Staff Specialist I/II

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District (Air District) is a regional government agency, committed to achieving clean air to protect the public's health and the environment. The Air District accomplishes this goal through regulation of industrial facilities and various outreach and incentive programs designed to encourage clean air choices. The Air District's jurisdiction encompasses all of seven counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Napa, and portions of two others - southwestern Solano and southern Sonoma.

The Air District is conducting an open recruitment for the position of Staff Specialist I/II in the Community Investment Office. This is a full-time, represented position for one (1) vacancy.

The Community Investments Office represents a transformative approach to community investment, ensuring that financial resources-particularly those derived from the Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy-are reinvested into meaningful, community-driven solutions. By turning penalties into progress, the office helps mitigate harm caused by polluters and fosters funding opportunities that enhance public health, environmental quality, economic opportunity, and community well-being. Through transparent decision-making, the office builds trust, promotes collaboration, and delivers measurable outcomes aligned with community priorities.

The CIO implements the Board-adopted Community Benefits Penalty Funds Policy, manages Local Community Benefits Funds that are tied to specific enforcement actions and facilities, and manages a Regional Community Benefits Fund that supports multi-community and region-wide investments.

CIO works with community members, community-based organizations, local governments, and other partners to design and implement projects that reduce emissions, mitigate exposure, strengthen community resilience, and build local capacity in communities that have experienced a disproportionate share of air pollution. CIO staff are responsible for ensuring that funding decisions and program administration are transparent, accountable, and aligned with community priorities and Air District policies. About the Position: The Staff Specialist will support the Community Investment Office's grant programs. This will include but not be limited to conducting outreach to and engagement with the public, participation in the scoring and processing of grant applications; preparation of various public service contracts and grant funding agreements; compliance monitoring and liaising with grantees; intake and review of grantee reports and inquiries; and processing reimbursement request packages for payment.

The responsibilities of the Staff Specialist may also include being part of a team toco-develop a set of policies, procedures, guidelines, and standard operating procedures for the Office, engaging outside consultants, and attending public meetings or workshops to conduct outreach about the CIO's programs. The Staff Specialist will assist in coordinating efforts across inter-divisional teams, facilitating meetings with Air District staff and local community leaders, and preparing meeting agendas. Typically, Staff Specialist duties also include drafting memos and PowerPoint presentations to executive staff and Board of Directors related to procurement, program budgets, and programmatic updates. Definition Under direction, performs a variety of responsible administrative, technical and specialized functions in the areas of incentives, contracts, business services, finance, budget, and facility management; and performs related work as assigned. Distinguishing Characteristics Staff Specialist I is the entry level in this series. Initially under close supervision, incumbents learn District, state and federal procedures and policies while performing the more routine technical duties. As experience is gained, assignments become more diversified and are performed with less supervision. This class is alternately staffed with Staff Specialist II and incumbents may advance to the higher-level classification after gaining experience and demonstrating proficiency which meet the qualifications of the higher-level class. Staff Specialist II is the journey level class of this series, fully-proficient to perform difficult and technical work. Incumbents are expected to exercise independent judgment. This class is distinguished from Senior Staff Specialist in that the latter is responsible for more complex work and may perform lead duties.

Examples of Duties for this Position:

(Illustrative Only)

Reviews, analyzes, and administers a variety of grants, contracts, and other agreements in support of District activities; monitors expenditures and charges against agreements; prepares fiscal status reports for management and prepares cost analyses.

Coordinates and facilitates workshops, meetings, and trainings on the technical application and interpretation of District programs, regulations and rules; creates PowerPoint presentations, prepares talking points, and develops supporting technical materials.

Prepares and presents staff reports to the District's Board of Directors, and/or sub-committees; conducts research and prepares and presents reports as assigned.

Provides routine outreach and communication on behalf of the District with industry, the public and other agencies to obtain and disseminate technical and operational information.

Prepares and responds to correspondence directed toward public and private organizations relative to programs; responds to oral and written requests for information about programs.

Participates and assists in the development of policies and guidelines for assigned programs.

Researches technical feasibility and control proposals for new or revised programs; Develops and applies quality control and assurance measures to ensure the effectiveness of programs and appropriate application of methods in accordance with District policies, rules, and regulations.

Prepares Requests for Proposal (RFPs) and Requests for Quotations (RFQs); prepares contract documents and other agreements using standard District procedures; and reviews contract terms and conditions.

Maintains computer databases and program records.

Assists in internal and external audits for programs and physical inspections to ensure compliance with program requirements.

Explains and interprets technical policies, rules and regulations regarding programs; gathers and prepares background information.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Experience:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills is:

Staff Specialist I: Equivalent to a Bachelor's degree and two years of professional analytical experience.

Staff Specialist II: In addition to the above, two years of professional analytical experience.

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

Other Requirements:
This person must be willing to attend meetings located in Bay Area outside of regular working hours and in-person, as needed.

Desirable Qualifications:

Knowledge of:

• Grant-writing or grant-making
• Air pollution controls and ambient air quality improvement
• Transitional economic resilience planning
• Climate response, recovery, and resilience
• Short-term and long-term project management
• Creating and implementing strategies that align with organization and project goals
• Principles of continuous process improvement
• Financial management, including budget development and monitoring
• Applicable District, local, State, and federal laws, rules and regulations
• The intersections of the environment, public health, land use planning
• Government and community partnerships

Skill in:

• Managing grants and contracts
• Developing and administering effective programs, managing multiple projects simultaneously and delivering high-quality results on time and on budget
• Exercising sound independent judgment within established guidelines.
• Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with a wide range of groups in the course of the work
• Working well in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
• Working effectively with culturally diverse populations
• Effectively communicating verbally and in writing and skilled in actively listening to produce clear and concise technical reports, correspondence and other written materials
• Meeting facilitation and community engagement, active listening, note taking and providing detailed summary of meetings for wide audiences
• Working with community members to set agendas, produce work products, support consensus decision making, and problem solving
• Defining and applying Environmental Justice Principles
• Demonstrating cultural competency and emotional intelligence

How to Apply

Interested individuals must submit a completed BAAQMD application, chronological resume, and responses to the supplemental questionnaire by5:00 p.m. on Monday, December 8,2025. Applications are accepted online only. Please visit our website at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs to apply. Resumes must be included, and not in lieu of the required application materials. Postmarks, faxes, and E-mailed applications will not be accepted.

Except as requested in this announcement,donot include anyadditionaldocuments, such as letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, work samples, etc. They will not be considered or returned. Postmarks, faxes, and e-mails will not be accepted.

Supplemental Questionnaire Instructions
Individuals who apply for this position must respond to each of the supplemental questions. Online applications must be received by the Human Resources Office no later than the time and date specified in the vacancy announcement. The responses to the supplemental application questions will be usedin accordance withthe proceduresindicatedunder the Selection Criteria in the vacancy announcement.

Please limit your responses to no more than one page (500 words) per question. Do not combine your responses, or reference your application, resume, or any other requested documentation that you have included with your application packet to answer a question. Please be advised that the information you provide will be evaluated "as is" and incomplete or illegible applications will likely receive lower ratings. Therefore, it is very important to provide a concise, organized, and easy to follow response to each question.

You must provide the following for each question regarding experience: The name of the employer where you gained your experience, your job title, length of time in years/months performing the specific function, and detailed examples that illustrate your duties and responsibilities.

Selection Criteria

Selection may be based upon a competitive examination consisting of a written exercise, interview, or combination of the two. Depending on the number of qualified applicants, an application screening and/or panel interview may be used to determine the most qualified applicants. If a panel interview is utilized it will beweighted100%, and it may include a work exercise that will be scored as a percentage of the total score.

The District may hire from this recruitment process to fill future vacancies occurring within the next18 months. Updates regarding your status in the recruitment will be sent via email, unless you indicate a different preference on your application.

Persons with disabilities who may require reasonable accommodations during the application and/or selection process should notify the Human Resources Office at (415) 749-4980.

The District is an Equal Opportunity Employer.