PRINCIPAL AIR QUALITY ENGINEER

Join an agency committed to creating a healthy breathing environment for every Bay Area resident while protecting and improving public health, air quality, and the global climate!

The Bay Area Air District (Air District) is a regional government agency, committed to achieving clean air to protect the public's health and the environment. The Air District accomplishes this goal through regulation of industrial facilities and various outreach and incentive programs designed to encourage clean air choices.

The Air District's jurisdiction encompasses all of seven counties - Alameda, Contra Costa, Marin, San Francisco, San Mateo, Santa Clara and Napa, and portions of two others - southwestern Solano and southern Sonoma.

The Air District is currently accepting applications for the position of Principal Air Quality Engineer in the Engineering Division. This is an open recruitment for one (1) vacancy which is a full-time, represented position.

About the Position

The Engineering Division evaluates permit applications and reviews permit renewals for equipment and operations that emit air pollutants in the Air District's jurisdiction. The division provides technical support to other agency programs and assists businesses, trade associations, agencies, environmental groups, and community members with issues related to permitting and compliance. The division is responsible for implementing the Air District's Facility Risk Reduction Program that focuses on reducing health risks to the community from existing facilities or sources.

Beyond specific permitting work, some of the important programs and projects in which the Engineering Division are actively engaged include but are not limited to:

• Dispersion modeling and health risk assessments for toxic emissions
• Verification of emissions inventories
• Database development and data management
• Development of new regulations or amendments of existing regulations
• Strategic planning of division programs

The Principal Air Quality Engineer for the Engineering Division may perform other complex and highly specialized air quality engineering work such as, but not limited to:

• Processing permit applications for complex facilities
• Analyzing air emissions and other metadata
• Evaluating program effectiveness
• Providing project leadership

This role also involves peer review, staff mentoring, and training. The incumbent may lead or contribute to sensitive, high-profile projects and deliver technical presentations to the Board of Directors, public, industry, and partner agencies. The Principal Air Quality Engineer also represents the Air District in multi-agency working groups.

Air District Toxic Air Contaminant Control Programs

The Air District's Toxic Air Contaminant Control (TAC) Programs are designed to identify, assess, and reduce public exposure to toxic air contaminants-pollutants known to cause or contribute to adverse health effects, including cancer and other serious illnesses. The programs integrate federal, state, and local regulations to:

• Monitor and evaluate TAC emissions from permitted facilities through annual emissions inventories and health risk assessments
• Implement the Air Toxics New Source Review (NSR) program, requiring preconstruction review and risk assessment for new or modified sources of TACs.
• Operate Facility Risk Reduction Programs, targeting existing facilities to identify, assess, and reduce health risks, especially in communities with disproportionate air quality impacts.
• Engage with community stakeholders and provide transparent access to emissions data and health risk information through annual reports and online tools.

These efforts have led to significant reductions in health risks from toxic air contaminants across the Bay Area.

DEFINITION

Under direction, performs the most complex and highly specialized level of assigned air quality engineering activities and may supervise staff of a project basis or lead project teams; performs related work as assigned.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This class provides highly specialized professional air quality engineering services in support of the District's goals and objectives. Incumbents are responsible for complex and sensitive engineering activities for the District, and provides project leadership for developing programs. This class is distinguished from Supervising Air Quality Engineer in that the latter supervises assigned staff on a continuing basis and conducts performance appraisals.

Review and participate in toxic screening and assessments, development of emission factors complex facilities.

Provide lead direction and work review to professional, technical and support staff, prioritizes and follows up on work assignments to ensure timely completion.

Represent the District in meetings with the public, industry and other agencies.

Researches and develops new and revised rules and procedures for regulation of air quality; determines emissions and potential emission reductions and cost of controls; establishes control level and technology; writes proposed regulation; prepares technical assessment reports and conducts workshops; makes public presentations.

Coordinates the District's response to public and industry inquiries regarding regulation interpretation, permit preparation, various compliance measures and emission calculation methods in person, by telephone and in writing.

Participate in the preparation of the goals and objectives of the assigned section.

Participate and supervise staff's review of permit application and recommends permit issuance or denial.

Recommends and implements regulatory changes and systems development to comply with the Federal permitting program.

Participate in the preparation of the budget of the assigned section.

Participate and review staff's handling of Hearing Board matters involving variances, Order of Abatement and public nuisances.
Testifies as expert witness before the Hearing Board.

Conduct technical seminars for industry and other agencies.

Education and Experience:

A typical way to obtain the knowledge and skills is:

Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university with major course work in environmental, chemical, mechanical or petroleum engineering or a closely related field and four years of air quality environmental engineering experience.

Other Requirements:

Must possess a valid California Professional Engineering license

Or

equivalent to a Master's Degree from an accredited college or university with major course work in environmental, chemical, mechanical or petroleum engineering or a closely related field and four years of air quality environmental engineering experience.

Interested individuals must submit a completed BAAQMD application and responses to the supplemental questions no later than 5:00 p.m. on Wednesday, June 18, 2025. Applications are accepted online only. Please visit our website at www.baaqmd.gov/jobs to apply or to download an application. Resumes must be included, and not in lieu of the required application materials. Postmarks, faxes, and E-mailed applications will not be accepted.

Except as requested in this announcement, do not include any additional documents, such as letters of recommendation, performance evaluations, work samples, etc. They will not be considered or returned.

Supplemental Questions Instructions
Individuals who apply for this position must respond to each of the supplemental questions. The responses to the supplemental application questions will be used in accordance with the procedures indicated under the Selection Criteria in the vacancy announcement. Your responses should be as detailed as possible.

Instructions:
* Please limit your responses to one page per question.
* Do not combine your responses, or reference your application, resume, or any other requested documentation that you have included with your application packet to answer a question.
* For each question regarding experience, you must provide: the name of the employer where you gained your experience, your job title, length of time in years/months performing the specific function, and detailed examples that illustrate your duties and responsibilities.