Environmental Protection Assistant Division Director

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If so, we have an outstanding opportunity for you!

The State of Connecticut, Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP) is charged with conserving, protecting, and improving the natural resources and the environment of the state of Connecticut as well as making clean, reliable, and affordable energy available for the people and businesses of the state. The agency is also committed to playing a positive role in supporting economic development and job creation in Connecticut a well as fostering a sustainable and prosperous economic future for the state.

Within the Bureau of Air Management (BAM), our mission is to protect human health, safety, and the environment and enhance the quality of life for the citizens of Connecticut by implementing regulatory programs and supporting policies to advance clean air and climate change objectives, advance radiation safety and promote public health.. The Bureau consists of four divisions: Planning & Standards, Engineering, Radiation and Enforcement.

DEEP is recruiting for the position of Assistant Division Director for the Planning & Standards Division within BAM. The Planning & Standards Division consists of four groups: Toxics and Mobile Sources, Attainment Planning, Data management and Air Quality Monitoring/Field Operations. The Division is responsible for formulating and delivering effective strategies to achieve Connecticut’s clean air and greenhouse gas reduction goals while overseeing multiple state and federal regulatory programs, including grant programs and managing the Connecticut ambient air quality monitoring program. The position demands a dynamic individual with a combination of leadership, administrative and technical skills to assist in supporting the strategic planning needs of the BAM through program development and consensus building to gain regional and national support to advance policies that best address Connecticut’s air quality challenges and greenhouse gas reduction goals.

POSITION DETAILS

The position will be located at DEEP Headquarters, 79 Elm Street, Hartford, CT 06106, but will also manage staff who located at 9 Windsor St, Windsor, CT as well as staff who work remotely.

This is a full-time, 40 hour per week, Monday-Friday position.

Specific programmatic responsibilities and duties include, but are not limited to:

• Assist with developing the strategic direction for the BAM through the formulation of state, regional, and national policies to achieve Connecticut’s air quality and greenhouse gas reduction goals;
• Integrate core planning functions to maximize environmental results and leverage complimentary policies to ensure equitable distribution of environmental benefits;
• Assist the Director in formulating goals and objectives consistent with the Department’s policies and BAM’s operational capabilities and needs;
• Facilitate communication and coordination with EPA, other states, the regulated community, and other stakeholders to foster partnerships, achieve environmental results, and to further Connecticut’s air quality, energy and climate programs, and represent the State of Connecticut on the regional and national level;
• Plan, organize and direct daily operations and activities leading supervising engineers, analysts and technical staff associated with the four operational groups within the division;
• Oversee various grant programs and funding sources to support the state’s efforts to achieve the equitable distribution of air quality benefits and greenhouse gas reductions and to measure progress in achieving targeted reductions through those investments;
• Assist the Director in the oversight of air quality monitoring lab operations including a statewide network of fourteen air quality monitoring stations designed to measure Connecticut's progress in meeting federal health-based air quality standards, as well as the development and implementation of Connecticut's statewide and community-based air quality monitoring efforts;
• Work with the Division’s four supervisors to prioritize work and assure commitments are met; and
• Work with the Division’s four supervisors to further develop leadership and management skills, provide mentoring to enhance staff capacity, and empower problem solving.

We offer a competitive benefits plan that includes healthcare coverage, a retirement plan as well as paid time off, including 12 paid holidays per calendar year!

For an inside look at what it's like to Make an ImpaCT as a State of Connecticut Employee, check out the video below:

All State employees shall follow the guidelines as listed in Executive Orders  13F (3a) and 13G (3a) .

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class.

Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 

Note:  At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position.  These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency.  Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position. 

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board  (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified.

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.  

Questions about this recruitment should be directed to Jake Ferrari via email at jake.ferrari@ct.gov.

In the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, this class is accountable for assisting in the direction of the staff and programs of a scientific, regulatory or technical division.

Assists in direction of staff and operations of division; determines priorities, coordinates plans and manages activities; assists in formulating program goals and objectives and ensures implementation of same; assists in development of related policy, goals and objectives; interprets and administers pertinent laws and regulations; evaluates staff performance; provides or directs staff training and development; assists in preparation of division budget; prepares and/or oversees preparation of reports and correspondence; performs public relations tasks; oversees special projects; serves as director in his/her absence; establishes and maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of division who might impact on program activities; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of and ability to apply management principles and techniques; considerable knowledge of environmental protection principles, techniques, practices and issues; considerable knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; considerable ability to apply relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; analytical, organizational and negotiating skills.

Nine (9) years of professional experience in natural resource management, environmental conservation, energy research, energy planning, energy policy development, public outdoor recreation, pollution prevention, reduction and management, environmental regulatory programs or other related environmental protection field.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in a supervisory capacity responsible for the supervision of professional and technical support staff performing environmental protection work. Notes:
1. Supervisory capacity is interpreted as scheduling, assigning and overseeing work, establishing performance standards for employees and taking corrective measures to implement those standards.
2. For State Employees, the Special Experience is interpreted at the level of Environmental Protection Supervising Sanitary Engineer (Environmental Protection), Environmental Protection Supervising Air Pollution Control Engineer, Environmental Protection Supervising Civil Engineer, Environmental Protection Supervising Environmental Analyst, Environmental Protection Supervising Forester, Environmental Protection Supervising Fisheries Biologist, Environmental Protection Supervising Wildlife Biologist or other comparable supervisory title responsible for the supervision of professional and technical support staff performing environmental protection work.

1. College training in a scientific or technical discipline related to the environmental field, including but not limited to the biological, earth, or physical sciences; environmental planning; environmental law; economics; leisure services; geographic information systems; geography with a concentration in geographic information systems; natural sciences; natural resources may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
2. A Master's degree in a scientific or technical discipline related to the environmental field as listed above including but not limited to the biological, earth, or physical sciences; environmental planning; environmental law; economics; leisure services; geographic information systems; geography with a concentration in geographic information systems; natural sciences; natural resources may be substituted for five (5) years of the General Experience.
3. A law degree with a concentration in environmental protection or doctorate degree in a field related to environmental protection may be substituted for six (6) years of the General Experience.
*Note: Education may only be substituted for a total of six (6) years.

The Preferred candidate will have the following demonstrated qualities:

• Demonstrated leadership and personnel management skills, including experience leading a highly skilled and technically oriented workforce;
• Experience exercising critical thinking, managing productivity, defining expectations and establishing measurable goals, coordinating programs and makeing sound decisions;
• Experience articulating complex technical, regulatory, policy or operational information to a wide variety of audiences in a clear and understandable manner;
• Experience synthesizing complex environmental and engineering data and utilize such data in program planning and implementation;
• Experience developing and implementing innovative approaches and programs to address environmental challenges;
• Experience performing and implementing strategic actions to address change and future needs;
• Experience in public speaking, media relations and consensus building;
• Well-versed in state and federal laws and regulations related to air quality, air toxics, air pollution control and ambient air quality monitoring programs.

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.