Director Of Environmental & Energy Coordination

Job Announcement

Fairfax County, with the largest population of any locality in Virginia, seeks to be the leader in equitable climate action for the Commonwealth of Virginia. The County’s Board of Supervisors has set ambitious community goals in the building, transportation, energy supply, waste, and natural resources management sectors to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. These goals are the foundation of the Fairfax County Community-wide Energy and Climate Action Plan (CECAP).

The County has also developed strategies to help residents and businesses, especially our most vulnerable residents, become more resilient to a changed climate that brings increased flooding, heat, and severe storms to the region: Resilient Fairfax: Climate Adaption and Resilience Plan (fairfaxcounty.gov)

The Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (OEEC) leads and coordinates the implementation of these initiatives across County departments. Fairfax County seeks an experienced, dynamic, and innovative leader with well-honed leadership and executive skills to serve as the next OEEC Director. This is a unique opportunity for a seasoned professional with a proven record of successful environmental policy implementation to shape and implement energy and environment-related policies, practices, and projects for decades to come. The Director is responsible for managing a staff of eighteen employees organized into three divisions. The department has a total annual budget of $2.3 million. OEEC works directly with local, regional, state, and federal entities to implement these critical policy directions.

The Director serves on the Deputy County Executive’s Leadership Team and represents OEEC at meetings with the Board of Supervisors (BOS), the County Executive, BOS-appointed councils including the Environmental Quality Advisory Commission (EQAC), regional agencies including committees of the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (MWCOG), and others.

Roles and Responsibilities
Leads team members in addressing the department’s mission, vision, and values. This includes the promotion of innovative thinking in energy, climate, and environmental programs that result in new initiatives and actions.

Oversees recommendations to the Board of Supervisors and the County Executive/Deputy County Executive related to environmental and energy policy issues and legislation.

Fosters a work culture that enables the development of positive working relationships, open communication, continuous learning and growth, and commitment to customer service and high-level performance.

Leads the coordination of the initiatives and projects associated with CECAP and the Resilient Fairfax Plan - in partnership with other County departments, Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS), Fairfax County Park Authority (FCPA), adjacent jurisdictions, regional, state, and federal environmental agencies, non-profits, citizen associations, HOAs, and private-sector companies, i.e., Dominion Energy, and the public at large.

Provides oversight of OEEC’s approach to lowering greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) to meet the CECAP goals related to buildings and energy efficiency, energy supply, transportation, and waste.

Provides leadership in matters associated with Fairfax County's energy, climate, and environmental programs, such as:

• solar installations on County-owned buildings,
• the County’s energy services contracts (ESCOs),
• electric vehicle (EV) charging station installations in County-owned facilities,
• Charge-Up Fairfax (County grants for EV charging stations at HOAs),
• HomeWise (weatherization and energy outreach program),
• Pursuit of an off-site solar power purchase agreement to achieve 100% renewable electricity for operations,
• Zero Waste Plan Implementation,
• Commercial Property Assessed Clean Energy (C-PACE) program,
• Resilient Fairfax plan implementation,
• Green Businesses Partners program,
• Launch of a Green Bank, etc.

Manages OEEC’s annual budget, including an environmental capital fund, and grant applications to support county initiatives.

Provides leadership in marketing, promotion, and outreach related to Fairfax County’s environmental and energy initiatives, projects, and services, including Carbon Free Fairfax (the education and outreach initiative in CECAP): Carbon-Free Fairfax | Office of Environmental and Energy Coordination (fairfaxcounty.gov .

Leads the department’s engagement in Countywide initiatives: One Fairfax, Countywide Strategic Plan, ActiveFairfax Plan, and other Countywide efforts.

Please click here for more information.

Required Knowledge Skills and Abilities

(The knowledge, skills and abilities listed in this specification are representative of the class but are not an all-inclusive list.)

• Thorough knowledge of the provisions of complex Federal, State, and County laws, regulations and procedures;
• Thorough knowledge of modern practices, methods, materials and equipment used in environmental protection;
• Thorough knowledge regarding the development and implementation of environmental management systems;
• Considerable knowledge of environmental planning principles and practices;
• Considerable knowledge of sources of information, current literature, and recent developments regarding environmental planning issues;
• Knowledge of research methods and techniques;
• Ability to initiate and develop programs and policies;
• Ability to analyze policy and technical issues and exercise sound judgment in decision making;
• Ability to review and analyze issues and situations, and develop new and revised
• regulations/procedures to address them;
• Ability to analyze, interpret, and explain laws, regulations, policies and procedures to individuals, groups, or agencies in order to gain compliance, cooperation, and understanding;
• Ability to facilitate and work collaboratively with many cross-agency County teams to develop and implement effective environmental policy;
• Ability to establish effective, cooperative working relationships with officials, including the ability to develop consensus which accommodates conflicting interests and viewpoints;
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing.

Employment Standards

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
Any combination of education, experience, and training equivalent to the following:
(Click on the aforementioned link to learn how Fairfax County interprets equivalencies for "Any combination, experience, and training equivalent to")
Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university with a Bachelor's degree in Environmental Sciences, Management, Law, Engineering, Planning or Policy or a closely related field; plus seven years of progressively responsible experience in environmental protection work or a closely related field, including four years of management experience.

CERTIFICATES AND LICENSES REQUIRED:
Not applicable.

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:
The appointee to this position will be required to complete a criminal background check and a credit history check to the satisfaction of the employer.

The successful candidate possesses the following:

• Works effectively as a leader in a highly visible executive position.
• Has knowledge of the principles, methods and challenges related to climate change, sustainability, the environment, and energy use - including planning, coordinating, funding (where applicable), and execution.
• Inspires and educates the community on cutting edge practices in the environmental field.
• Has knowledge of innovative practices, i.e., solar and wind energy, distributed power systems, electrical vehicles, automobile reduction initiatives, zero waste, etc.
• Works effectively with elected and appointed officials, County colleagues, local/regional/state/federal agencies, the development community, non-profits, residents, citizen groups, homeowner associations (HOAs), etc. in diverse team environments.
• Interprets and applies complex policies, rules, regulations, laws, and ordinances.
• Organizes work, sets priorities, and exercises sound independent judgment, including using creative and effective ways to address issues.
• Develops and implements office goals and objectives.
• Plans, organizes, delegates, and motivates OEEC staff.
• Communicates clearly and concisely.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:
Job is generally sedentary in nature; however, employee must be sufficiently mobile to attend meetings and make presentations. Employee may be required to lift and carry up to 15 pounds. Incumbent must be able to work on electronic equipment such as a computer monitor, typing on a keyboard, and are essential to this position. Ability to attend evening meetings is essential. All duties performed with or without reasonable accommodations.

SELECTION PROCEDURE:
Panel interview.

The population of Fairfax County is very diverse where 39.8% of residents speak a language other than English at home (Spanish, Asian/Pacific Islander, Indo-European, and others) and we encourage candidates bilingual in English and a foreign language to apply to this opportunity.

Fairfax County Government prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, pregnancy, childbirth or related medical conditions, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetics, political affiliation, or military status in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of its workforce.

Reasonable accommodations are available to persons with disabilities during application and/or interview processes per the Americans with Disabilities Act. Contact 703-324-4900 for assistance. TTY 703-222-7314. DHREmployment@fairfaxcounty.gov EEO/AA/TTY.

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