Oregon Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) Environmental Justice Council Policy and Program Coordinator (Closes Nov 13)

Agency: Department of Environmental Quality

Salary Range: $5,875 - $8,663

Position Type: Employee

Position Title: Environmental Justice Council Policy and Program Coordinator (Operations & Policy Analyst 3)

Initial Posting Date: 10/20/2022

Application Deadline: 11/13/2022

Job Description:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/iP3K7JoLe1k

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for an Environmental Justice Council Policy and Program Coordinator (Operations & Policy Analyst 3) in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality. In recognition that individuals and communities experience unequal protection from environmental pollution, the State of Oregon established the Environmental Justice Council with the mission to ensure equal protection from environmental and health risks and ensure fair treatment and meaningful involvement in decision making of all people, regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration status, income, or other identities with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies that affect the environment in which people live, work, learn, and practice spirituality and culture.

The Environmental Justice Council’s role is to advise and provide an annual report to the Governor on environmental justice (EJ) issues; advise natural resource agencies on EJ issues, including community concerns and public participation processes; identify, in cooperation with natural resource agencies, communities with EJ concerns, and meet with these communities to make recommendations to the Governor for response; define EJ issues across Oregon; and upon the request of a natural resource agency, provide consultation and review of natural resource agency’s proposed administrative rules under ORS 183.333.

What you will do!

You will have a direct impact on the lives of people in Oregon experiencing inequities, including communities of color, people with disabilities, and other historically marginalized communities. You will provide policy research, development, and coordination on environmental justice issues; provide project management and high level executive support to the Oregon Environmental Justice Council (EJC), a 13-member statewide council responsible for advising the Governor and natural resource agencies on environmental justice issues and for developing a state-specific environmental justice mapping tool. You will convene and support EJC meetings and events, including developing agendas, coordinating communications, facilitating meetings, drafting reports and analyses, preparing materials for meetings, and maintaining council records. You will lead the development and implementation of the EJC workplan, which includes the development of an Oregon-specific environmental justice mapping tool. You will work with Council members to develop and conduct an inclusive community engagement process. In addition, you will serve as the primary point of contact for inquiries from the public, legislators, and state agencies on issues related to environmental justice and the work of the EJC.

The person hired into this position is an employee of Oregon DEQ; however, your work will support the Council and not the internal or DEQ-specific EJ programs and activities.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon's environment, apply today!

This is a full-time, management service non-supervisory position. This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in business or public administration, behavioral or social sciences, political science, or a related degree, AND 4 years of professional-level evaluative, analytical, and planning work (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following:

  • Commitment to ongoing development on unconscious bias, anti-racism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion; skills in cultural competency.

  • Demonstrated experience and personal commitment to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture where all team members feel empowered to contribute.

  • Experience developing and implementing policies and programs that promote equity and reduce disparities.

  • Ability to build partnerships across diverse community groups and interests; skill and experience in communication and outreach to underrepresented communities.

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to provide clear, concise, and compelling communication of policy and technical information tailored to the needs of diverse audiences.

  • Ability to interpret environmental programs, and federal, state, and local regulations and guidance; experience creating communications strategies and plans based on policy and guidance.

  • Demonstrated leadership skills; experience with project management; ability to switch priorities or tasks seamlessly.

Working Conditions

Work is primarily in a fast-paced professional office with multiple demands on time. This position will report to DEQ’s Headquarters office in Portland as their central workplace. DEQ may allow hybrid work environment opportunities that would need to be discussed with and approved by the DEQ manager prior to hiring. This position requires occasional travel on official State business in- and out-of-state for meetings, conferences, workshops, trainings, site visits, and public hearings, some of which may be held in the evenings and involve overnight stays.

Click here to view a map of all of the DEQ offices.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

  • External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. Click this link for the External Candidate job aid, and view this video for additional information.

  • Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account. View this job aid for assistance.

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Please Note: In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application material.

Veterans Information:

DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be asked to submit those at a later time.

Pay Equity:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, please contact Maddy Ouye, Human Resources Analyst, at maddy.ouye@deq.oregon.gov or (503) 347-5759. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.

Are you interested in an Informational Interview with DEQ to learn more about working at DEQ, how current DEQ employees got to where they are today, and what opportunities there may be for you at DEQ? Please go here and complete the form: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/about-us/Pages/humanresources.aspx. Please note that informational interviews are not tied to an open recruitment. If you complete the form above, you will be put in the queue to have an informational interview with a Hiring Manager from our Informational Interview Registry.