Senior Environment and Land Use Policy Advisor (Legislative Assistant II)-25037301UPA

Senior Environment and Land Use Policy Advisor

County of San Diego, Supervisorial District 3

Office of Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer

Summary: Seeking a Senior Environment Policy and Land Use Advisor with significant political experience. This position will be responsible for developing and implementing policies and strategies to promote a transformative agenda in San Diego County.

The ideal candidate will have a deep understanding and demonstrated track record of developing and implementing environmental policies that advance climate action, protect open spaces and biodiversity, safeguard oceans and waterways from toxic pollutants, hold bad actor polluters accountable, tackle health threats posed by microplastics and soil contaminants, catalyze public transit options, and support climate-friendly smart growth development patterns. An orientation towards and grounding in environmental justice is a core aspect of the position. The role requires experience and skill at policymaking, organizing, and communications.

This role is in the office of San Diego County Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Terra Lawson-Remer. We are looking for experienced visionaries, creative and dogged problem-solvers, and great team players!

Skills and Experience Required:

• 12+ years of environmental law, environmental policymaking, environmental advocacy and organizing, land use planning, and/or zoning.
• Proven ability to drive forward and implement complex policy agendas.
• Significant experience in developing, drafting, and implementing complex environmental and land use policies.
• Proven experience building coalitions of diverse stakeholders, gaining support for environmental and land use policies, and navigating political and relationship challenges to achieve meaningful results.
• Strong writer and researcher with a talent for explaining complex ideas in ways that are clear, relatable, and engaging.
• Nimble and quick thinker with an entrepreneurial mindset, constantly looking for opportunities to uplift key policy areas.
• Proven ability to take charge of complex projects and see them through successfully while managing multiple tasks and deadlines at the same time.
• Strong intuition for political dynamics and expertise in analyzing power structures and relationships.
• Experience working with government and community-based organizations, with a focus on equity and environmental justice.
• Ability to manage multiple simultaneous initiatives in a fast-paced environment and meet deadlines.

Essential Job Functions:

• Developing and drafting formal policy proposals for consideration and vote by the Board.
• Producing deep-dive policy research and analysis on priority initiatives.
• Building deep relationships with community partners and advocates to uplift shared environmental policy priorities and build support for the Supervisors’ policy agenda.
• Providing ongoing policy briefs on diverse, complex, and often unanticipated issues that come before the Board of Supervisors for a vote.
• Meeting with County staff to gather policy input and monitor and supervise policy implementation.
• Managing cross-functional teams that include communications specialists and community organizers.
• Translating complex policy ideas into talking points, emails, briefs, and other publicly accessible communications.

Supervisor Terra Lawson-Remer is a progressive leader serving San Diego County, home to over 3.3 million people with an $8.2 billion annual budget. After decisively winning re-election for a second term in San Diego’s swing district, she is now seeking a dedicated Senior Policy Advisor to lead her ambitious environmental agenda.

Join in Terra in this critical fight for San Diego’s future. For more, visit www.SupervisorTerraLawson-Remer.com.

To Apply:

Please send a cover letter and resume to Jeffrey.Yuen@sdcounty.ca.gov using the subject line “Senior Environmental Policy Advisor Application: Full Name” Please name your files as in this example: Name_Surname_Resume.pdf. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until position is filled.

Persons serving in positions in the Unclassified Service do not accrue tenure and serve at the pleasure of the appointing authority. The provisions of this job announcement may be modified or revoked and do not constitute an expressed or implied contract.

Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable an individual with qualified disabilities to perform the essential functions of a job, on a case-by-case basis.

Condition of Employment:

As part of the County of San Diego’s pre-employment process, prospective candidates will undergo a background check (including fingerprinting) and a pre-employment medical screening prior to beginning County employment. Additional types of background investigations may be conducted based on the job-related activities of the position. (Current employees may be exempt from this process.)

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