PRINCIPAL AIR QUALITY ENGINEER

Salary :

$139,230.89 - $169,236.01 Annually

Location :

San Francisco, CA

Job Type:

Full Time

Remote Employment:

Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number:

AG301

Department:

Engineering

Opening Date:

05/29/2024

Closing Date:

6/27/2024 5:00 PM Pacific

Description

Join an agency committed to creating a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and the global climate!

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 currently accepting applications for the position of Principal Air Quality Engineer in the Engineering Division. This is an open recruitment for one (1) vacancy which is a full-time, represented position.

About the Position
The AB617 Principal Engineer (AB617 Role) will join a high performing and motivated team of professionals who work in partnership with the communities most impacted by air pollution. You will have the opportunity to contribute to the successful preparation and implementation of community-scale air quality plans in partnership with Air District staff, community members, partner organizations, local governments, the California Air Resources Board, and other state agencies. With knowledge of the Air District's permitting and risk reduction programs, you will lead the division's participation in internal and external AB617 engagement, including communicating the role of the division; analyzing, reporting, and presenting information about stationary sources, emission inventories, permits, and risk reduction; participating in community meetings; proposing and guiding discussions on emission reduction strategies and development of plans and programs to implement environmental justice and civil rights.

The Principal Air Quality Engineer for the Engineering Division may perform the other complex and highly specialized air quality engineering work such as, but not limited to, processing permit applications for complex facilities; analyzing air emissions and other metadata; evaluating program effectiveness; and providing project leadership. The Principal Air Quality Engineers review, mentor staff, and provides training. The Principal Air Quality Engineer may also participate or lead complex, sensitive and controversial projects. The incumbent in this position may provide technical presentations on complex and/or sensitive engineering activities to the Board of Directors, public, industry, or other agencies. The Principal Air Quality Engineer will also represent the Air District while participating in working groups comprised of public, industry and other agencies. Researches, develops, and documents guidance for calculating emissions.

Engineering Division
The Engineering Division evaluates permit applications and reviews permit renewals for equipment and operations that emit air pollutants in the Air District's jurisdiction. The division provides technical support to other agency programs and assists businesses, trade associations, agencies, environmental groups, and community members with issues related to permitting and compliance. The division is responsible for implementing the Air District's Facility Risk Reduction Program that focuses on reducing health risks to the community from existing facilities or sources.

Beyond specific permitting work, some of the important programs and projects in which the Engineering Division are actively engaged include but not limited to:
Verification of emissions inventories
Database development and data management
Development of new regulations or amendments of existing regulations
Strategic planning of division programs
Dispersion modeling and health risk assessments for toxic emissions
Facility risk reduction and air toxic programs
Assist communities in the development, implementation, and understanding of community emission reduction plans
Assembly Bill 617
Assembly Bill (AB) 617 (C. Garcia, Chapter 136, Statutes of 2017) was signed into law alongside Assembly Bill 398 which extended California's cap-and-trade program for greenhouse gas emissions. AB 617 addresses environmental justice concerns regarding the extension of the cap-and-trade program by requiring the California Air Resources Board, with input from community groups, air districts and others, to select locations around the state to prepare community-led plans to reduce emissions of toxic air contaminants and criteria pollutants. The primary requirement for community selection is a demonstrated high cumulative exposure burden to air pollution and associated health disparities. In the Bay Area, and around the state, these communities are often low-income communities of color.

In 2017, West Oakland and the Richmond-North Richmond-San Pablo area were selected as the first communities to participate in the AB 617 program. Since then, East Oakland and Bayview Hunters Point/Southeast San Francisco communities have been added to the program. The Air District works closely with these communities to both develop and implement emission reduction and monitoring plans and, on the implementation of community identified strategies.

DEFINITION
Under direction, performs the most complex and highly specialized level of assigned air quality engineering activities and may supervise staff on a project basis or lead project teams; performs related work as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS
This class provides highly specialized professional air quality engineering services in support of the District's goals and objectives. Incumbents are responsible for complex and sensitive engineering activities for the District, and provides project leadership for developing programs. This class is distinguished from Supervising Air Quality Engineer in that the latter supervises assigned staff on a continuing basis and conducts performance appraisals.

Examples of Duties for this Position

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES (Illustrative Only)

Provide lead direction and work review to professional, technical and support staff, prioritizes and follows up on work assignments to ensure timely completion.

Coordinates the District's response to public and industry inquiries regarding regulation interpretation, permit preparation, various compliance measures and emission calculation methods in person, by telephone and in writing.
Represent the District in meetings with the public, industry and other agencies.

Researches and develops new and revised rules and procedures for regulation of air quality; determines emissions and potential emission reductions and cost of controls; establishes control level and technology; writes proposed regulation; prepares technical assessment reports and conducts workshops; makes public presentations.

Participate and supervise staff's review of permit application and recommends permit issuance or denial.

Review and participate in toxic screening and assessments, development of emission factors complex facilities.

Recommends and implements regulatory changes and systems development to comply with the Federal permitting program.

Participate in the preparation of the goals and objectives of the assigned section.

Participate in the preparation of the budget of the assigned section.

Participate and review staff's handling of Hearing Board matters involving variances, Order of Abatement and public nuisances.

Testifies as expert witness before the Hearing Board.

Conduct technical seminars for industry and other agencies.

Develop, participate and review field engineering compliance audits, source testing and sampling, analysis of the results and preparation of reports; observes and audits private contractor tests.

Provide lead direction, review and participate in the study of accidental releases as complex facilities, rule effectiveness and hazardous material storage, transportation and handling.

Provide lead direction, review and participate in community assistance program, hazardous incident investigations, and Technical Review Group.

Minimum Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills is:

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in environmental, chemical, mechanical or petroleum engineering or a closely related field and four years of air quality environmental engineering experience.

Other Requirements:

Must possess a valid California Professional Engineering license

Or

Equivalent to a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in environmental, chemical, mechanical or petroleum engineering or a closely related field and four years of air quality environmental engineering experience.

Desirable qualifications/skills

Technical knowledge of stationary sources, emissions, and control
Team player who can establish and maintain effective working relationships with other divisions in the agency, permitted facilities, and the members of the community.
Excellent public speaking skills with the ability to develop and deliver technical information in an accessible manner.

How to Apply & Selection Criteria

Interested individuals must submit a completed BAAQMD application, chronological resume, and responses to the supplemental questions no later than

5:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 27, 2024.

Applications are accepted online only. Please visit our website at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs to apply or to download an application. 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, do not include any additional documents, such as letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, work samples, etc. They will not be considered or returned.

Supplemental Questions Instructions
Individuals who apply for this position must respond to each of the supplemental questions. The responses to the supplemental application questions will be used in accordance with the procedures indicated under the Selection Criteria in the vacancy announcement. Your responses should be as detailed as possible.
Instructions:
•Please limit your responses to one page 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.
•For each question regarding experience, you must provide: 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.

The Air District offers the following benefits for full-time, represented and management positions:

Cost-Sharing Medical, Dental & Vision Options
Life Insurance (up to 5 times annual salary)
CalPERS Retirement Plan
Money Purchase Pension Plan
457 Deferred Compensation Plan
Transit Subsidy
Education Reimbursement
Vacation Leave
Sick Leave
Paid Holidays
Floating Holiday Leave
9-80 Compressed Work Week
Flexible schedule and Remote Work option
Employees Assistance Program
and the Opportunity to Help Provide a Healthy Breathing Environment for Every Bay Area Resident.

01

Please describe your education that qualifies you for this position. Include your area of study and any degrees or certificates received. Also note any additional coursework or formal training applicable to this position.

02

Please describe your professional experience that qualifies you for this position. Include number of years of experience with emphasis on the Desirable qualifications/skills' above and any government/regulatory experience.

03

Please describe your experience leading teams or managing complex projects or programs that involved multiple stakeholders with varying perspectives. How did you handle any conflicting direction and how has this experience prepared you for this role?

04

Please describe your experience communicating technical or complex information to the public in an in-person setting? How did you ensure clarity and understanding among your audience, and what strategies did you employ to effectively engage with them?

Required Question
#J-18808-Ljbffr