Human Resource Services
Alameda Skyline

Sustainability Project Manager

Recruitment #21-0176-01

Introduction

THIS IS A NEW ASSEMBLED EXAMINATION. The eligible list resulting from this examination will cancel any existing list and may last approximately one year but can be extended.

Supplemental Questionnaire: A properly completed Supplemental Questionnaire must be submitted with each application. Failure to submit the Application or Supplemental Questionnaire will result in disqualification. Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires must be in the possession of the Human Resource Services Department by 5:00:00 p.m. on the Last Day for Filing.

Applications and Supplemental Questionnaires will only be accepted on-line.

DESCRIPTION

THE AGENCY

Alameda County General Services Agency (GSA) delivers a host of logistical support services to County agencies and partners from maintenance of facilities and County fleet to energy and environmental management services, capital project management, procurement services, and clean commute and recycling programs. The GSA community strives not only to provide these services but to also facilitate collaborative and innovative approaches in its efforts. While the GSA community largely focuses on support services for Alameda County departments and other public agencies, the work has a direct impact on the communities. GSA builds structures such as libraries and youth centers that transform communities, provides opportunities for local businesses, and works towards ensuring that County work practices minimize negative impacts to the environment. GSA employees take great pride in their work and strive to provide the highest-quality service.

OFFICE OF SUSTAINABILITY

Located in Oakland, California, Alameda County’s Office of Sustainability is a program of the Alameda County government’s General Services Agency. We find that working in local government presents an incredibly rewarding way to make a contribution and collaborate with local communities.

The Alameda County GSA Office of Sustainability sets strategy and policy to ensure the County continues to be a climate and sustainability leader. We assist County agencies to “green” their operations and facilities and to prepare for the impacts of climate change on our services and communities. We oversee implementation, partner engagement, and reporting for the County's Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations. We oversee recycling and waste services for County-owned buildings. The Office of Sustainability’s approach includes developing policies and guidelines, providing technical assistance to implement sustainability in operations & supply chain, equipping executives and employees to champion sustainability, and showcasing successes and building partnerships to amplify impact. Please see https://acgov.org/sustain to learn more.

THE POSITION

Alameda County’s Office of Sustainability is seeking a Sustainability Project Manager who will build partnerships and manage multi-stakeholder projects to advance green building, green economy, community resilience, and other climate actions. As a large real estate owner and social safety net provider, our actions make a difference. Key responsibilities will include partnering with operational staff in projects such as the development of green building policies, providing technical and change management assistance to roll out sustainable operational and supply chain practices, and supporting client-facing staff in helping their clients prepare for the impacts of climate change. The Sustainability Project Manager manages a temporary fellow or intern.  

The Sustainability Project Manager reports to the Sustainability Program Manager and works closely with a dynamic team, colleagues in the General Services Agency, and many internal and external stakeholders. As part of the Sustainability Office team, the Project Manager will also have the opportunity to participate in strategic planning to develop the County’s next Climate Action Plan for Government Services and Operations.

The Sustainability Project Manager is responsible for managing county-wide sustainability programs and/or projects in distinct areas of specialty such as, but not limited to: environmentally preferable procurement; resource conservation, and recycling; waste reduction; climate change; green building; sustainable transportation; weatherization; and clean energy, renewable energy, and energy efficiency; and ensure compliance with federal, state, and local laws and guidelines; perform a variety of responsible administrative functions including research and analysis of programs; monitor contracts; and to perform related duties as required. This position works with County departments and external entities, and the community in the course of promoting and advancing sustainability programs.

Please click here for the full job description.

IDEAL CANDIDATE

In addition to the stated minimum qualifications, knowledge, and skills, the ideal candidate will have demonstrated a successful track record of:

  • Solid program management skills to strategically develop programs and deliver measurable results, including effective meeting facilitation.
  • Excellent project management skills to design, implement, and manage projects and to direct the resources, personnel, and activities to successful completion.
  • Strong communication skills, both oral and written, to communicate effectively with a diverse workforce and with line staff, executive management, external partners, and the community.
  • Distilling complex and technical information into key insights for your audience.
  • Collecting and synthesizing information from a variety of stakeholders and sources in an objective manner to reach a conclusion. Incorporating multiple perspectives before reaching a decision.
  • Building strategic work relationships and collaborations to leverage existing resources to meet overall organizational needs and goals.
  • Facilitating innovation by encouraging others to find and apply new approaches.
  • Understanding organizational culture in decision-making, perceiving political sensitivities, and escalating issues when necessary.
  • Contributing to team success by actively participating as a member of a closely coordinated primarily-remote team to move the team toward its goals.
  • Remaining flexible and adjusting to changes in work responsibilities or environment. Learning new areas and best practices in sustainability and climate action as the field evolves.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Either I
Experience:


The equivalent of two years of full-time experience as a Sustainability Specialist in the Alameda County classified service (non-classified includes District Attorney’s Office, Hospital Authority, and the Consolidated Courts).

Or II
Education:

Possession of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university in environmental science or engineering, urban planning, public policy, social sciences, public or business administration or a related field. A Master’s degree is highly desirable.

And
Experience:


The equivalent of four years of full-time increasingly responsible experience in the field of environmentally preferable procurement, sustainability, resources conservation, waste reduction, recycling, climate change green building or other related area including experience with responsibility for planning, administering, organizing and coordinating programs.

Possession of a Master's degree from an accredited college or university in environmental science, urban planning, public policy, social sciences, public or business administration or a related field may be substituted for one year of the required experience.

License:

All candidates must possess a valid California Class "C" Driver's license and be willing and able to drive.

NOTE: The Civil Service Commission may modify the above Minimum Qualifications

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS

The most suitably qualified candidates will possess the following competencies: 

Knowledge of:

• Principles, practices, and legal requirement of one or more of the following areas: environmentally preferable procurement, sustainability, recycling, waste reduction, climate change, green building, sustainable transportation, or other related area.
• Principles, practices and techniques of project management and program development and administration.
• Organizational practices as applied to the analysis and evaluation of programs, policies and operational needs.
• Modern office procedures, methods and equipment including computers and various software.
• Principles and practices of budget, contract, and grant development and administration

Ability to:

• Develop, implement, and evaluate programs and/or projects
• Prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, proposals, and other written materials of a technical nature.
• Collect, analyze, and compile technical and statistical information.
• Interpret, explain, and apply complex regulations policies and procedures.
• Manage the administration of contracts.
• Communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships.
• Communicate and negotiate in a persuasive and productive manner with groups and individuals.
• Establish and maintain various data collection, record keeping, tracking and reporting systems.
• Direct the work of others on a project.
• Attend night and weekend meetings/events.

EXAMINATION COMPONENTS

The examination will consist of the following steps:

  1. A review of the candidates’ application to verify possession of minimum requirements. Those candidates who possess the minimum requirements for the class will move on to the next step in the examination process.
  2. A review of candidates' supplemental questionnaire to select the best qualified applicants to continue in the process.
  3. An oral interview which will be weighted as 100% of the candidates' final examination score. The oral interview may contain situational exercises.

CANDIDATES MUST ATTAIN A QUALIFYING RATING ON EACH PORTION OF THIS EXAMINATION.

WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED EXAMINATION COMPONENTS.

We reserve the right to make changes to the announced examination components. Alameda County utilizes a Civil Service Selection System founded on merit. Such a system is competitive and based on broad recruitment efforts and equal opportunity for qualified applicants to test in an examination process designed to determine the qualifications, fitness and ability of competitors to perform duties of the vacant position. Many of our recruitments are targeted and specific to the needs of a current vacant position, in which case, the eligible list may be exclusively used for that current vacant position. Other recruitments may be more broadly used for both current and future vacancies, or for other alternate jobs with comparable scopes of work.

To learn more about our recruitment and selection process, please visit the “What You Need to Know” section of our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

Selection Plan

Applicants will be informed via email with reasonable notice in advance of any examination process which will require their attendance. The following dates are tentative and subject to change based on the needs of the Agency:

TENTATIVE SELECTION PLAN:

Deadline For Filing:

5:00 PM, Thursday, November 4, 2021

Review of Minimum Qualifications:

Monday, November 15, 2021

Screening for Best Qualified:

Tuesday, November 30, 2021

Oral Examination*:

Week of December 13, 2021

*The combined oral examination/hiring interview, in addition to establishing an eligibility list, may serve as the final selection interview for vacancies in this classification.

***WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO MAKE CHANGES TO THE ANNOUNCED RECRUITMENT & SELECTION PLAN***

Alameda County and the Human Resource Services Department will make reasonable efforts in the examination and/or selection process to accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities and/or medical conditions in accordance/compliance with the State Fair Employment and Housing Act (FEHA), Federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Alameda County’s Reasonable Accommodation Policy and applicable statutes. To request an accommodation due to a disability/medical condition during this or other phases of the examination/selection process, please contact the assigned Human Resources Representative listed on the job announcement before the last date of filing. Alameda County requires applicants to provide supporting documentation to substantiate a request for reasonable accommodation. In order to qualify for a reasonable accommodation, applicants must have a disability/medical condition pursuant to the ADA, FEHA and applicable statutes. For more information regarding our Reasonable Accommodation procedures, please visit our website, www.acgov.org/hrs.

BENEFITS

Alameda County offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits package that affords wide-ranging health care options to meet the different needs of a diverse workforce and their families. We also sponsor many different employee discount, fitness and health screening programs focused on overall well being.  These benefits include but are not limited to*:

For your Health & Well-Being

  • Medical – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Dental – HMO & PPO Plans
  • Vision or Vision Reimbursement
  • Share the Savings
  • Basic Life Insurance 
  • Supplemental Life Insurance (with optional dependent coverage for eligible employees)
  • Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance 
  • County Allowance Credit
  • Flexible Spending Accounts - Health FSA, Dependent Care and Adoption Assistance
  • Short-Term Disability Insurance
  • Long-Term Disability Insurance
  • Voluntary Benefits - Accident Insurance, Critical Illness, Hospital Indemnity and Legal Services
  • Employee Assistance Program

For your Financial Future

  • Retirement Plan - (Defined Benefit Pension Plan)
  • Deferred Compensation Plan (457 Plan or Roth Plan)

For your Work/Life Balance

  • 11 paid holidays
  • Floating Holidays
  • Vacation and sick leave accrual
  • Vacation purchase program
  • Management Paid Leave**
  • Catastrophic Sick Leave
  • Group Auto/Home Insurance
  • Pet Insurance
  • Commuter Benefits Program
  • Guaranteed Ride Home
  • Employee Wellness Program (e.g. At Work Fitness, Incentive Based Programs, Gym Membership Discounts)
  • Employee Discount Program (e.g. theme parks, cell phone, etc.)
  • Child Care Resources
  • 1st United Services Credit Union 

*Eligibility is determined by Alameda County and offerings may vary by collective bargaining agreement.  This provides a brief summary of the benefits offered and can be subject to change.

** Non-exempt management employees are entitled to up to three days of management paid leave. Exempt management employees are entitled to up to seven days of management paid leave.

Conclusion

All notices related to County recruitments for which you have applied will be sent/delivered via email. Please add @jobaps.com, acgov.org and Noreply@jobaps.com as accepted addresses to any email blocking or spam filtering program you may use. If you do not do this, your email blocking or spam filtering program may block receipt of the notices regarding your application for recruitments. You are also strongly advised to regularly log into your County of Alameda online application account to check for notices that may have been sent to you. All email notices that will be sent to you will also be kept in your personal online application account. You will be able to view all of your notices in your online application account by clicking on the "My applications" button on the Current Job Openings page.

Please take the steps recommended above to ensure you do not miss any notices about a recruitment for which you have applied. The County of Alameda is not responsible for notices that are not read, received or accessed by any applicant for a County recruitment.

NOTE: All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box Noreply@jobaps.com are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. All notices are generated through an automated email notification system. Replies to the email box are routed to an unmonitored mailbox. If you have questions please go to our website at www.acgov.org/hrs. You may also contact the Human Resources Analyst listed on the job announcement for the recruitment for which you have applied.

Irene Lu | Human Resources Analyst
Human Resource Services, County of Alameda
(510) 272-6469 | irene.lu@acgov.org
www.acgov.org/hrs

Disaster Service Worker

All Alameda County employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employment with the County requires the affirmation of a loyalty oath to this effect. Employees are required to report to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Alameda County has a diverse workforce, that is representative of the communities we serve, and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All aspects of employment are based on merit, competence, performance and business need. Alameda County does not discriminate in employment on the basis of, race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factors protected under federal, state and local law. Alameda County celebrates diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive, and welcoming workplace environment.