Program Specialist - Recycling & Resource Solutions (Temporary)

County of Anoka; United States; Hybrid; USD 43,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Advancement/professional development

Hybrid work possibility

Job summary

County of Anoka is seeking a temporary Program Specialist in Recycling and Resource Solutions for the Field Operations Building in Andover, MN. This in-office, non-exempt role may require evenings and weekends, with a pay range of $31.00 to $43.38 per hour and opportunities for advancement.

The position supports waste prevention, data management, and collaboration with partners using Excel/Access to monitor data and report to leadership. Interviews are planned for mid-October 2026.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in environmental protection, sustainability, science, planning, public administration, business administration, or related field.
• Two years (2,080 annual hours) of job-related experience in solid waste management, recycling, or waste prevention.
• Proficiency with data management tools (e.g. Excel and Access).
• Strong ability to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend actionable insights for program improvement.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and vehicle available for business use.
• Ten or more years of full-time job-related experience in project planning and data collection/management.

Responsibilities

• Provide training and guidance to the Program Specialist – Commercial Programs in completing the Solid Waste Management Charge tasks and implementation.
• Help manage the day-to-day operations of Anoka County’s waste prevention and material reuse programming.
• Work with supervisor to ensure clean program data and evaluation of data.
• Lead efforts to develop and implement new strategic solutions waste prevention and material reuse programming in the County.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with waste prevention and material reuse related rules and regulations on behalf of the County.
• Assist with developing and monitoring the waste prevention and material reuse programming budget.
• Work with the county partners, residents, and the commercial sector within Anoka County to systematically prevent waste from being generated and reuse product and materials wherever possible before resorting to recycling or disposal as trash.
• Provide technical assistance as it relates waste prevention, and material reuse opportunities.
• Gather program data from internal and external sources and maintain databases to ensure accuracy and integrity of data.
• Apply strategies to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies of program data.
• Create reports and charts to communicate findings of data trends to leadership.
• Collaborate with program specialists to identify data collection opportunities.

Job description

Job Posting End Date: October 8, 2026 at 11:59pm CST Hiring range: $31.00 to $43.38 per hour. The starting rate will depend on experience, education, and qualifications. Advancement opportunities exist for individuals motivated to move up within Anoka County. Come join our team at Anoka County where you can serve your community while enjoying the benefits of work-life balance! In order to be considered for this position, information to support your answers must be included in your application. A resume attachment is optional and cannot be used in place of this application. Applications must be received by the closing deadline of 11:59 pm on 10/08/2026 in order to be considered.

About The Position

Find your path working for a department committed to the health and safety of the community. Anoka County Public Health and Environmental Services (PHES) currently has an opening for a Program Specialist in Recycling and Resource Solutions. This position assists with activities and partnerships needed to reach state mandated and county waste management and recycling goals. We are looking for an energic environmental services professional with a passion for customer service and experience with integrated waste management programs. This is a temporary, non-exempt, in office position located at the Field Operations Building in Andover, MN. Evenings and weekends may be required. Interviews will take place the week of 10/12/2026 for those selected to move forward in the hiring process.

Pay & Benefits

Anoka County Salary Schedule Grade 32: $31.00 to $43.38 per hour.

• Advancement/professional development opportunities.

Work Location

This position will work at the Field Operations Building, located at 1530 Bunker Lake Blvd, Andover, MN 55304. This position may be eligible for flexible work arrangements, including hybrid work, with some days working remotely and some days working in the office. Expected work hours are up to 80 hours total from October to December 2026.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

These examples are not all inclusive and are intended to be illustrative of primary responsibilities of an Anoka County Program Specialist.

• Provide additional training and guidance to the Program Specialist – Commercial Programs in completing the Solid Waste Management Charge tasks and implementation.
• Help manage the day-to-day operations of Anoka County’s waste prevention and material reuse programming.
• Work with supervisor to ensure clean program data and evaluation of data.
• Lead efforts to develop and implement new strategic solutions waste prevention and material reuse programming in the County.
• Monitor and ensure compliance with waste prevention and material reuse related rules and regulations on behalf of the County.
• Assist with developing and monitoring the waste prevention and material reuse programming budget.
• Work with the county partners, residents, and the commercial sector within Anoka County to systematically prevent waste from being generated and reuse product and materials wherever possible before resorting to recycling or disposal as trash.
• Provide technical assistance as it relates waste prevention, and material reuse opportunities.
• Gather program data from internal and external sources and maintain databases to ensure accuracy and integrity of data.
• Apply strategies to identify patterns, trends, and anomalies of program data.
• Create reports and charts to communicate findings of data trends to leadership.
• Collaborate with program specialists to identify data collection opportunities.

Qualifications and Requirements

Minimum Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in environmental protection, sustainability, science, planning, public administration, business administration, or related field.
• Two years (2,080 annual hours) of job-related experience in solid waste management, recycling, or waste prevention.
• Proficiency with data management tools (e.g. Excel and Access).
• Strong ability to interpret data, identify trends, and recommend actionable insights for program improvement.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and vehicle available for business use.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Needed

Ten or more years of full-time (2,080 annual hours) job-related experience in project planning.Ten or more years of full-time (2,080 annual hours) job-related experience in data collection and data management.Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities needed: Knowledge of waste prevention, reuse, recycling, and general solid waste management. Ability to quickly resolve problematic situations as they arise. Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously. Knowledge of local, state, and federal solid waste statutes, rules, and regulations. Skill in effective communication, both written and oral.

Physical Demands and Work Conditions

Standard office environment, travel to various county work sites and meetings as needed. Vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus, such as to work on computers. Ability to see colors, shades and brightness. Hearing abilities required for general and phone communication, signals, and machine sounds. Assignments are sedentary, occasionally alternating between sitting, standing, walking, crouching, and kneeling as required to perform job responsibilities. Frequent wrist and finger manipulation to complete computer work Occasional lifting of 10-20 lbs. Equipment used includes computers, phones, and standard office equipment. Travel between work sites may require driving a county vehicle and/or a personal vehicle. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.

Selection Process

It is important that your application show all the relevant education and experience you possess. This information will determine which candidates will proceed in the selection process. A submitted application is also used to verify the answers to any supplemental questions.

Pre-employment Requirements

Anoka County has determined that successfully passing a pre-employment criminal/driving background check, drug screen and DOT physical, and/or other qualifications checks may be necessary for certain positions. Applicants may be required to sign an informed consent form allowing the County to obtain to conduct such screenings and/or verify their qualifications in connection with the position sought. Applicants who do not sign the informed consent form will not be further considered for the position.

About Anoka County

As the fourth largest county in Minnesota, Anoka County thrives because of the diversity, dedication, determination, and innovation of our employees. United by our mission- Commitment to Excellence: Through collaborative efforts, we seek to improve lives and serve with care, integrity, and professionalism- we offer a wide range of career opportunities for people with a variety of personalities, abilities, knowledge, and life experiences. Together, we work toward a single purpose of serving Anoka County’s 369,000 citizens in a respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner.

Commitment to…

If you require accommodations or have any other questions regarding this job posting, please call the Anoka County Human Resources Department at 763-324-4300 and reference the posting title and number. If you have questions about the hiring process, please visit: https://www.anokacountymn.gov/4411/Application-Process Anoka County is an Equal Opportunity Employer, please see our EEO policy: https://www.anokacounty.us/401/Diversity-EEO Our team of over 2,000 employees is united by a common mission to preserve the public's trust. We do this by bringing our very best to work every day and serving Anoka County's citizens in a respectful, innovative and fiscally responsible manner. Anoka County is committed to the principles of our affirmative Action Plan and Equal Employment Opportunity. It is the policy of Anoka County to recruit, hire, train, and promote persons in all job titles, without regard to race, color, creed, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, marital status, genetic information, status with regard to public assistance, physical ability, sexual orientation, or age except where such status is a bona fide occupational qualification. It is the policy of Anoka County to make employment decisions in a manner that will further our affirmative Action Plan and Equal Employment Opportunity.