Rural Development Specialist – Environmental (Agua4All)

Organization

Founded in 1978, RCAC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides training, technical and financial resources and advocacy so low-income rural communities can achieve their goals and visions. For more than 40 years, our dedicated staff and active board, motivated by our core values: leadership, collaboration, commitment, quality and integrity, have helped effect positive change in rural communities across the West.

Community and Environment Department

RCAC’s comprehensive community and environmental services support rural communities to create a vision, set goals and implement an action plan for community development projects. We work with rural water, wastewater, and solid waste systems to make them sustainable. We work with the volunteer boards of directors and staff of the small systems to make sure they comply with state and federal regulations and understand the finances and operations of the systems. Outcomes of RCAC’s work include system regulatory compliance; access of resources for capital improvement projects; and capacity building of boards and staff on technical, financial, and managerial best practices.

Position Description

The Rural Development Specialist (RDS) provides technical assistance to small, disadvantaged community water, wastewater and solid waste systems so that they can operate sustainably and deliver quality services their communities. This position will focus primarily on providing assistance to school districts enrolled in the Agua4All, Drinking Water for Schools and Bottled Water for Schools programs. The RDS may also work closely with rural residents and local leaders to assist them in the development and management of water, wastewater, or solid waste systems. The RDS also prepares and delivers classroom, virtual and one-on-one trainings as needed to build the capacity of local partners.

Specific job goals, objectives and tasks are established for each employee as part of the annual evaluation process. Duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Assess local partner needs, then recommend and implement solutions
• Build technical, managerial, and/or financial capacity
• Access financial resources to address local needs
• Promote and facilitate partnerships to maximize limited resources
• Develop, prepare, and deliver group and one-on-one trainings, in person and online to adults and school-aged students
• Provide excellent customer service
• Prepare activity and outcome reports as required
• Perform other duties as assigned

Skills and Qualifications

• Ability to manage technical aspects of field work related to water and/or wastewater
• Facilitation, mediation, and meeting management skills
• Familiarity with rural and tribal community dynamics
• Ability to troubleshoot, innovate, and problem-solve
• Proficiency with personal computers including Microsoft Office
• Familiarity with online training platforms preferred (Zoom, GoToTraining)
• Ability to complete administrative and reporting requirements related to work responsibilities in a timely manner
• Ability to listen effectively and communicate, verbally and in writing
• Ability to work with minimum supervision and handle multiple priorities simultaneously
• Ability to work independently as well as in team environments

Physical Job Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position.  Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable persons with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Work performed in an office requires ability to operate computers and various pieces of office equipment, including telephone. Use may be moderate (average 2 hours per day) to heavy (4 or more hours per day)

While performing the duties of this position, the employee is frequently required to stand and/or sit for prolonged periods of time; walk; talk; hear; use hand to finger; handle; feel or operate objects, tools or controls; and reach with hands and arms.  The employee is occasionally required to climb or balance; stoop, kneel, crouch or crawl.

The employee may occasionally lift and or move up to 25 pounds.  Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus.

This position also requires moderate (up to 2 days per month) to heavy (up to 10 days per month) automobile and airline travel, including overnight travel.

Preferred Education and Experience:

A combination of experience and education is required to qualify for the position. A typical qualifying combination would be:

Experience:

Three years of applicable experience in water, wastewater, environmental project management, project management with rural communities or schools, or other closely related field (if a higher level of related education is possessed than is required, this education may be substituted for the experience requirement up to a maximum of one year). Experience in training, facilitating and mediating community programs/projects is highly desirable.

Education:

Bachelor’s degree (additional qualifying experience may be substituted for the required education).

Certifications:

CA SWRCB Drinking Water Treatment and/or Distribution operator certification is preferred

CA SWRCB Wastewater Operator Certification is preferred

Other state DW/WW certifications are acceptable

"RCAC employees are federally mandated to be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment, subject to reasonable accommodation as required by law."

https://www.rcac.org/careers/