Initial Posting Date:

03/09/2023

Application Deadline:

03/26/2023

Agency:

Department of Environmental Quality

Salary Range:

$6,480 – $10,023

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Transportation Strategies Manager (NRPSM2

Job Description:

Are you interested in applying your operations leadership skills to protecting and enhancing Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ).

 

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 strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity. 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.

 

Opportunity:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Transportation Strategies Manager (Natural Resource Protection and Sustainability Manager 2) in Portland, Oregon. This position is limited duration for 12 months with the potential of being extended or being made permanent pending Budget and Legislature approval.

 

The Agency:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is chief regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state’s natural resources. 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 Air Quality Division is responsible for protecting the air resources of the state through program planning and development, industrial source control, asbestos control, motor vehicle inspections, and control of other source pollution. The Air Quality Division administers the federal air quality program, by delegation and approval from EPA, and other state requirements.

 

Mobile sources of emissions are the largest source of air pollution and greenhouse gases in the state. The Air Quality Division’s Transportation Strategies Section is responsible for developing and implementing programs needed to protect public health and the environment by reducing pollution from cars, trucks, and other mobile sources of emissions. This includes working with other sections of the Division to research and analyze  trends in mobile source emissions; researching and developing relevant control strategies, including regulatory approaches, voluntary approaches, and incentive approaches; providing air quality perspective and expertise in interagency transportation-related collaboratives and planning processes, such as: attainment planning and transportation conformity analyses and the Every Mile Counts workplan implementation; participating in multi-state and state-federal collaboratives focused on emissions standards for new engines (LEV/ZEV policy development).

 

The Transportation Strategies Section is responsible for implementing key programs, including: Diesel Emissions Reduction Grant Program, Oregon Clean Vehicle Rebate Program, Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Grants, and Employee Commute Options. This section works closely with the Air Quality Planning Section and the Office of Greenhouse Gas Programs to ensure programming across the agency addresses transportation-related emissions (including tailpipe pollution and greenhouse gas emissions) is well coordinated and complementary.

 

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

 

What you will do!

You will support policy and programs designed to reduce transportation related air pollution as well as manage the day-to-day operations of the Transportation Strategies Section; this includes, but is not limited to, supervising staff and overseeing management of section priorities and core work. There will be an emphasis on supporting staff to effectively achieve goals of the section and the Air Quality Division’s strategic objectives. There will be strategic planning; strategy/program design and execution; building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders, community groups, state and federal agencies, and others; building, maintaining, and supporting internal DEQ teams; strategic communications planning; collaboration with other DEQ programs; budget development; representation of DEQ on Boards and with other organizations; overseeing new policy/program development; and rulemaking. In addition, you will be responsible for coordinating activities related to transportation emissions that occur across the Air Quality Division.

 

As a State supervisory manager, you will be expected to develop proficiency in, as well as model to others, these competencies: Proactive communication, Innovation, Intentional Engagement, Mentoring & Developing Others, Stewardship, and Business Acumen.

 

These competencies are demonstrated by:

• Ensuring staff are supported and have the tools, learning, and equipment necessary to perform their duties.
• Coaching, mentoring, and motivating staff; meeting regularly with staff to provide leadership, guidance, and feedback, and to encourage skill development and career growth.
• Setting clear work objectives, goals, and expectations for staff; evaluating performance and addressing performance in a timely manner.
• Building team cohesion; encouraging collaboration and ensuring staff are cross-trained.
• Leading staff in achieving mission-focused outcomes.

 

 

Desired Attributes/Skills:

If you have these qualities, let us know! Candidates who are most competitive will reflect the following:

• Demonstrated experience and personal commitment to building and sustaining an equitable and inclusive culture where all team members feel empowered to contribute; ability to incorporate diversity strategies into all hiring, retention, training, and management decisions to increase cultural awareness and diversity within the region.
• Demonstrated ability to evaluate emerging air quality programmatic priorities with both statewide and national implications.
• Extensive knowledge of laws, procedures, principles, and regulations governing Federal and State highways, transportation, and transit programs and subprograms.
• Extensive knowledge of the trends, developments, and technological changes in mobility and transportation.
• Knowledge and experience with Clean Air Act and transportation conformity requirements.
• Ability to facilitate and negotiate solutions to complex regulatory issues among multiple organizations with conflicting, overlapping, or inconsistent requirements or objectives.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to synthesize a variety of technical and policy viewpoints into a coherent description of the problem to be solved; ability to explain complex environmental and policy problems and solutions to a variety of diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to advise executives and other decision-makers; excellent verbal and written communication skills; skill, tact, and communication abilities necessary to act as a spokesperson for the Transportation Strategies Section, Air Quality division, and the Agency.
• Supervisory management experience in a government agency or organization; management experience with a union represented employer.
• Ability to be resourceful and pay attention to detail; ability to switch priorities or projects seamlessly; ability and skill to manage complex projects with many stakeholders and multiple deliverables within resource constraints.
• Ability and experience managing human, financial, and informational resources in a manner that instills employee and public trust and accomplishes the organization’s mission.
• Demonstrated ability to lead both technical and program development teams using data collection, goal setting, measure design, and report development to address statewide environmental challenges and opportunities.
• Experience leading staff in the administration of state or federal grants and contracts, evaluating grantee or contractor performance, and managing grant or contract budgets.  Experience leading staff in the development and implementation of rebate programs including the ongoing administration and management of program budget.
• Experience in strategic planning, plan implementation, and change management.
• Proven experience fostering teamwork among staff; experience coaching, mentoring, and motivating staff.
• Skill and experience in communication and outreach to underrepresented communities; ability to build partnerships across diverse community and stakeholder groups and interests.

 

 

Minimum Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: 6 years of supervision, management, or progressively related experience or 3 years of related experience and a Bachelor’s degree.

 

 

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 includes:

• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans for employees and their qualified family members

• 11 paid holidays
• 10 hours of vacation per month, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• 8 hours of sick leave per month, eligible to be used as accrued
• 24 hours of personal business leave per fiscal year, eligible to be used after 6 months of service
• Optional life insurance packages
• Flexible spending accounts
• Membership in the Oregon Public Employees Retirement System (PERS)
• Optional deferred compensation retirement program
• Opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF)
• Continuous growth and development opportunities
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work
• A healthy work/life balance, including flexible schedules and hybrid work options for this position (please note, full-time remote work is not an option for this position).

 

This is a full-time, management service supervisory position.

 

 

Working Conditions:

Work is primarily in an office setting with extended work hours during legislative sessions or emergencies. There will be monthly in-state travel to meet with local governments, advisory committees, or other regulated entities to address issues relating to developing and implementing air quality and transportation control strategies, as well as quarterly out of state travel to attend meetings and conferences or to meet with EPA on issues relating to implementing clean Air Act requirements.

 

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 job aid for assistance.

 

Helpful Tips:

• Be sure to attach a resume and cover letter.
• Allow yourself plenty of time to complete and submit the application, resume, and cover letter.
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• This posting closes at 11:59 PM on the close date listed.
• Please save a copy of the job announcement for your reference, as it may not be available for you to view after the job posting closes.
• Be sure to check both your email and Workday account for updates regarding this recruitment.
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• Click here for Resources and a Job Support Page.

 

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.