Environmental Justice Associate (9922) – SF Environment Department

Company Description

Are you passionate about ensuring that all communities have a clean, safe, and healthy environment? Is equitable access to environmental services important to you? If so, we invite you to take advantage of an opportunity to use your skills to build a better future for San Francisco.

Who We Are – The San Francisco Environment Department (SF Environment) advances climate protection and enhances quality of life for all San Franciscans. SF Environment is a department within the City and County of San Francisco, a local government committed to innovation, leadership and collaboration in creating environmental change. SF Environment is recognized worldwide for its environmental policies and programs, which center on achieving zero waste, reducing toxic chemical hazards, advancing environmental justice, promoting low-carbon transportation modes, expanding clean energy infrastructure, greening our built environment and protecting our urban forest. We’re a passionate, mission-driven team that values credibility, collaboration, impact, innovation and equity. SF Environment is also a great place to work, offering an attractive benefits package that includes healthcare and retirement.

Position Details:

• Appointment Type: Permanent Exempt
• Application Opening: November 12, 2024
• Application Deadline: December 3, 2024
• Salary: $57,980
• Recruitment ID: 152389

To Apply: Submit your application online by clicking on “I’m Interested” and completing the application. Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Incomplete applications will not be considered. 

SF Environment Racial Equity Statement – For over 20 years, SF Environment has worked with San Francisco’s Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC) communities to mitigate environmental burdens, increase accessibility of environmental programs and benefits, engage community members, and improve health outcomes. BIPOC communities are disproportionately exposed to environmental stressors that include air and soil pollution, illegal dumping of toxics and other materials, industrial land uses and transportation impacts. They are more likely to live in housing conditions with limited access to green space and where poor indoor air quality from pests, mold, and the use of toxic products contributes to the prevalence of asthma and other health disparities. They are more likely to be employed in areas with high levels of exposure to toxics. Now, they are the first communities feeling the impacts of climate change, with the fewest resources to respond. SF Environment has a longstanding commitment to the principles of environmental justice, whereby communities most impacted by environmental stressors and climate change are prioritized and the long-time work of community leaders is recognized and supported. We are committed to uplifting the contributions of local environmental leaders of diverse racial backgrounds and ensuring that racial equity is the cornerstone of all of our programs, policies, and services.

Job Description

The Associate will assist San Francisco Environment Department staff in advancing environmental sustainability initiatives at public and affordable housing sites. Duties will include providing education, outreach and assistance to affordable housing developers, property managers, maintenance staff and low-income families in the areas of toxics reduction, zero waste, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM). The Associate will work with a diverse set of partners, including the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development (MOHCD) staff, non-profit service providers and affordable housing developers to prevent pest infestations and reduce pesticide use at public and affordable housing sites.

The Associate will also help develop and deliver zero waste programing to increase diversion (recycling, composting) and the proper disposal of household hazardous products and bulky items at these sites. The Associate will spend approximately 40% of their time in the field, visiting sites located throughout the San Francisco.

The Environmental Justice Associate is an early career role designed to expose associates to career pathways in environmental sustainability, environmental justice, affordable housing, and community outreach while offering professional development, mentorship, and networking opportunities. Over the program you will gain knowledge of environmental justice, community outreach, and environmental behavior-change strategies. You will build skills in public speaking, engaging the public, and program administration. The program is set up so that each year you will build on the knowledge and skills you acquired the previous year, while tackling different projects and expanding your skillset. Knowledge and skills gained will position you for success as an environmental justice leader and community outreach professional.

Duties may include, but are not limited to the following:

• Work with public and affordable housing property managers, service staff, and affordable housing developers on zero waste programs and safe pest prevention;
• Coordinate pest inspections and work with developers to implement site specific treatment plans;
• Conduct workshops to educate tenants on Integrated Pest Management (IPM), zero waste, maintaining a healthy home, and reducing exposure to toxic chemicals through use of safer products and practices;
• Assist SFE with public outreach/education, including staffing special events and making public presentations;
• Perform administrative support and other duties and tasks as requested Mentors & Supervisors

Candidates who possess a driver’s license will receive City vehicle training and have access to the City’s fleet of vehicles for work-related travel. Candidates who do not have a driver’s license will receive Muni tokens for work-related travel. Travel time will be counted as work time. Field work often includes attendance at community meetings or events, which could involve night and weekend work.

Please note that there will be some evening and weekend work. 

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university; OR

Experience: Two years of college education from an accredited college or university, AND six (6) months of professional or administrative work experience, including internships, research positions, or other experience, relevant to the duties described in the job description.

Desirable Qualifications

The desirable qualifications may be used to select among finalists at the end of the selection process. We do not expect any one candidate to have all the qualifications listed. We highly encourage you to apply if you are interested in joining us. 

• Education, experience, or interest in understanding the concepts of institutional and structural racism and implicit bias.
• Experience (volunteer or paid) in Integrated Pest Management, Zero Waste, Toxics Reduction, Energy, Clean Transportation or other specialty area in the environmental field.
• Familiarity with San Francisco
• Ability to speak a second language commonly spoken in San Francisco
• Ability to effectively communicate with racially, ethnically, culturally, and socioeconomically diverse audiences.
• Ability to work independently, and effectively with a team of diverse colleagues.
• Responsible, self-motivated and professional.
• Enthusiasm to learn about environmental and public health initiatives and opportunities in the environmental sector.
• Possession of a valid driver’s license and willingness to drive to external job sites as needed.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities 

Requires an indicated interest and aptitude in those skills associated with environmental justice, affordable housing and healthy homes, community outreach, environment-focused public education, or a related field and a willingness and ability to acquire the needed skills through training and work experience. 

How to Apply

Applications for City and County of San Francisco jobs are only accepted through an online process. Visit https://careers.smartrecruiters.com/CityAndCountyOfSanFrancisco1/ and begin the application process.

• Select the “I’m Interested” button and follow instructions on the screen
• Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every position to which they apply. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.
• Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Additional Information

All persons employed by the City and County of San Francisco are required to comply with the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986 by presenting documents to verify identity and authorization to work in the United States. The SF Environment Department currently does not sponsor work visas. 

Exempt Employment Status – This is an exempt appointment with an anticipated duration of three years, contingent upon City budget conditions, demonstrated competence and professionalism in the first year of employment. Participation in this program does not guarantee future employment with the San Francisco Department of the Environment or the City and County of San Francisco. This position is excluded by the Charter from the competitive civil service examination process and shall serve at the discretion of the appointing officer.

Verification Applicants may be required to submit verification of qualifying education and experience at any point during the recruitment and selection process. If education verification is required, information on how to verify education requirements, including verifying foreign education credits or degree equivalency can be found at https://sfdhr.org/how-verify-education-requirements

Note: Falsifying one’s education, training or work experience or attempted deception on the application may result in disqualification for this and future job opportunities with the City and County of San Francisco.

All work experience, education, training and other information substantiating how you meet minimum qualifications must be included in your application by the filing deadline. Information submitted after the filing deadline will not be considered in determining whether you meet the minimum qualifications.

Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of a completed City and County of San Francisco application.

Applications completed improperly may be cause for ineligibility, or disqualification.

Selection Procedures – After application submission, candidates deemed qualified must complete all subsequent steps to advance in this selection process, which includes the following:

Supplemental Information – After submitting your application you will receive a request for additional information about your education and experience. In addition, 3-5 days after submitting your application, you will be emailed a Supplemental Questionnaire with position-relevant questions about your work experience and interest in the position. Please check junk/spam folders to ensure you receive these information requests.

Selection Process and Timeline – Due to the volume of inquiries we receive, we are unable to give application status updates. While we are not able to reach out to every applicant, the hiring manager will contact you directly after the filing deadline if your skills and experiences are a strong match for the position.

Stage 1 of the selection process will consist of an evaluation of applications. Stage 2 – Based on the evaluation of applications, candidates whose skills and experiences are a strong match for the position will be invited to a phone interview. Stage 3 – Candidates who most closely meet the needs of the position will be invited to participate in the panel interview selection process, including an assessment of relative job-related skills and abilities. Applicants meeting the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement to Stage 2 or Stage 3 of the hiring process.

For any questions regarding the position or hiring process- please contact the recruitment analyst, Sana Ahmed at Sana.J.Ahmed@sfgov.org

To find Departments which use this classification, please see https://sfdhr.org/sites/default/files/documents/Forms-Documents/Position-Counts-by-Job-Codes-and-Department-FY-2021-22.pdf.

Additional Information Regarding Employment with the City and County of San Francisco:

• Information About The Hiring Process
• Conviction History
• Employee Benefits Overview
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Disaster Service Worker
• ADA Accommodation
• Right to Work
• Copies of Application Documents
• Diversity Statement

Applicants may be contacted by email about this recruitment and, therefore, it is their responsibility to ensure that their registered email address is accurate and kept up-to-date. Also, applicants must ensure that email from CCSF is not blocked on their computer by a spam filter. To prevent blocking, applicants should set up their email to accept CCSF mail from the following addresses (@sfgov.org, @sfdpw.org, @sfport.com, @flysfo.com, @sfwater.org, @sfdph.org, @asianart.org, @sfmta.com, @sfpl.org, @dcyf.org, @first5sf.org, @famsf.org, @ccsf.edu, @smartalerts.info, and @smartrecruiters.com).

Applicants will receive a confirmation email that their online application has been received in response to every announcement for which they file. Applicants should retain this confirmation email for their records. Failure to receive this email means that the online application was not submitted or received.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

The City and County of San Francisco encourages women, minorities and persons with disabilities to apply. Applicants will be considered regardless of their sex, race, age, religion, color, national origin, ancestry, physical disability, mental disability, medical condition (associated with cancer, a history of cancer, or genetic characteristics), HIV/AIDS status, genetic information, marital status, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, military and veteran status, or other protected category under the law.

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