Agency Environmental Justice Coordinator (Operations & Policy Analyst 3)

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/E-Cs6M9AAlU

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for an Agency Environmental Justice Coordinator (Operations & Policy Analyst 3) in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team and working to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality. DEQ is an 850-person strong agency committed to restoring, maintaining, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. DEQ is updating its 1997 environmental justice policy and is aligning it with guidance from the statewide Environmental Justice Council. DEQ is working to incorporate environmental justice (EJ) into all program areas, including both regulatory and non-regulatory actions, program implementation and policy development (rulemaking, legislative proposals, and internal management directives), budget development, and execution. DEQ aims to incorporate environmental equity and justice principles into all of its decision-making and operations to ensure that all people in Oregon have access to a safe and clean environment.

Click here to view a map of all of the DEQ offices.

What you will do!

DEQ is in the early stages of building an environmental justice program. You will be working with others in the Office of Equity to infuse environmental justice and diversity, equity and inclusion principles into the daily work of the agency. You will be the agency expert on issues relating to environmental justice. You will coordinate and collaborate with DEQ employees, communities, Tribes, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), advocacy organizations, regulated businesses and others. You will act as the primary coordinator for DEQ’s work on environmental justice, including updating DEQ’s Environmental Justice Policy, and serving as the key point-of-contact with external and internal partners. You will work with leadership throughout DEQ to develop EJ-related strategic directions in support of our agency’s plans, create metrics and track progress towards our EJ goals. You will lead cross agency development and implementation of best practices for community engagement work in all of DEQ’s programs; development of resources for disparate impact assessments and means for reducing those impacts; and assessment of other environmental justice resources and practices in other states and at the EPA. In addition, you will facilitate efforts across the agency to embed the principles of equity and environmental justice in all aspects of DEQ’s work, and you will assist in the development of legislative and budget proposals to expand resources for environmental justice and equity work.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon’s environment, apply today!

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in a business or public administration, behavioral or social sciences, finance, political science, or a related degree, AND 4 years of professional-level evaluative, analytical, and planning work (or an equivalent combination of education and experience).

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following:

• Demonstrated passion for advancing equity and justice in government and shares our commitment to building an antiracist and equity-focused organization.
• Demonstrated understanding of environmental justice and the historical impacts for marginalized and underrepresented communities; ability to take personal responsibility for increasing knowledge of environmental justice.
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing policies and programs that promote equity and reduce disparities.
• Skills in cultural competency; commitment to ongoing development on unconscious bias, anti-racism, and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Ability to build partnerships across diverse community groups and interests; skill and experience in communication and outreach to underrepresented communities.
• Demonstrated experience and personal commitment to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture where all team members feel empowered to contribute.
• Ability to interpret environmental programs, and federal, state, and local regulations and guidance; experience creating communications strategies and plans based on policy and guidance.
• Demonstrated project management experience, including development, implementation, and evaluation; experience developing program performance metrics.
• Demonstrated experience in advocating for equitable practices and navigating conflict.
• Demonstrated excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to provide comprehensive, concise, and compelling communication of policy and technical information related to environmental impact analysis, environmental justice, and community public health tailored to the needs of diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience building and fostering relationships with a diverse group of partners including colleagues, interested parties, communities, organizations, and businesses; skill in conflict resolution, negotiation, and collaboration.
• Skills and demonstrated experience with change management and organizational change processes; an ability to communicate strategic change and bring others along in a change journey.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of the DEQ Headquarters office in Portland; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

This position requires occasional travel in-state and out-of-state for meetings, conference, trainings, public hearings, workshops, and workgroups, some of which may include evening work, weekend work, and/or overnight stays. This position may be required to lift up to 25lbs.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. Click this link for the External Candidate job aid, and view this video for additional information.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account.  View this knowledge article for assistance.

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Please Note: In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application material.

Veterans Information:

DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans’ Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be asked to submit those at a later time.

Pay Equity:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, please contact our recruitment team at JOBS@deq.oregon.gov or (503) 347-5759. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.