Special Project Officer (Health Climate Officer)

Special Project Officer (Health Climate Officer)

DESCRIPTION

THE COMMUNITY

Ideally located on the Pacific Ocean south of Los Angeles and just west of Orange County, Long Beach is the seventh-largest city in the State of California. Offering all the world-class amenities of a large metropolitan city, coupled with its strong sense of community and pride, Long Beach is one of the most vibrant communities in the country. The City has been referred to as the “Most Diverse City” in the country by USA Today and one of the “Best Communities for Young People” two years in a row. With its ideal location in Southern California, year-round comfortable climate, healthy business environment, and far-ranging cultural pursuits, the City is alive with activity. Long Beach is home to an abundance of cultural and recreational options. Expansive beaches, three marinas, five golf courses, the Aquarium of the Pacific, the Queen Mary, and the annual Grand Prix of Long Beach serve to draw 6.5 million visitors a year. The City’s full-service commercial airport has preferred flight schedules, carriers, and overall accessibility that makes it the travel-friendly alternative to other Southern California airports. In addition, Los Angeles’ rail transit system, the most used light rail system in the country, connects the city to the entire region. Long Beach continues to make significant investments in its parks, beaches, streets, and other amenities (including a new city hall) indicative of the financial stability and health of the City.

 

 CITY GOVERNMENT

Long Beach is a full-service Charter City governed by nine City Council members who are elected by district and a Mayor that is elected at large. Elected officials also include the City Attorney, City Auditor, and City Prosecutor. The Council Members and the Mayor are subject to a three-term limit, which allows them to serve for a maximum of twelve years. The City Council appoints a City Manager and a City Clerk. The City Manager is responsible for the efficient administration of all City departments, excluding those under the direction of a separately elected official, Board, or Commission. The City of Long Beach provides all traditional public services. In addition to its traditional services, the City also maintains one of the world’s busiest seaports, which serves as a leading gateway for international trade. Long Beach also has its own full-service commercial airport and is one of only three cities in California with its own Health Department. Long Beach is supported by a total FY 2023 budget of approximately $3.2 billion, with the General Fund budget totaling $670 million. More than 6,048 full and part-time employees support municipal operations with the majority being represented by eleven employee associations.  To learn more about the City of Long Beach, go to: www.longbeach.gov.

THE DEPARTMENT

The Health and Human Services Department has more than 550 employees located in ten sites and eight bureaus – Communicable Disease and Emergency Response, Administration and Financial Services, Collective Impact, Community Health, Environmental Health, Housing Authority, Homeless Services, and Physician Services. It operates with a $150 million annual budget, 87% of which comes from Federal, State, County, and private funds. The mission of the Department is to “Improve the quality of life by promoting a safe and healthy community in which to live, work, and play.” The Department values quality and excellence, innovation, teamwork, and diversity. 

THE POSITION

Reporting to the Deputy Director of the Health Department, the Climate Officer will lead the Department’s efforts to understand, assess, track, plan for and act on the climate change impacts to health in the City of Long Beach. The Climate Officer will represent the Department in the city-wide effort to implement the Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP), which includes a variety of stakeholders within the city and across the community. The Climate officer will stay up to date on and share regional, national and international climate change preparation and resilience best practices and help drive local implementation efforts. The Climate Officer will work to create climate goals within the Department related to health impacts, ensuring alignment with the Department’s strategic plan and the City’s 2030 Vision. The Climate Officer will work to understand, identify and secure ongoing funding opportunities and establish the Department’s role as a critical thought-partner and leader in addressing climate change. This position is located at 2525 Grand Avenue, Long Beach CA 90815.  

PLEASE NOTE: The City of Long Beach requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 prior to their first day unless a medical or religious accommodation is approved by the City of Long Beach’s Human Resources Department for the duration of the vaccine mandate. In accordance with the State Health Care Worker Vaccine Requirement, the Department of Health and Human Services may also require you to receive a COVID booster. Proof of vaccination (including booster, if applicable) will be required at the time of your pre-employment physical.

EXAMPLES OF DUTIES

• Serve as the climate lead for the Health Department and establish the connection between and the impacts of climate change and health locally. 

• Coordinate with and support efforts of the Office of Climate Action and Sustainability to implement the City’s Climate Action and Adaptation Plan (CAAP). 
• Track and provide strategic advice on the implications of local, regional, state, national and international climate change policy developments on health and sustainability outcomes in the City of Long Beach. 
• Lead assessment and surveillance efforts to track the impacts of climate change on health locally. 
• Lead efforts to adapt the Community Health Assessment (CHA) to a climate, health and equity vulnerability assessment (CHEVA) to identify climate-related risks, their likely health impacts, and the people and places at higher risk. 
• Create climate goals within the Department and ensure alignment with the Department’s strategic plan and the City’s 2030 Vision. 

• Collaborate with the Racial and Health Equity team to identify and mitigate climate impacts that disproportionately impact low-income communities of color.  
• Identify and secure ongoing funding for the Department’s climate change planning and mitigation efforts. 
• Build out a climate health program within the department, including developing workforce pipeline efforts and creating opportunities for internships and collaboration with local higher education centers to build exposure to the Health Department’s work. 
• Work with Health Department leadership groups to track the climate change landscape and help establish the ongoing role of health departments in addressing this challenge. 
• Perform other duties as assigned

REQUIREMENTS TO FILE

• A minimum of five years of increasingly responsible professional experience in implementing projects and networking in climate change, natural resource management or a related field for a social services agency, governmental agency, or private sector entity, including a minimum of three years in a supervisory capacity. 
• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in Public Administration, Urban Planning, Public Health, Business Administration, or related field is required. (Copy of degree or transcripts required as PDF attachments to application at the time of filing.) 
• Valid motor vehicle operator license. (Required to obtain a California motor vehicle operator license within 6 months of employment if license is out of state. DMV K4 driver license information report required during onboarding if selected for position).

Required documents, such as transcripts, degrees and/or certification, must be uploaded to the online application at time of filing. Any proofs submitted must contain either the applicant’s name or other identifying characteristic on the documentation. Degrees must indicate the field of study and conferral date on diploma or transcript. Candidates who possess degrees from college or university from outside the United States must attach proof of educational equivalency at the time of filing. 

DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS 

• Master’s Degree in Public Administration, Statistics, Public Health, Business Administration, or related field is required (Copy of degree or transcripts denoting degree conferment required.) 

• Strong leadership skills and experience leading and supervising a team.  
• Bilingual skills (Khmer, Spanish, Tagalog, and/or Vietnamese). 
• Ability to work evenings, nights, weekends, and holidays. 

 

SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL DEMONSTRATE 

• Strong understanding of climate change and environmental justice strategies. 
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team, be flexible, and manage multiple assignments in a dynamic and fast-paced environment. 
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to be detail oriented and forward thinking. 
• Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of people and populations by consistently exercising tact, good judgment, and a proactive, problem-solving focused style. 
• Ability to deescalate and resolve conflict effectively. 

• Effective interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills. 
• Proficiency in the use of computers, including email, internet, and office productivity software (e.g. Microsoft Word, Excel, etc.) 
• Ability to implement equity principles in planning and implementation and a strong foundation in their use. 

 

SELECTION PROCEDURE

This recruitment will close at 4:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) on Wednesday, February 15, 2023. To be considered, please apply online under “Current Openings” with your cover letter, resume, and proof of education as PDF attachments at: www.longbeach.gov/jobs

Applications will be reviewed for depth and breadth of experience, and for level and relatedness of education. The most qualified candidates will be invited to participate in further selection procedures. The selected candidate will be required to go through a background check and a physical examination prior to appointment. Applicants who do not meet the minimum requirements, including submission of all required attachments, will not be considered.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

The City of Long Beach is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We value and encourage diversity in our workforce. The City of Long Beach intends to provide reasonable accommodations in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If a special accommodation is desired, or if you would like to request this information in an alternative format, please call (562) 570-4102.

In support of the City’s Language Access Policy, bilingual skills (Spanish, Khmer and/or Tagalog) are desirable for positions interacting with the public. This information is available in an alternative format by request at the agency contact on the bulletin. If a special accommodation is desired, please contact the agency two (2) business days prior to the test, if applicable. In support of the City’s Language Access Policy, bilingual skills (Spanish, Khmer and/or Tagalog) are desirable for positions interacting with the public. This information is available in an alternative format by request at the agency contact on the bulletin. If a special accommodation is desired, please contact the agency two (2) business days prior to the test, if applicable.

The City of Long Beach is committed to creating a workplace where every employee is valued for who they are. Having our workforce reflect the diversity of our community at various levels of the organization is a continuous goal embraced by our departments, management staff, and policymakers. To support efforts of fairness and diversity, City Leadership is committed to incorporating equity and inclusion into our work by supporting staff and community partners. We are committed to promoting transparency by publishing updated demographic information for employees, including workforce diversity data and pay by race and gender.