The Vermont Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking applications for two (2) Environmental Analyst V positions to work in its Environmental Assistance Office, a program that focuses on proactively working with the public to prevent environmental violations through effective outreach and engagement with individuals and communities. While both positions focus on providing outreach and assistance to Vermonters, each position has special focus areas.
Accessible Assistance focus: This position will be heavily focused on working with individuals or communities who have been overburdened to help maintain compliance with Vermont’s environmental rules and regulations. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
– Collaborate and coordinate with enforcement and media program staff to identify individuals or specific groups who require assistance with environmental violations and don’t have the capacity to address the task at hand.
– Coordinate with staff within and outside of VTDEC to explore, apply for, secure, and distribute funding targeted towards providing financial assistance to financially overburdened communities and individuals to correct and remedy environmental violations.
– Working with potential new applicants to environmental assistance resources to provide proactive environmental compliance support through a variety of means (active work through Permit Navigator, one on one meetings / phone calls, application assistance, guidance for technical assistance / contracting, etc.)
– As a proactive compliance assistance strategy, facilitate conversations and trainings with agencies, communities, other programs, etc. to develop and implement strategies that benefit communities and individuals who typically have not had access to assistance services (e.g. supplemental environmental projects, grant opportunities, etc.)
– Working with external agencies and partners to connect communities and individuals with the services and resources they may need to come into compliance with environmental rules and regulations (i.e. ACCD, AHS, Center for Whole Communities, VLCT, etc.)
Outreach Assistance focus: This position will be heavily focused on increasing and promoting environmental outreach to the public on environmental rules, regulations, and best management practices. Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
– Collaborating and coordinating with other environmental staff to develop media content and an annual calendar for communicating strategic environmental outreach messages.
– Maintaining and facilitating review of a portfolio of recurring media content that can be updated on a regular basis and released to accomplish outreach objectives.
– Soliciting and facilitating media inquiries on outreach content to reach a broader audience.
– Creating, linking to, responding to, and facilitating media content focused on key environmental assistance / compliance topics on department social media channels.
See the job posting for more details.
The Environmental Assistance Office is currently reorganizing to include an Accessible Assistance Section to focus on working with individuals or communities who have been overburdened to help maintain compliance with Vermont's environmental rules and regulations.
Our Department (Department of Environmental Conservation) has an Environmental Justice (EJ) Team that is working on drafting an EJ policy, improving language access resources, and engaging communities.
Our Agency (Agency of Natural Resources) has a Diversity and Equity Committee that is focusing on weaving these principles into our work. We also recently hired a Civil Rights, Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Environmental Justice Coordinator to further implement these principles.