle oversight inspectors and state, regional, and local agency partners - including the State Water Resources Control Board, Regional Air Districts, and Department of Toxic Substances Control - on matters involving shared regulatory jurisdiction over solid waste facilities.
• Provides staff training and development on inspection techniques, enforcement procedures, state regulatory requirements, and CalRecycle program updates; ensures staff competency through ongoing professional development aligned with CalRecycle pre-certification training standards.
• Responds to public complaints regarding solid waste facility operations, conducts investigations, documents findings, and coordinates appropriate enforcement or corrective action responses.
• Manages program budget, monitors expenditures, prepares budget recommendations, and tracks program performance metrics; prepares statistical reports and trend analyses for division leadership.
• Represents the LEA program at public meetings, stakeholder workshops, and interagency forums; serves as subject matter expert on solid waste regulatory requirements for City departments, elected officials, and the public.
• Oversees records management for all LEA program files, inspection histories, permit documents, and enforcement case files, consistent with CalRecycle's documentation and records retention requirements.

Benefits

• Salary range(s) for this classification is: $129,926.16 - $158,383.68 Annually
• This salary range(s) includes an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager