Deputy Director, Division of Scientific Programs

Job Description And Duties

The Division of Scientific Programs within the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) analyzes scientific and public health information to assess chemical hazards and risks, perform other scientific evaluations, and develop scientific tools and guidance for use by various regulatory programs under the California Environmental Protection Agency, and other state and local agencies. The Division provides these programs with the scientific tools and evaluations upon which to base risk management decisions. They include analyses to address risks to children and other sensitive and vulnerable subpopulations, and cover exposure to chemicals in air, water, food (particularly fish and shellfish) and consumer products as well as site-specific evaluations. The Division also evaluates pollution burdens and vulnerabilities in California communities, identifies the impacts of climate change in California, assesses the benefits and impacts of the state’s climate-change programs on disadvantaged communities and is also leading the development of an extreme heat ranking system.

Under general direction of the Chief Deputy Director, Executive Office, the Deputy Director directs the activities of the Division of Scientific Programs and its four branches: Air and Site Assessment and Climate Indicators; Community and Environmental Epidemiology Research; Pesticide and Environmental Toxicology; and Reproductive and Cancer Hazard Assessment. The Deputy Director also oversees the duties of the Assistant Deputy Director for Scientific Programs. The incumbent serves as a member of the Director’s executive staff and as the primary advisor to the Director on scientific issues and policies utilized by OEHHA.

Job Type:

Career Executive Assignment - Non Tenured, Full Time

This position may be located either at 1001 I Street, Sacramento, or at 1515 Clay Street, Oakland, California.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Possession of a Doctoral degree in Toxicology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Environmental Sciences or closely-related field; or both an MD or DVM doctorate and a master’s degree (e.g., masters of public health) or extended graduate level training in the disciplines mentioned above or closely-related field.
• Experience managing a scientific program at the level of a Supervising Toxicologist or Environmental Program Manager II, or higher, or the equivalent. (Experience may have been paid or volunteer; in State service, federal service or other government settings, or in a private organization.)
• Experience in assessing or managing programs that assess health risks, including risks to children and other sensitive subpopulations, from exposure to chemicals in air, water, soil, food, consumer products or other sources.
• Possession of significant scientific expertise in the environmental/public health fields.
• Ability to provide management guidance and leadership in planning and directing scientific projects and studies that are highly complex and broad in scope, with high sensitivity and policy impact; and to act and represent the department as its lead scientist.
• Demonstrated ability to plan, organize and direct the work of multidisciplinary professional and administrative staff, with accountability for high-quality and timely results.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and consult with staff at all levels, both orally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to prepare scientific and public health reports and papers.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively perform high-level administrative and policy-influencing functions.
• Demonstrated ability to understand trends that affect the organization and shape stakeholders’ views as well as the organization’s impact on external stakeholders.
• Broad management experience, including substantial participation in the formulation, implementation, and evaluation of program, fiscal and personnel management policies.
• Experience in establishing and maintaining effective working relationships with representatives of the Executive and Legislative branches of state government, stakeholder groups, the news media, federal and local government agencies, and the public.
• Experience as a nationally recognized leader in the area of risk assessment, public health or environmental health. Recognized contributor to the continuing effectiveness and improvement of chemical and environmental health assessments and tools.