Senior Sustainability Specialist – Climate Action 

We invite you to attend our upcoming Info Session for the Senior Sustainability Specialist position. Get an inside look at the department, the role, and the hiring process. Save your spot: https://www.linkedin.com/events/infosession-seniorsustainabilit7401723818752278529/theater/

• Catalyze regional climate solutions by forming impact networks and partnering with cities for resource and economic efficiency.
• Convert buildings and transportation from gas to electric to target largest emissions sources and improve community health
• Achieve carbon neutrality by 2040 in unincorporated communities

• Lead the RICAPS Climate Collaborative to support San Mateo County cities in developing climate action plans and implementing coordinated initiatives to reduce emissions. This includes hosting and facilitating monthly Collaborative and working group meetings, providing direction to technical assistance partners, and guiding strategic planning for the Collaborative to strengthen collective action on climate solutions.
• Foster peer learning, idea sharing, and problem solving among Collaborative participants, and lead pilots and collaborative implementation strategies, including joint grant applications.
• Serve on the leadership committee of the Bay Area Regional Energy Network (BayREN) quarterly regional forum.
• Provide guidance and coordination with staff leading the San Mateo County Energy Watch, BayREN, and Peninsula Clean Energy programs to encourage municipalities to promote them to their community members.
• Mentor junior team members to optimize implementation and coordination between programs to meet emissions targets, better serve community needs, and make strategic improvements to program delivery, meetings, reports, budgets, and presentations.

This is a full-time, classified, and fully benefited position in the Sustainability Department.

• Be an experienced project manager able to juggle multiple complex projects simultaneously, prioritizing efforts in alignment with established goals.
• Build relationships and strategic partnerships with County-level staff, departments, agencies, and non-government organizations to help achieve local and regional climate action goals. Have a solid familiarity with a breadth of sustainability related topics, especially energy efficiency, decarbonization, and sustainable transportation, preferably in the local government context.
• Possess professional facilitation skills to enable cross-jurisdictional, cross-topical, cross-departmental information sharing, knowledge development, and project implementation.
• Possess a high degree of familiarity with climate mitigation science, policy, and technology, as well as familiarity with approaches to collaborative, regionwide project development and implementation.
• Have experience mentoring and/or coaching other team members.
• Possess effective written communication skills and experience in preparing written materials such as narratives, project summaries or reports, technical charts, presentations, and public outreach materials.
• Possess effective oral communication skills and experience delivering targeted presentations to a wide variety of audiences and stakeholders, including public outreach and education.
• Possess strong analytical skills and experience conducting research, audits, or analyzing data.
• Incorporate the perspectives of multiple stakeholders and community segments in the consideration of impacts and outcomes of a project or initiative.
• Navigate sensitive issues with integrity and political astuteness.
• Have excellent interpersonal skills and experience working with a diverse range of stakeholders and perspectives, to identify and achieve collective goals.
• Identify and address barriers that different community groups experience when interacting with County services and programs to enhance project design and delivery.
• Work with minimal supervision, "hit the ground running," and have the flexibility to change course quickly and effectively.

Responses to the supplemental questions must be submitted in addition to our regular employment application form. A resume will not be accepted as a substitute for the required employment application and supplemental questionnaire.

The examination process will consist of an application screening (weight: pass/fail) based on the candidates' application and responses to the supplemental questions. Candidates who pass the application screening will be invited to a panel interview (weight: 100%) which may include a performance exam. Depending on the number of applicants, an application appraisal of education and experience may be used in place of other examinations or further evaluation of work experience may be conducted to group applicants by level of qualification. All applicants who meet the minimum qualifications are not guaranteed advancement through any subsequent phase of the examination. All examinations will be given in County of San Mateo, California and applicants must participate at their own expense.

About the County

San Mateo County is centrally located between San Francisco, San Jose, and the East Bay. With over 750,000 residents, San Mateo is one of the largest and most diverse counties in California and serves a multitude of culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse communities.

The County of San Mateo, as an employer, is committed to advancing equity to ensure that all employees are welcomed in a safe and inclusive environment. The County seeks to hire, support, and retain employees who reflect our diverse community. We encourage applicants with diverse backgrounds and lived experiences to apply. Eighty percent of employees surveyed stated that they would recommend the County as a great place to work.