DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Address: 1110 W. Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007
Mission Partners Division 

Salary: 

Level 3 $65K-$70K 

Level 4 $80K-$85K

Grade: 22, 24

Closing Date: Open until filled 

The Environmental Legislative Specialist position will support the Chief Legislative Liaison in developing the Department’s annual legislative agenda, developing and implementing audience-specific policy and advocacy strategies to further Department legislative objectives, and guiding and directing the development and implementation of new methods to determine environmental risk potential related to legislation. The ideal candidate will have professional experience navigating the Arizona legislative process and educating legislators on behalf of the Director through continual interactions with the Governor’s office, members of the Senate and House, their staff, and other external stakeholders.

This position may be available for remote work within Arizona (1-2 days per week in the office/hoteling).

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

• Assists the Chief Legislative Liaison with regular briefings to the Director and the Executive Leadership Team to provide insight on the political environment in terms of impact on the Agency's mission, programs, and budget.
• Helps prepare testimony and testifies at legislative committee meetings, subcommittees, and interim study committees, providing the agency's stance on legislation and providing necessary background and historical information to legislators.
• Analyzes existing federal and state laws to assist in determining their impact on the agency and makes recommendations for changes in state laws.
• Prepares and coordinates responses with agency officials to constituent requests from and on behalf of legislators and legislative staff and provides information to and facilitates interaction with agency stakeholders.
• Helps to effectively communicate complex technical and legal information to a broad variety of stakeholders in support of Department priorities and initiatives.
• Drafts legislation and amendments and assist the Chief Legislative Liaison in arranging its introduction to the House and Senate.
• Helps develop substantive reports based on regular monitoring, researching, and analysis of laws and legislative activity in and out of the legislative session.
• Helps to communicate information about the Office of Legislative Affairs and its activities internally to environmental program staff.

• Knowledge of State and Federal environmental regulations, environmental sciences and research, sources of pollution, best practices for preventing the release of pollutants, environmental research, investigation techniques and statistical analysis, Agency policies and processes
• Ability to understand and apply environmental rules and statues
• Strong written and verbal communication skills

• Bachelor’s degree in Public policy, JD, Law, Legal Studies, Environmental Management/Science or Sustainability, Hydrology, or Geology
• Level 3; 5 years’ experience
• Level 4; 8 years' experience 
• Level 3 and 4; a Masters’ degree in related field may substitute for 2 years’ experience, Doctorate 4 years’ experience and an Environmental Professional in Training Certification through the Institute of Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (IPEP.org) or the ability to obtain certification within 1-year of hire.
  

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Among the many benefits of a career with the State of Arizona, there are:
· 10 paid holidays per year
· Accrual of sick and annual leave beginning at 12 and 13 days per year respectively for full-time employees
· Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
· A top-ranked retirement program with lifetime pension benefits
· A robust and affordable insurance plan to include medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability
· An incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program
· We promote the importance of work/life balance by offering workplace flexibility
· We offer a variety of learning and career development opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave pilot program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

ASRS Lifetime Benefits

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting HPO@azdeq.gov.
Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.