EXECUTIVE I (Environmental Justice Program Coordinator)

Job Overview

The Illinois Environmental Protection Agency (IEPA) is seeking a Spanish-speaking Environmental Justice (EJ) Program Coordinator to join our team in Chicago. This role plays a vital part in strengthening community engagement by serving as a bridge between IEPA’s technical programs and residents in areas of environmental justice concern. The coordinator will help expand public participation, improve language access, and support meaningful community involvement in environmental decision-making. The position also leads efforts to develop and promote Supplemental Environmental Projects (SEPs), which allow regulated entities to invest in community-benefiting projects when resolving enforcement actions. Ideal candidates will bring experience in environmental justice, social justice, or community-focused work, along with familiarity in environmental compliance or enforcement activities.

The benefits of working at the IEPA include a 37 ½ hour work week, a generous salary and benefits package (paid time off for vacation, sick or personal leave, holidays) pension and other retirement benefits, tuition reimbursement, and insurance eligibility on day one (medical, dental, vision, and life). We invite all qualified candidates to apply.

Essential Functions

• Under direction, serves as the Program Coordinator for the Office of Environmental Justice's (OEJ) policy
  implementation function, organizes, plans, executes, controls, and evaluates implementation of the Illinois
  Environmental Justice (EJ) Enforcement Strategy, Enhanced Public Participation Plan, and other Agency EJ policies
  and initiatives to align program operations on an intra-agency basis.
• Implements, plans, and evaluates the Illinois EPA Language Access Plan, including Spanish translation and
  interpretation of non‑confidential, publicly available information.
• Organizes, plans, and administers the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency’s Supplemental Environmental
  Projects (SEP) program.
• Plans, organizes, and administers operational functions, on behalf of the EJ Officer, for the Illinois Commission on
  Environmental Justice (EJ Commission).
• Performs other duties as required or assigned which are reasonably within the scope of the duties enumerated
  above.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires knowledge, skill and mental development equivalent to completion of four years of college, preferably with
  coursework in business or public administration.   
•  Requires one year of responsible administrative experience in a public or business organization, or completion of an
  agency approved professional management training program.   
•  Requires proficiency in translating written documents from English to Spanish and Spanish to English.   
•  Requires proficiency in verbal interpretation between Spanish to English and English to Spanish.     
•  Requires written and verbal fluency in the Spanish language (Option SS).

Preferred Qualifications (In Order of Significance)

• Prefers at least one year of experience working with environmental justice programs, community engagement initiatives, or
  public-facing environmental programs.
• Prefers at least one year of experience responding to public inquiries related to environmental, community, or regulatory
  issues.
• Prefers at least one year of experience cultivating and maintaining cooperative working relationships with community
  groups, advocacy organizations, regulated entities, or governmental partners.
• Prefers at least one year of experience developing, monitoring, or evaluating program goals, performance metrics, or
  compliance activities.
• Prefers experience developing, maintaining, or using mapping or data tracking tools for environmental, community, or
  regulatory programs.
• Prefers experience implementing or supporting language access initiatives or working with communities whose preferred
  language is Spanish.
• Prefers experience developing and delivering presentations to diverse audiences, including community groups, industry
  representatives, advocacy groups, or governmental agencies.
• Prefers experience developing or managing programs, including creating program materials, forms, case studies, or
  guidance documents.
• Prefers experience with environmental governance and regulatory structures at the state and federal level.

Specialized Skills (Used for certain BU Employees only)

• Requires at least one year of work experience with environmental justice programs, community engagement initiatives, or
  public-facing environmental programs.
• Requires at least one year of experience responding to public inquiries related to environmental, community, or regulatory
  issues.
• Requires at least one year of experience cultivating and maintaining cooperative working relationships with community
  groups, advocacy organizations, regulated entities, or governmental partners.
• Requires at least one year of experience developing, monitoring, or evaluating program goals, performance metrics, or
  compliance activities.

Conditions of Employment

• Requires a current and valid driver’s license.
• Requires the ability to travel.
• Requires the ability to pass a name-based background check.
• Certain provisions of the revolving door restrictions contained in 5 ILCS 430/5-45 apply to this position. As a result, the
  employee should be aware that if offered non-State employment during state employment or within one year immediately
  after ending State employment, the employee shall, prior to accepting any such non-State employment offer, notify the Office
  of the Executive Inspector General for the Agencies of the Illinois Governor (OEIG) or may be subject to a fine.

*The conditions of employment listed here are incorporated and related to any of the job duties as listed in the job
description.