Staff Air Pollution Specialist

We are looking for a curious, motivated person to join a talented, passionate team of problem-solvers dedicated to protecting public health and empowering communities! If you have a strong background in air quality data management, analysis, visualization, interpretation, and presentation, are equipped with excellent leadership, communication, and collaboration skills, and are passionate about empowering communities with the data they need to understand and improve air quality in their local areas, this position is for you! The Staff Air Pollution Specialist (SAPS) position is located within the Community Air Quality Section (CAQS) in Air Quality Planning and Science Division. CAQS is dedicated to conducting comprehensive analyses and interpretation of air quality data to help the communities and continuously innovating ways to improve the accessibility and usability of AQview, which is CARB's new cloud-native data portal for air quality data across California.

The Community Air Quality Section (CAQS) is responsible for compiling, analyzing, and disseminating air quality data to support communities across California. This includes a broad range of comprehensive analyses to better understand local air quality patterns and trends. To support this work, the team develops and maintains data tools and platforms. For example, in alignment with AB 617, CAQS leads the development and maintenance of CARB’s Community Air Quality Viewer (AQview), a cloud-based platform that provides access to localized air quality data, to specifically address exposures to harmful pollutants in California’s highly pollution-burdened environmental justice communities. The Section’s responsibilities also include conducting community-scale data analyses, supporting air monitoring efforts, and tracking the progress of emissions reduction strategies. Additionally, CAQS plays a key role in communicating findings in accessible ways and informing decision-making through data interpretation. Overall, CAQS leads efforts in data management, analysis, and visualization to enhance community-level understanding of air quality and advance environmental justice goals.

This position is for the fully qualified independent specialist for program and policy development work. Incumbents carry program or project responsibilities with extreme sensitivity and complexity usually dealing with emerging or undefined issues or problems and typically involving intense conflict among issues such as "State of the Science", public concern, local, State, and Federal Government concerns, costs, and business interests. Positions at this level require expertise that is significantly greater than standard full journey-level technical assignments, and this expertise is critical to the Board's basic mission. Under the general direction of the CAQS manager, this incumbent will serve as the project lead for the analyses and interpretation of community air quality data, as well as the enhancements of AQview. The incumbent will lead comprehensive analyses of air quality data, develop innovative techniques to analyze all air monitoring data across California, and help the community to interpret the data in explicit and understandable ways. The incumbent will also lead the effort to coordinate with data providers to expand AQview by adding more air monitoring data, including the integration of independent sensor networks and additional community monitoring data from various projects. The incumbent will strategically plan and lead the development of data analytical modules, data summaries, and other enhancements of AQview features to address evolving needs of community members and other partners. The incumbent will also conduct outreach activities on the findings from data analyses and the use of AQview to access and interpret air quality data and collect feedback to improve AQview. Specific duties can be found in the Duty Statement.

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement.

Working Conditions

This position may be eligible for hybrid in-office work and in-state telework. The amount of telework is at the agency's discretion and is based on the California Air Resource Boards' (CARB) current telework policy. While the CARB may support telework, some in-person attendance is also required.

The positions at the CARB may be eligible for telework with in-person attendance based on the operational needs of the position under Government Code 14200 for eligible applicants residing in California, subject to the candidate meeting telework eligibility criteria outlined in the CalEPA telework policy and/or future program need. Employees not residing in California are not eligible for telework. Regardless of hybrid telework eligibility, all employees may be required to report to the position’s designated headquarters location at their own expense, as indicated on their duty statement.

• Position located in a high-rise building.
• Requires being stationary, consistent with office work, for extended periods.
• Standard office environment (artificial lighting, controlled temperature, etc.).  
• Daily use of a personal computer, office equipment, and/or telephone.
• Travel may be required.