Clean Air Programs Director

Central California Asthma Collaborative; Bakersfield (CA); On-site; USD 130,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Central California Asthma Collaborative in California is seeking a Director to oversee CCAC’s Clean Air programs and lead the organization’s environmental justice initiatives. You will supervise staff, coordinate with leadership, and drive program strategy to expand impact across communities.

The role requires strong project management, grant writing, stakeholder engagement with local governments and community groups, and collaboration with policy teams to advance CCAC’s mission.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Environmental Science or related field.
• Minimum five years managing environmental justice or related programs.
• At least 3 years in a leadership role at a 501(c)(3) or government agency.
• Experience supervising staff and managing budgets.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, Adobe, and Monday.com.
• Fluency in English; Spanish preferred.
• Experience with diverse populations and regulatory context.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership and oversight of CCAC’s Clean Air programs and staff.
• Monitor, report on program deliverables to leadership, funders, donors and partners.
• Lead grant prospecting, proposals, and collaboration with funders.
• Coordinate policy advocacy with regional EJ partners and agencies.
• Develop strategic plans aligning with CCAC’s mission and goals.
• Ensure compliance with budgets, contracting, and financial management.

Skills

Leadership

Oral Communication

Written Communication

Teamwork

Innovation

Reliability

Organizational Skills

Technical Skills

Education

Master’s degree in Environmental Science

Tools

Microsoft Office

Adobe

Monday.com

Job description

ORGANIZATIONAL BACKGROUND

Central California Asthma Collaborative (CCAC) is a non‑profit organization dedicated to advancing health equity and environmental justice by empowering Central Californiacommunities through services, research, advocacy, and data‑driven solutions to reduce the burden of asthma. CCAC has 50+ full‑time employees and six offices in communities from Bakersfield to Sacramento. CCAC receives funding from numerous state and federal agencies, as well as private foundations and health plans, to support core programs and dozens of special projects (go to centralcalasthma.org for more details).

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director will be responsible for overseeing all of CCAC’s Clean Air programs and projects. The Director will be a seasoned supervisor and project manager with experience serving low‑income and disadvantaged communities, strong administrative oversight skills and a foundational understanding of the air quality and environmental justice field. The Director will work as part of the leadership team to sustain CCAC’s existing portfolio of programs and seek to identify and continue developing both existing and new opportunities that align with CCAC’s mission, goals, and vision.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide oversight and direction to the Clean Air team (leading development and implementation of CCAC’s Clean Air programs and policy priorities):
  • Manage staff, providing oversight and guidance to ensure grant and project deliverables are met.
  • Tracking, monitoring and reporting program and project deliverables and outcomes to CCAC leadership, funders, donors and partners.
  • Support CCAC’s contracting, invoicing and financial management of Clean Air projects in collaboration with the Administrative team.
  • Coordinate outreach and assistance to lower‑income residents in DACs to facilitate awareness of, access to and understanding of local air quality information to support community advocacy and personal behavior to reduce exposures to harmful pollutants.
  • Outreach to key stakeholders, including local governments, public utilities, local businesses and related industries to support CCAC’s climate equity and environmental justice programs as necessary.
  • Maintenance of a statewide network of CBOs engaged in environmental justice activities in DACs, including education related to air quality monitoring, local emissions reduction plans, and other efforts to mitigate emissions and exposures to criteria and toxic air pollutants.
• Collaborate with the Executive Director, Deputy Executive Director and other leadership positions (e.g. Director, Clean Energy Programs) to develop integrated and strategic programmatic plans and funding proposals related to CCAC’s Clean Air goals:
  • Prospecting for grant opportunities that align with CCAC’s existing programs and organizational mission;
  • Developing and submitting grant proposals in response to RFPs from government agencies, private philanthropic foundations and other funders;
  • Partnering with other organizations on proposals that align with CCAC’s mission and strategic plans.
• Collaborate closely with the Policy team responsible for CCAC’s Climate Equity and Environmental Justice policy advocacy:
  • Working collaboratively with regional EJ partners, state, federal, and regional regulatory agencies, funders and other key stakeholders to further CCAC’s Clean Air policy objectives, identifying policy and program priorities in partnership with community leaders and organizations that align with CCAC’s mission and goals.
  • Developing and coordinating content expertise on topics relevant to CCAC’s regional and statewide policy advocacy across the California; conducting policy analyses and draft written materials, including correspondence, to further advocacy goals; developing and present oral and written testimony at workshops, hearings, and meetings; analyzing and responding to relevant agenda items and meeting notices pursuant to regional, state and federal agencies, and other relevant bodies; and represent CCAC at various community events, statewide conferences and agency meetings.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Oral Communication: Speaks clearly; listens and requests clarification as needed; responds well to questions.

• Written Communication: Writes clearly; varies writing style to meet needs; presents data effectively; able to read and interpret written information.
• Leadership: Able to direct and motivate staff to maximize performance and maintain high team morale. Comprehends the organization’s mission and makes executive decisions that balance the organization’s strategic and financial goals, while complying with all policies and laws.
• Teamwork: Balances team and individual responsibilities; exhibits objectivity and openness to other’s views; gives and welcomes feedback, contributes to building a positive team spirit.
• Innovation: Displays original thinking and creativity. Meets challenges with resourcefulness. Generates suggestions for improving work. Develops innovative approaches and ideas.

• Reliability: Ability to work independently, self‑motivated, dependable, and professional, with a strong work ethic.
• Organizational Skills: Demonstrated attention to detail; ability to manage time effectively in order to complete tasks competently and on time; maintain highly organized workspace and schedule.
• Technical Skills: Capable of learning and supervising technical staff.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Master’s degree (PhD preferred) in Environmental Science or related field and minimum five (5) years of experience managing environmental justice or related programs.
• Minimum three years of experience in a leadership role at a 501c3 non‑profit or government agency, with a proven record of increasing levels of responsibility.
• Experience overseeing a team of at least 5 full‑time employees, including managing timekeeping, budgets and expenses.
• Experience using a variety of software program such as Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams), Adobe and project management tools such as Monday.com.
• English fluency required, Spanish fluency preferred.
• Experience interacting with a diverse population; must demonstrate the ability to be culturally competent in all respects.
• Familiarity with air pollution regulatory framework and environmental justice issues, must demonstrate ability to apply CCAC’s tools and resources to address regional, state and federal air pollution issues.
• Experience working directly with government and industry stakeholders, preferred.
• Experience working directly with community members and community‑based organizations, preferred.
• Experience working with and on behalf of low‑income populations, preferred.

TRAVEL

To CCAC offices in Sacramento, Stanislaus, Tulare, Fresno and Kern Counties, as well as various meetings as needed, predominantly within California. Must be available for some travel out of state for professional conferences, limited to a few times per year.

DRIVING AND LICENSE REQUIREMENTS

Must possess a valid CADL and applicable CA mandated auto insurance.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS

Lift up to 20 pounds. May be required to obtain COVID and/or Influenza vaccinations.

AUTHORITY AND SUPERVISORY CAPACITY

Oversee a staff of 10 or more full‑time, part‑time personnel and interns with at least 4 direct reports.

ACCESS TO SENSITIVE INFORMATION

Must maintain confidentiality of personal client and staff information exposed to when working in files and preparing reports.