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Position Summary
The Waste Policy manager serves the Sustainable Materials and Waste program within the Bureau of Planning and Sustainability (BPS). This position will lead the policy team in developing and evaluating waste and materials-related policies and programs to continually improve Portland’s waste collection system and achieve our equitable and sustainable materials management goals. The incumbent will be responsible for City policies, code, franchise agreements, and administrative rules that govern collection and materials management. The position will also engage in local and state-level legislation and create partnerships with local, regional, and state level partners. This position will report to the Solid Waste and Recycling Manager, alongside operations and engagement managers.

The Waste Policy Manager is a unique leadership opportunity to build on Portland’s history of innovative approaches to sustainable and equitable materials management, collection systems and waste reduction.

This role will lead the policy team to:
• Promote environmental, economic, and social sustainability of Portland’s systems of garbage, recycling and compost collection and waste reduction efforts.
• Improve the delivery of high-quality garbage, recyclable and compostable material collection to all Portland residents and businesses.
• Advance the city’s leadership in waste reduction and sustainable materials management.

• Fulfill Oregon’s 2050 Vision for Materials Management (Download PDF reader), policy commitments in the 2030 Regional Waste Plan, and the city’s climate goals.
• Periodically review the city’s franchised and unfranchised collection systems.

Essential responsibilities of this role include:
• Supervising Staff: Supervise the work of four staff who carry out duties within the policy team, investing in their success and professional development through coaching and creating individual workplans.
• Developing and Evaluating Policy: Alongside the Solid Waste & Recycling Manager and the policy team, lead the development and updating of city policy pertaining to waste reduction, garbage, recycling, and composting, including but not limited to code and administrative rule, in alignment with afore-mentioned goals and guidance. Provide input into local, regional, and state level policy and administrative rules.
• Managing and Overseeing Projects: Policy development will require project management, establishing multiple complementary scopes, developing and assigning work, advising on project schedules, and advising and coordinating among staff tasked with day-to-day project management.
• Evaluating Programs: Refine the success of Portland's residential, commercial, and multifamily recovery and waste reduction programs by developing evaluation methodology, reviewing, and analyzing data, synthesizing and presenting results.
• Managing Budget and Contracts: Manage the development and implementation of contracts that support policy work, including data collection or community engagement; maintain responsibility for the team’s budget.
• Applying Equitable and Inclusive Approaches within our team and policy development processes, projects and procedures.
• Engaging and supporting staff engagement, internally and in our community on policy development and evaluation projects, supporting communication and public awareness efforts led by colleagues.

As a candidate, you are:
• A supportive leader: Able to lead and mentor staff and create and maintain an inclusive, respectful, and culturally responsive workplace.
• Collaborative: Values partnership. Develops and supports relationships to get things done. Able to build strong relationships with community organizations, residents, businesses, industry organizations, work groups, and crossdisciplinary teams.
• Solutions oriented: Uses strong communication skills to work with a variety of internal and external stakeholders to create, implement, and document solutions.
• Committed to diversity, equity and inclusion: Use equity and inclusion concepts to guide and inform our work and its outcomes. Embraces the workforce development and equity-advancing dimensions of waste policy and sustainable materials management.
• Emotionally intelligent: Motivated, passionate, team-oriented, and empathetic. Has strong interpersonal skills.
• Insightful: Understands systems and relationships, sensitive to varied and sometimes conflicting needs. Able to strategize, define and test approaches and resolve complex issues without perfect information, and to direct foundational research.

Apply at: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/portlandor/jobs/4275096/waste-policy-manager-coordinator-iv

To Qualify
The following minimum qualifications are required for this position:
1. Experience communicating effectively with diverse audiences verbally and in writing, including having the ability to actively listen, communicate on complex technical topics, and lead open and inclusive discussions and decisionmaking processes.
2. Experience planning and administering programs and projects, including tracking budgets, managing contracts, and ensuring compliance with requirements.
3. Ability to provide staff guidance, support, supervision and hold team accountable for deadlines and deliverables.
4. Ability to analyze complex policy issues and use technical studies, research, data analysis, and stakeholder
engagement to evaluate alternatives and recommend effective courses of action.
5. Ability to collaborate and co-create with stakeholder communities of color and people traditionally underrepresented in local decision-making; facilitate inclusive participation in programs and activities.
6. Experience utilizing project management and general office software, including Microsoft Suite, to manage data, create complex documents and develop engaging presentations.