The City of Santa Rosa is Seeking a Sustainability Representative

The City of Santa Rosa is committed to building a workforce reflective of our community and establishing a lasting culture of equity and belonging within our organization. Our collective talents and expertise contribute to high-quality public services that support a vibrant, resilient, and inclusive City for our community and visitors. We celebrate a diverse workforce and welcome all qualified candidates to apply.

THE BENEFITS OF CITY EMPLOYMENT:

12 paid holidays annually, plus 1 to 3 'floating holidays' per year, depending on start date and years of service
Flexible schedule (9/80 or 5/8) with management approval
4% cost-of-living increase approved for July 2025 and July 2026
$500 annually for wellness
Unlimited free bus rides on CityBus and Sonoma County Transit
The City is a Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) qualifying employer
Paid Family Leave

In addition to offering a challenging, rewarding work environment and excellent salary, the City of Santa Rosa provides a generous suite of benefits, including retirement through CalPERS, a competitive leave accrual package, your choice of three health plans, a flexible spending program, employer contributions to a Retiree Health Savings plan, and top of the line employer paid vision and dental coverage. More information regarding benefits associated with this position can be found on our Miscellaneous Employee Benefits Page.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

The current Sustainability Representative vacancy in the Water Use Efficiency Section is an advanced journey-level technical classification responsible for strategic customer-facing program development, implementation, and outreach. Under general direction, an incumbent provides a variety of complex water use efficiency and water supply planning services. This class develops programs and projects, oversees grant administration, and provides project management for a variety of water use efficiency-related programs. This class is distinguished from the Sustainability Coordinator in that the latter class has management responsibility for the development, operation, and performance of programs and the supervision of program staff.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATE:
The successful candidate is passionate about delivering various sustainability initiatives, projects, and policies as they relate to Santa Rosa Water’s existing and future operations, efficiency programs, and regulatory compliance needs. The ideal candidate would be team-oriented yet able to work independently, self-motivated, analytical, organized, resourceful, and adaptable.

In addition, our ideal candidate will have:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills, and engaging presentation abilities
The ability to understand and interpret complex financial, programmatic, and operational data, applicable laws, ordinances, rules, and regulations
A desire and ability to work collaboratively
Aptitude for analysis, critical thought, and a solutions-oriented approach to meeting the objectives of the department in a holistic manner.

HOW TO APPLY:
Please complete a thoughtful, thorough Supplemental Questionnaire submission. As part of the selection process, your responses to these questions will be scored using criteria specific to this position. Incomplete responses, or responses such as "See Resume" can result in disqualification from the selection process.

THE SELECTION PROCESS:
The selection process will include a minimum qualification assessment and may also include an application and supplemental questionnaire review, followed by department selection interviews.

For more information about this exciting opportunity, please contact Debbie Gutman at dgutman@cpshr.us

Essential Duties:
The following duties are considered essential for this job classification:

Oversee the work of contract services related to water and energy resources projects and program implementation;
Manage and participate in competitive bid process for the selection of vendors, consultants, and contractors;
Gather, analyze, and interpret water and energy data and prepare written reports;
Research, analyze, and make recommendations on the formulation of policies, procedures, projects, and programs related to water and energy resources;
Confer with design engineers, designers, and contractors regarding individual project specifications and maintenance criteria;
Coordinate community resources awareness programs, activities, and presentations, and assist in the development of public information materials;
Create and maintain effective public relations with city staff and the public;
Prepare and staff water and energy resources-related exhibits at community events;
Make presentations to City Council, the Board of Public Utilities, or other governing bodies, and the general public as needed;
Represent Santa Rosa Water in community and professional meetings and serve on intradepartmental, regional, and state committees as boards as needed;
Research, review, and recommend new water and energy efficiency technologies;
Assist in the development and updating of polices and technical documents;
Operate a computer using word processing, spreadsheet, database, and slide presentation programs;
Develop and maintain databases; perform follow-up surveys and assist in program evaluation;
Keep up to date on proposed legislation, technical rules, and regulations related to water and energy resources;
Prepare technical reports, letters to customers, and a variety of internal memoranda; and
Perform routine office and personal file management tasks.

Water:

Perform residential, commercial, industrial and large-landscape irrigation water-use surveys, audits and inspections;
Write inspection reports;
Develop and present training programs on the proper design, installation, operation and maintenance of systems using potable and/or recycled water, and on regulatory reporting requirements;
Inspect construction and landscape plans for urban recycled water and water-use efficiency requirements;
Provide technical and analytical assistance to the public related to water-use efficiency, conservation, recycled water and supply planning questions;
Install or provide advice regarding the installation of water-saving devices; and
Provide inspection services and maintain compliance databases for recycled water systems;
Make and receive emergency calls related to recycled water use and take appropriate action(s) to address issues and inform management, operations staff, customers, and regulators;
Gather, analyze, and prepare data and reports for regulatory compliance; and
Understand the City's water supply portfolio, including demand and supply protections.

Energy:

Monitor power provider rate structures, incentives, rebates, and programs, and make recommendations regarding participation;
Provide expertise related to energy optimization, climate protection and adaptation, and resource management and recovery;
Conduct financial analyses and make recommendations for stabilizing and minimizing energy and sustainability costs over time;
Work with operational staff to assess (and mitigate as needed) the operational impacts of energy and sustainability policies, projects, and programs;
Engage in climate action planning and oversee implementation of the Department's climate action goals; coordinate with related citywide and regional efforts; and
Track and report on energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions pertaining to water operations.

Additional Duties:
In addition to the duties listed in the Essential Duties Section, each employee in this classification may perform the following duties. Any single position may not be assigned to all the duties listed below, nor do the examples cover all duties that may be assigned.

Train city staff in water and energy-use efficiency, conservation, recycled water, water and energy supply planning, and sustainability-related policies, procedures, and practices;
Provide budget assistance in the development and tracking of expenditures and revenues, including O&M and CIP budgets, grants, contracts, etc..
Monitor and analyze federal, state, and local legislation, regulations, and compliance documents and set up related tracking, recording, and reporting procedures;
Track, apply for, and implement grant opportunities as assigned; and
Perform related duties as assigned.

Knowledge of: Principles and practices of water and energy-use efficiency, conservation, recycled water, water and energy supply planning implementation and sustainability; related federal, state and local laws and regulatory codes and programs applicable to water and energy-use efficiency, conservation, recycled water, and water and energy supply planning in the urban environment; residential and commercial water and energy audits; water and energy efficient equipment and technologies for all customer segments; research methodology, data collection, statistical analysis and report writing; methods of training; principles of project planning and implementation; budget monitoring; computer entry, file management, document development and retrieval.

Water: Knowledge of techniques and equipment used in irrigation, water distribution, landscape design, and installation; effective water-efficient plant and turf grass selection; water-efficient irrigation best practices; California Urban Water Conservation Council's Best Management Practices.

Energy: Knowledge of principles and practices of energy optimization and renewable energy and sustainability; related planning and management, including energy use, efficiency, and conservation analysis and forecasting; techniques, and equipment used in energy efficiency measures and renewable energy.

Ability to: compile, analyze and interpret data; initiate and maintain effective working relationships with other City staff and the public; make presentations to community, technical or professional groups; prepare reports; communicate regularly with the Green Industry, Business professionals, and recycled water site supervisors, and the general public about recycled water, water and energy use standards and practices; develop and maintain records and customer databases; research and implement state water and energy-use efficiency, recycled water, water and energy supply planning and sustainability requirements; communicate effectively verbally and in writing; design simple informational materials; coordinate and administer contract services.

Water: Conduct water-use efficiency, recycled water, and irrigation surveys, audits, and inspections of residential, commercial, and industrial sites; and ability to review architectural and landscape plans for water/energy efficiency requirements.

Energy: Plan, organize, and conduct research, analysis, and studies related to energy, climate change, and resource sustainability; determine probable fiscal, greenhouse gas, and operational effects of policies, programs, and projects; and read and interpret construction documents related to energy projects.

Experience and Education: Any combination equivalent to experience and education that could likely provide the required knowledge and abilities that would be qualifying. A typical way to obtain the knowledge and abilities would be: Experience - Sufficient years of experience in water and/or energy efficiency, water and/or energy resources, conservation and sustainability, water or wastewater operations, or landscape management to demonstrate possession of the knowledge and abilities listed above.
Education - Completion of college-level course work in environmental science/education, water and/or energy conservation, water and/or energy resource management, landscape design and management, horticulture, engineering, public relations, architecture, or a closely related field.

Work is largely conducted in an indoor office setting and involves sitting for long periods of time with the ability to move about at will, however, travel outside of the office for onsite inspections, audits and surveys is required to inspect properties, or make home or business visitations that involves walking over rough, uneven, or rocky surfaces for extended periods of time.

This position communicates with others face-to-face, by telephone, and in group settings when responding to questions, providing training, or making formal presentations. An incumbent comprehends and draws inferences from written material such as government regulations, laws, codes, and ordinances; stocking an inventory of water and energy resources materials requires carrying object weighing up to 50 pounds up to 20 feet and lifting arms above shoulder level; setting up displays requires carrying materials weighing up to 20 pounds over 20 feet.

Incumbents utilize a computer to produce written documents such as correspondence and reports, which require continuous or repetitive arm/hand movements. Work generally occurs during traditional work hours, but occasionally requires evening, weekend, and holiday work.

Santa Rosa – A Wonderful City to Call Home
The City of Santa Rosa is located just 55 miles north of San Francisco and 30 miles east of the Pacific Ocean, with a population of approximately 180,000. Santa Rosa is the seat of Sonoma County and the center of trade, government, commerce, and medical facilities for the North Bay. The surrounding area is home to over a hundred wineries and vineyards, and many beautiful parks and recreational facilities, including golf courses. Santa Rosa is in the center of a nationally recognized cycling area. We boast many attractions associated with large cities, including a symphony, performing arts center, theater productions, and internationally recognized restaurants, yet we still retain the warmth and small-town feel of decades past. Santa Rosa has been named one of the 50 greenest cities in the United States, with one of the top five mid-sized downtowns in California.

The City of Santa Rosa is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace.

City of Santa Rosa

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Sustainability Representative