Environmental Services Specialist Series

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is a national leader in pollution prevention, watershed protection, utility service provision, and climate action. Together, ESD employees positively impact every resident and business in San Jose. 

Our department is an exceptional place to start or grow your career. We have a supportive leadership team, numerous professional growth opportunities, and an inclusive workplace culture that is welcoming of your talents! We offer an array of meaningful career paths and value flexibility – offering hybrid work and alternative work schedules in select roles. Additionally, the City offers excellent health and pension benefits, as well as 15 paid holidays!

To learn more about ESD, follow @sjenvironment on X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, Instagram, and San Jose Environmental Services on LinkedIn.

Position Duties

The Environmental Services Department (ESD) is recruiting for the Environmental Services Specialist (ESS) series which includes three levels/classifications: Assistant ESS, Associate ESS, and ESS. ESD intends to use the candidate pool developed from this recruitment to fill current vacancies, as well as future ESS series vacancies. Depending on your qualifications (see Minimum Qualifications below), the application you submit may be considered for an Assistant ESS, Associate ESS, or ESS position. 

General Overview of the Environmental Services Specialist (ESS) Series Job Classification:

ESS employees play a critical role in providing the many vital services that help protect our environment and improve the lives of San Jose residents!

Employees in the ESS series perform highly technical and specialized functions to preserve environmental resources and provide public protection in the area of environmental sciences. ESS employees develop, organize, and coordinate assigned plans, programs, and/or special projects for the City and its environmental services; and act as a primary resource to City officials, the community, and businesses.

Typical duties for ESS positions across the department include:

• Developing and evaluating assigned environmental program goals and policies
• Developing, monitoring, and overseeing contract terms and negotiations, grant proposals, and project budgets
• Analyzing and interpreting data to prepare presentations and written reports
• Assisting the public with environmental compliance issues and City provided environmental services through coordinating environmental outreach events and programs, as well as preparing public education material regarding environmental services information
• Providing project or program-level environmental compliance support, serving as a liaison to outside agencies and regulatory bodies
• Performing duties in the field, such as outreach, inspections, etc.

Current ESS Series Vacancies

Currently, there are multiple exciting ESS series opportunities in the department’s Watershed Protection (WSP) and Integrated Waste Management (IWM) divisions! To learn more about the great work we do in these divisions, please go to sjenvironment.org. Overviews of these teams and their ESS series positions are below:

Integrated Waste Management Division’s Solid Waste Program Performance Team

This position is primarily responsible for managing the Contamination and Recycling Tagging (CART) Program to reduce single-family dwelling recycling contamination. Secondary projects may include assistance with the Zero Waste Innovations Grant program and other Division projects as they arise. Areas of focus include the following:

• Lead and support a team of four Recycling Ambassadors who conduct visual inspections of recycling carts and deliver educational outreach to promote proper recycling practices.
• Serve as a field supervisor as needed to support daily operations and ensure program goals are met.
• Assist with recruitment, training, and onboarding of new Recycling Ambassadors, occasionally between the hours of 6:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m.
• Manage field logistics, including ordering supplies and ensuring the assigned CART vehicle is maintained and refueled as needed.
• Track and forecast the CART Program budget and maintain accurate documentation of expenditures.
• Gather feedback from team members and recommend improvements to enhance program effectiveness.
• Act as a liaison with two recycling haulers, attending regular check-in meetings as necessary.
• Assist in the development and procurement of outreach materials.
• Respond to resident inquiries related to the CART Program.
• Utilize ArcGIS to create project maps, dashboards, mailing lists, and perform data analysis for program insights.
• Collaborate with City GIS staff to design or revise field data collection tools using ArcGIS Survey123, and contribute CART Program updates and data for reports, memorandums, and other internal communications.
• Support the Zero Waste Innovations Grant Program by serving as a grant manager, as needed.

Integrated Waste Management Division’s Residential Team: 

IWM’s Residential Services oversees San José’s Residential Garbage and Recycling Program, which provides curbside garbage and recycling, yard trimmings, garbage processing, household hazardous waste drop offs, and junk pick up to approximately 331,000 households and over 140 City facilities through four contracted service providers with an annual budget in excess of $190 million.

This ESS co-manages contractor agreements, performs data management and analysis for reports, presentations, and programmatic improvements, and implements Senate Bill 1383 requirements and other state and local solid waste regulations that combat climate change by keeping recyclables and organics out of the landfill and help residents reduce waste and reuse resources.     

Responsibilities include:

• Monitoring and evaluating contractor operations and performance to continuously improve service delivery and provide excellent customer service
• Working within a contract management team to ensure contract compliance, maintaining effective working relationships with haulers and resolution of all escalations connected to assigned contract(s)
• Analyzing large data sets and using key insights to build service delivery improvement plans
• Producing timely monthly invoices that includes tracking and oversight of annual adopted budget for all expenses connected to assigned contract(s)
• Contributing ideas and developing solutions to reduce waste and recover recyclable materials.  
• Engaging in public education, outreach, and environmental advocacy
• Senate Bill 1383 compliance monitoring and related work on outreach and grant projects

Watershed Protection Division’s Environmental & Land Use Planning Team

The Environmental & Land Use Planning (LUP) group is recruiting for an ESS focused on environmental planning, with skills and competencies to manage highly technical environmental permitting and regulatory requirements for the San José-Santa Clara Regional Wastewater Facility’s (Facility) Capital Improvement Program (CIP); and to coordinate internally and externally with a diverse group of engineers, project managers, consultants, other departments, and regulators in order to obtain necessary environmental clearances for critical Facility infrastructure repair and replacement projects. This position must effectively manage a project-oriented workload while promoting a partnership with our CIP team.

Typical responsibilities will include:

• Coordinating regulatory compliance with the Lead Agency (City of San Jose Planning Department) pursuant to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and with other federal, state, and local agencies.
• Overseeing implementation of environmental mitigation measures for CIP projects.
• Providing expertise to project management and engineering staff on environmental constraints, opportunities, and selection of environmentally preferred alternatives; the Plant Master Plan; CEQA; historic resources preservation; biological permitting; and other planning-related information, requirements, policies, and guidelines.
• Facilitating, coordinating, and overseeing environmental compliance with project managers, engineers, contractors, consultants, and planners.
• Supporting managing consultant contract agreements for environmental consulting services.
• Collecting and analyzing data related to existing and planned land uses and environmentally sensitive resources to assist with program-level policy analysis and decision making.

Watershed Protection Division’s Monitoring & Pollutants of Concern Team

The Monitoring and Pollutants of Concern (MPC) Team focuses on reducing pollutants to storm drains from routine municipal operations, conducting public outreach and education, water quality monitoring, and implementing control methods for pollutants of concern, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), mercury, trash, pesticides, etc. Additionally, the MPC Team assesses exempted and conditionally exempted non-stormwater discharges.

Responsibilities include:

• Coordinating closely with internal and external partners to implement the Municipal Regional Stormwater NPDES permit (MRP), collaborating with others on the MPC team to ensure permit compliance.
• Leading PCBs source properties investigation, referrals, and implementation of control measures in Old Industrial areas and PCBs in demolition screening program.
• Developing, reviewing, and commenting on technical documents related to low impact development and trash monitoring, and other pollutants of concern
• Coordinating content for regulatory reports such as the NPDES Permit Annual Report.
• Participating in outreach events and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) programs, overseeing water quality monitoring efforts, assisting with biological surveys for species of concern, conducting BMP implementation inspections, and similar tasks.

Integrated Waste Management Division’s Commercial, C&D Team (Overstrength Position)

This is a temporary (Overstrength) position that is anticipated to be funded through June 30, 2026, subject to further extension as appropriate. If this position is not extended through the budget process, the City may seek to place you in other internal job opportunities based on your previous work experience.

This position will work in partnership with the Construction and Demolition (C&D) Program Manager on the day-to-day management of the City’s C&D program, which includes facility certification, non-exclusive franchise haulers of C&D material, and the Construction and Demolition Debris Deposit (CDDD) programs. This role is for an analytical thinker and strategic communicator, who will assist with the advancement of program initiatives to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the entire program.

Typical responsibilities include:

• Reviewing facility and hauler reports and compiling related data
• Processing hauler registration and conducting fee reconciliation
• Facilitating communication with permit holders
• Managing and updating City’s waste tracking software, Green Halo
• Preparing reports and presentations for management.
• May support compliance tracking and reporting for CalGreen.

Salary Information

The salary ranges for the ESS Series classification are:

• Assistant Environmental Services Specialist: $86,726.64 – $105,399.84
• Associate Environmental Services Specialist: $100,507.68 – $122,107.44
• Environmental Services Specialist: $110,816.16 – $134,643.60

The above salary ranges include an approximate five percent (5%) ongoing non-pensionable compensation. Actual salary shall be determined by the final candidates’ qualifications and experience.

Minimum Qualifications

1. Education: A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university.

2. Experience: 

Assistant ESS: One (1) year (2,080 hours) of experience developing, promoting, administering, and/or participating in the implementation of environmental programs (e.g.: programs in air quality, integrated waste management, biology, agriculture, energy, forestry or parks, habitat restoration, wastewater, water resources, stormwater, archaeology, geology, resource conservation, industrial or environmental health and safety, or any program emphasizing environmental sustainability or environmental regulatory compliance).

Relevant experience in environmental services programs typically includes: preparing outreach/educational materials, conducting survey work, tracking and monitoring deliverables, coordinating special events, promoting programs, implementing new programs, policy development, planning and permitting, grants or contracts administration, analyzing data and creating reports, and/or tracking budgets.

Associate ESS: Two (2) years of increasingly responsible experience in developing, promoting, administering, and/or implementing environmental programs in one or more of the areas described under Assistant Environmental Services Specialist experience.

ESS: Three (3) years of increasingly responsible experience in developing, promoting, administering, and/or implementing environmental programs in one or more of the areas described under Assistant Environmental Services Specialist experience, including one (1) year of experience leading people or projects.

Acceptable Substitutions: 

• A master’s degree from an accredited college or university may be substituted for one (1) year of the required experience developing, promoting, administering, and/or implementing environmental programs.
• Additional years of experience in developing, promoting, administering, and/or implementing environmental programs may be substituted for the bachelor’s degree requirement on a year-for year basis.

Other Qualifications

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history.

Competencies

The ideal candidate will possess the following competencies, as demonstrated in past and current employment history. Desirable competencies for this position include:

• Job Expertise – Demonstrates knowledge of and experience with applicable professional/technical principles and practices, Citywide and departmental procedures/policies and federal and state rules and regulations.
• Teamwork & Interpersonal Skills – Develops effective relationships with co-workers and supervisors by helping others accomplish tasks and using collaboration and conflict resolution skills
• Problem Solving – Approaches a situation or problem by defining the problem or issue; determines the significance of problem(s); collects information; uses logic and intuition to arrive at decisions or solutions to problems that achieve the desired outcome.
• Initiative – Exhibits resourceful behaviors toward meeting job objectives; anticipates problems, is proactive, and avoids difficulties by planning ahead; displays willingness to assume extra responsibility and challenges; pursues continuing education opportunities that promotes job performance.
• Project Management – Ensures support for projects and implements agency goals and strategic objectives.
• Customer Service – Demonstrates the ability to anticipate customers’ needs and deliver services effectively and efficiently using professional demeanor.
• Computer Skills – Experienced with common business computer applications including but not limited to: Adobe Acrobat, MS Outlook, MS Word, MS PowerPoint, MS Access, MS SharePoint, and MS Excel.
• Communication Skills – Communicates and listens effectively and responds in an timely, effective, positive and respectful manner; written reports and correspondence are accurate, complete, current; well-organized, legible, concise, neat, and in proper grammatical form responds to statements and comments of others in a way that reflects understanding of the content and the accompanying emotion; asks clarifying questions to assure understanding of what the speaker intended, ensures consistent communication takes place within area of responsibility.

Selection Process: 

The selection process will consist of an evaluation of the applicant’s training and experience based on the application and responses to all the job specific questions. You must answer all questions to be considered, or your application may be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses. Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process. Only those candidates whose backgrounds best match the position will be invited to proceed in the selection process. Additional phases of the selection process will consist of one or more interviews.

If you have questions about the duties of these positions, the selection or hiring processes, please contact Phil Dunbar at Phillip.Dunbar@sanjoseca.gov.

Additional Information:

Employment Eligibility:  Federal law requires all employees to provide verification of their eligibility to work in this country. Please be informed that the City of San Jose will NOT sponsor, represent or sign any documents related to visa applications/transfers for H1-B or any other type of visa which requires an employer application.  

You must answer all job-specific questions to be considered for this vacancy or your application will be deemed incomplete and withheld from further consideration. Applicants are expected to write their own essays/responses.  Please be advised that use of AI content in your responses may result in your removal from the hiring process.

Please note that applications are currently not accepted through CalOpps or any other third party job board application system.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions in this, or other divisions or departments. If you are interested in employment in this classification, you should apply to ensure you are considered for additional opportunities that may utilize the applicants from this recruitment.

Please allow adequate time to complete the application and submit before the deadline or the system may not save your application.  If your online application was successfully submitted, you will receive an automatic confirmation email to the email address you provided.  IF YOU DO NOT RECEIVE THE CONFIRMATION, please email CityCareers@sanjoseca.gov and we will research the status of your application.