COM-2026-1 Program Specialist Trainee

Open to: General Public
Work Week: NE (35-hour) Work Week
Salary: (P95) $51,479.83 (Non-negotiable) 
Opening Date: 4/20/26
Closing Date: 5/11/26
Existing Vacancies: 1

Program/Location
Department of Environmental Protection
Office of the Commissioner
Office of Environmental Justice
401 East State Street
Trenton, NJ 08625

Scope of Eligibility
Open to applicants who meet the requirements below.

Description
Under the close supervision of a Program Specialist 3, Program Specialist 4, or other supervisory officer in a State department or agency, as a trainee and productive worker, receives on-the-job training while assisting in the professional, administrative, and analytical work to promote the planning, operation, implementation, monitoring and/or evaluation of human or social service programs, programs serving the socio-economic needs of specific clients populations, or regulatory programs designed to ensure public safety, health and welfare, or protection of the environment; completes assignments which provide practical Program Specialist experience; does other related work.

Specific to the Position
Work within The Office of Environmental Justice’s community relations team to support various work streams including, but not limited to:

• Coordinating communications, logistics, outreach, and research on local environmental justice issues for community engagement events and educational seminars
• Supporting OEJ’s communications including its bi-weekly newsletter, social media, and website
• Building and maintaining relationships with community-based organizations, EJ advocates, and residents across the state, including maintaining an EJ contact list
• Distilling complex EJ issues and DEP processes into easy to understand and visually compelling outreach and educational materials
• Coordinating projects and preparing meeting minutes for the Environmental Education and Communications Work Group of the Environmental Justice Advisory Council
• Reviewing Environmental Justice Impact Statements, as required by New Jersey’s Environmental Justice Law, or conducting other reviews on behalf of the Office of Environmental Justice as needed.
• Supporting special projects and other work as needed
• This position requires occasional work and travel during evenings in the form of staffing evening community meetings. This role may also require occasional work on weekends in the form of staffing weekend community events like conferences and fairs. Flexible schedules are allowed to accommodate for evening and weekend work hours.

• Paid Benefit Leave
• Holiday Pay
• Alternative Workweek Program*
• Telework*
• Pension
• Deferred Compensation
• Health Benefits (medical, prescription drug, dental & vision care) and Life Insurance
• Flexible and Health Spending Accounts (FSA/HSA)
• Commuter Tax Savings Program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF)
• Tuition Reimbursement*

*Pursuant to the State/Department's policy, procedures, and/or guidelines.

SAME Applicants
If you are applying under the NJ SAME program, your supporting documents (Schedule A or B letter) must be submitted along with your resume by the closing date indicated above. For more information on the SAME program, please visit SAME Program, email [email protected], or call CSC at (609) 292-4144 and select Option #3.

Veteran's Preference
To qualify for New Jersey Veteran's Preference/status, you must establish Veteran's Preference through the Department of Military and Veteran's Affairs. Please submit proof of your Veteran's Preference along with your resume as indicated. For more information, please visit https://www.nj.gov/military/veterans/services/civil-service-preference/

Residency
All persons newly hired on or after September 1, 2011, have one year from the date of employment to establish, and then maintain principal residence in the State of New Jersey subject to the provisions of N.J.S.A. 52:14-7 (L.2011, Chapter 70), also known as the “New Jersey First Act”.

Authorization to Work
Selected candidates must be authorized to work in the United States per the Department of Homeland Security, United States Citizenship, and Immigration Services regulations. NOTE: The State of New Jersey does not provide sponsorship for citizenship to the United States.

Equal Opportunity Employment
The State of New Jersey seeks to increase the richness and diversity of its workforce, and in doing so, become the employer of choice for all people seeking to work in State Government.  To evaluate the effectiveness of our efforts to attract and employ a diverse workforce, applicants are asked to voluntarily answer a few brief questions on the NJ Affirmative Action Information Form.  All information is considered confidential and will be filed separately with the agency's affirmative action officer.  This information will not be part of your application for employment and will not be considered in any hiring decision. 

DEP Notices of Vacancy have a 4:00 p.m. deadline on the closing date. When filing for these opportunities, please be sure to have your letter of interest and credentials sent electronically before 4 p.m. on the closing date.

The New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection is an Equal Opportunity Employer and is committed to inclusive hiring and a diverse workforce. We strongly encourage people from all backgrounds to apply. Accommodations under ADA will be provided upon request.