Nature-Based Strategies Policy Lead

This is a repost. If you have previously applied for this position, there is no need to reapply.

The California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the State agency responsible for reducing greenhouse gas emissions for the State of California. It is CARB’s responsibility to develop a strategy for California to be carbon neutral by 2045, implement policies to achieve carbon neutrality, and to track progress towards that objective. As part of this effort, Natural and Working Lands (NWL) are a critical component of California’s climate change mitigation strategy. NWL refers to all forests, shrublands, grasslands, croplands, deserts, wetlands, and developed lands within California’s boundaries.

The new Nature-Based Strategies Section brings together all of these lands, quantifying their socio-ecological impacts, to formulate statewide holistic nature-based climate action policy. Specifically, this section leads the integration of natural systems into California’s overall carbon neutrality and climate action efforts. The science, policy, and technical work performed in this section will influence high impact policies and programs on local, state, and national levels. To accomplish this, the Nature-Based Strategies Section uses data and scientific inference to inform and develop cutting-edge statewide nature-based policies, decisions, and programs. Work in this section includes:

1. Modeling ecosystems in California under present and future conditions to quantify the contribution of NWL to statewide carbon neutrality and to set carbon targets.
2. Developing and reporting California’s NWL carbon inventory to track progress towards carbon targets and monitoring other environmental metrics.
3. Performing causal assessments identifying the driving factors to environmental change, particularly isolating the impact from nature-based management actions.
4. Working with other State, Federal, and Local agencies to develop and implement policies that support nature-based strategies. 

The newly created Nature-Based Strategies Section is recruiting a Staff Air Pollution Specialist (SAPS) position through this announcement. CARB is seeking a candidate with experience and expertise in NWL policy development, project management, report writing, and science communication. This position will be CARB's lead in the development of statewide policies, interagency coordination, reports, and communication efforts to fulfill the section's responsibilities, as listed above. 

Duties include serving as an expert in natural and working lands issues. The SAPS will stay current on CARB, inter-agency, academic, and federal projects, policies, and programs to ensure that the section is utilizing the best available science and data and having the greatest policy impact with its work. The SAPS will stay abreast of the work within the section so as to communicate the section's work to outside stakeholders and coordinate meetings with appropriate section staff. The selected candidate will conduct technical and policy analyses, quantifying the costs, benefits, and equity implications of NWL policies and climate action. Additionally, the candidate will identify research needs that advance CARB’s understanding of cutting-edge issues in natural and working lands. The candidate will engage and collaborate with relevant stakeholders including, but not limited to, public agencies, research institutions, equity stakeholders, industry, and other CARB staff, management, and executive leadership teams. The candidate must understand the complexities of natural and working lands and the roles that policy, land management, and the natural environment play. The candidate will incorporate into their work the social equity implications of NWL policies and be able to develop strategies to ensure California's most disadvantaged and low-income communities benefit from such policies. The candidate will lead the generation of all reports within the section and ensure that timelines are being met to ensure successful delivery of section products. The candidate will be the section expert of Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) inventory reporting requirements and ensure that the section work adheres to this protocol. The candidate serves as the project manager for external contracts and inter-agency agreements required as part of the section's goals. 

NOTE: IF SELECTED FOR THE POSITION, YOUR SALARY OFFER IS DETERMINED BY WHAT YOU INCLUDE ON YOUR STANDARD STATE APPLICATION (STD. 678). PLEASE INCLUDE A DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ALL RELEVANT EXPERIENCE AND EDUCATION IN YOUR STATE APPLICATION (STD.678) WHEN APPLYING. 

Please note that applicants will need to have successfully taken the Staff Air Pollution Specialist exam or be currently employed as a Staff Air Pollution Specialist in California State Service. Interested candidates can reach out to the hiring manager with any questions about the exam.
 

Applying electronically via CalCareers is highly recommended. If submitting a hardcopy application (mail/drop-off), please email Essam.Gad@arb.ca.gov to confirm submission.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

This position may be eligible for hybrid in-office work and in-state telework. The amount of telework is at the agency's discretion and is based on the California Air Resource Boards' (CARB) current telework policy. While the CARB may support telework, some in-person attendance is also required. 

The positions at the CARB may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position under Government Code 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California, subject to the candidate meeting telework eligibility criteria outlined in the CalEPA telework policy and/or future program need. Employees not residing in California are not eligible for telework. Regardless of hybrid telework eligibility, all employees may be required to report to the position’s designated headquarters location at their own expense, as indicated on their duty statement.

• Position located in a high-rise building.
• Requires being stationary, consistent with office work, for extended periods.
• Standard office environment (artificial lighting, controlled temperature, etc.)  
• Daily use of a personal computer, office equipment, and/or telephone.
• Telework availability may be updated in the future based on business needs.