Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs

The Air District is currently accepting applications for the position of Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs.

ABOUT THE AIR DISTRICT

The Bay Area Air District (Air District) created in 1955, is the state’s first regional agency to regulate air pollution. The Air District was created during this time, as the air in the Bay Area was often unhealthy to breathe due to burning, vehicle exhaust, and factories polluting the air.

The Air District is tasked with regulating stationary sources of air pollution in the nine counties that surround the San Francisco Bay: Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, Napa, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara, southwestern Solano, and southern Sonoma counties. It is governed by a 24-member Board of Directors composed of locally elected officials from each of the nine Bay Area counties, with the number of board members from each county being proportionate to its population.

The Board of Directors oversees policies, adopts regulations, and promotes and incentivizes clean air actions to reduce air pollution in communities within the Air District jurisdiction. The Board also appoints the Air District’s Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer (EO/APCO), who implements these policies, gives direction to staff, and provides air quality thought leadership on a state, national and global scale.

The Air District consists of 538 dedicated staff members, including engineers, inspectors, planners, scientists, and other professionals.

The Air District has a mission to improve air quality to protect public health, reduce historical and current environmental inequities, and mitigate climate change and its impact. This mission cannot be realized without a clear focus on our most impacted communities and addressing the environmental injustices that they experience. Six core values that drive the Air District are: transparency, partnership, environmental justice, equity, trust, and integrity.

The Air District also aims to achieve its mission through many strategic goals including: reducing and eliminating health problems caused by air pollution, achieving and maintaining air quality standards for all criteria pollutants, creating high-quality regulatory programs, establishing the Bay Area as a leading area for emissions reductions, and applying environmental best practices in all operations.

The Air District has made vast improvements in the quality of air we breathe by controlling air pollution from stationary emission sources such as factories, refineries, and power plants, and from small facilities like gas stations and dry cleaners. However, new approaches are needed to reduce the disproportionate and cumulative environmental impacts that remain in overburdened communities.

The Air District oversees one of the most robust air monitoring networks in the nation with more than 30 air monitoring stations that measure air quality throughout the Bay Area and inform daily air quality forecasts. The Air District also ensures that businesses comply with some of the nation’s most stringent air pollution laws and regulations, provides incentives and grants to encourage clean air alternatives and actions, and prioritizes our work in communities on the frontlines of pollution exposure. On days where ozone or fine particulate pollution levels are high, the Air District issues “Spare the Air” alerts to warn the public of the potential health hazards.

While the Air District has improved air quality over the past six decades, there are still challenges today due to the growing population, traffic, catastrophic wildfires driven by climate change, and the legacy of concentrated burdens in underserved communities.

The Air District recognizes and values the contributions of every employee and works to sustain an environment where everyone is respected. We incorporate the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion within our decision‑making strategies, policies, procedures, regulations, funding initiatives, public outreach, planning, and hiring.

ABOUT THE POSITION

The Air District is currently accepting applications for the position of Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs. There is one (1) vacant full‑time position. This at‑will position is appointed by the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer and serves a term of three (3) years which may be extended.

Under direction of the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer, the Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs provides high‑level technical, policy, and strategic direction in the management of the Air District's programs and activities. The Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs leads the agency in advancing environmental justice and institutionalizing the use of an equity lens to address systemic and programmatic disparities in the Air District’s policymaking, operations, community engagement, and overall environmental impact.

The Deputy Executive Officer of Equity and Community Programs oversees the following functions:

Civil Rights

Serves as a key advisor to executive leadership on strategies and initiatives to ensure the Air District’s services and programs are equitable, accessible, and shared by all Air District communities and in compliance with civil rights laws, regulations, and Air District policies.

Community Investments

Develops and manages regional and local programs for funding streams generated by penalties and related funds. Community Investments ensures to direct a portion of the money generated through penalties back into communities where the violation occurred and to communities most impacted by air pollution.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

Builds internal capacity through the training of staff in racial equity principles and advancing equity in the development of structures, policies, practices and procedures. Diversity, Equity and Inclusion seeks to drive diversity initiatives internally and externally, while also meeting the Air District’s commitment to recruit and retain a diverse, highly skilled workforce and to build an inclusive, supportive culture.

Environmental Justice

Engages with community groups, community members, environmental organizations, regulated industries, local governments, and other key stakeholders to reduce harmful air emissions, especially for those who live in areas of the San Francisco Bay Area most impacted by air pollution. Environmental Justice is dedicated to protecting and improving air quality in the many diverse communities and overburdened neighborhoods of the Bay Area by partnering with community‑based organizations, supporting community‑driven solutions, and actively promoting environmental justice across Air District programs.

Strategic Incentives

Offers financial incentives for projects that improve air quality, reduce air quality health impacts, and protect the global climate. Strategic Incentives focuses on reducing criteria pollutants and greenhouse gases through mobile source and low- or zero‑emission transportation projects.

Technology Implementation

Cultivates partnerships between technology developers and customers and offers grants and loans for low‑carbon technologies for the industrial and transportation sectors to accelerate climate action.

This appointed, at‑will position is accountable for overseeing and establishing priorities and goals for the assigned functions and for furthering Air District goals and objectives in an effective manner; acts as the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer as assigned or delegated; and performs related work as assigned including but are not limited to:

• Provides technical and policy direction and support to the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer and the Air District Board.
• Represents the Air District and/or the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer in varied situations with various groups and agencies both within and outside of the Air District; interacts with elected officials
• Plans, organizes, coordinates and directs the work of assigned functions.
• Directs the development and implementation of goals, objectives, policies, procedures and work standards for assigned functions.
• Directs the management of and makes policy recommendations regarding assigned programs and activities.
• Organizes and coordinates the development and implementation of projects and activities with other agencies.
• Ensures conformance with program schedules, budgets, and contracts.
• Develops and presents technical and policy issues and recommendations to the District Board and the Executive Officer/Air Pollution Control Officer.

Full class specifications can be found here.

Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in a job‑related field and six years of professional level work experience, including four years of management experience.

Some positions may require specialized training, education, and experience.

Any equivalent combination of education and experience that provides the necessary qualifications to successfully perform the duties of the position will be considered.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

The Air District is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and goal‑oriented Deputy Executive Officer. This person will be trusted to make high quality decisions and ensure accountability. A candidate who is mission driven, passionate, strategic and can guide a team will be successful. The successful candidate has:

• Demonstrated strong supervisory and leadership skills with the ability to create a team‑oriented, nurturing environment that emphasizes diversity, equity, inclusion, collaboration, communication, accountability, and responsiveness to achieve the equity and environmental justice goals and objectives of the Air District
• A record of personal and professional commitment to and success in the advancement of environmental justice, racial equity and social justice
• Familiarity with the air quality and environmental justice issues in overburdened communities, including supporting low‑income communities and communities of color with technical assistance, grants, and other resources
• Politically astute and working effectively with diverse stakeholders in highly complex and political environment
• Community‑oriented experience working with diverse communities overburdened by air pollution
• Understanding the principles and value of diversity, equity, and inclusion and the difference between equality, equity, and justice
• High emotional intelligence, understanding the value and importance of clear communication and direction
• Excellent administrative skills and desire to mentor and develop staff
• Strong ethics possessing the highest level of integrity
• Forward thinking, innovative, creative, and solution‑oriented
• Strong commitment to the Air District and must have passion and aptitude for their work and the mission of the organization

Key Qualifications

• Experience working within or with government agencies and partnering strategically with external collaborators and organizations to advance shared goals
• Excellent organizational and project management skills, with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Track record of demonstrating leadership to implement diversity, equity, and inclusion in environmental focused organizations
• Knowledge and understanding how implicit bias, personal identity, and power and privilege impact individuals, organizations, systems, policies, and structures
• Excellent presentation skills and ability to prepare clear and concise reports, correspondence, and other written materials
• Ability to effectively represent the Air District in contacts with elected officials, public, communities, industry, and other stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills and establishing effective collaborative relationships both internally and externally
• Interpreting, explaining, and applying Air District, federal, state and local rules and regulations
• Analyzing complex technical and administrative issues
• Social, political, and environmental issues influencing air quality management programs

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY

It is the Air District’s policy to provide equal employment opportunities for all persons without regard to race, religious creed, color, national origin, ancestry, disability, medical condition, marital status, sex, age or sexual orientation.