Host: City of Richmond
Region: Bay Area
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Waste Management
Skills Needed: Project Management, Data Analysis, Communication

Service Needs & Plans

Climate change presents the City of Richmond with complex challenges and tremendous opportunities. The City is committed to creating a healthy, equitable community for all of its residents. The Richmond Climate Action Plan (CAP) is a multi-objective plan that addresses environmental, social and economic issues related to climate change. The CAP builds on the goals and policies in the City’s General Plan and the Health in All Policies Strategy (HiAP) to further the City’s efforts to build health equity through the reduction of local GHG emissions, and to simultaneously ensure that the community is well prepared for the impacts of climate change. It elevates health equity priorities in the selection of climate action measures, building on the City’s existing policy framework to support a healthy, vibrant, and equitable City.

The Fellows will assist in the implementation of the CAP and state laws through the development and implementation of the City’s clean air, open data initiative, low-income solar, and zero-waste programs. The goals of this project will be to increase automation of the city’s open data portal to report implementation progress of the CAP on items such as the energy efficiency rebate and increased solid waste diversion. The Fellows’ support will help increase capacity to implement the climate action plan and streamline the reporting process.

Project Description

The City of Richmond and its community have always focused on Environmental Health and Health Equity. The CivicSpark Fellows would be supervised by staff in the Environmental and Health Initiatives Division which is located in the City Manager’s Office, Economic Development Development Department. The principal focus for the Fellows is the implementation of the Climate Action Plan through the development and implementation of the City’s clean air, open data initiative, low-income solar, and zero-waste programs. This position will engage with the public and decision-makers.

Desired Skills

The ideal Fellows will be self-driven and excited about how automation and excellent data management can drive organizational results, as well as have great communication skills and experience and interest in working with diverse populations. They should also have knowledge of public policy and smart governance, climate change, community resilience, and adaptation strategies. Some preferred, but not required, qualities and experiences include: the ability to draft and edit technical reports, strong math background with experience and coursework in statistics, graphic design and understanding of how to clearly present and communicate information, and experience or a strong interest in working with Excel, SQL, Python, GIS, or Google Earth Engine.

Organization & Community Highlights

The City of Richmond is home to diverse neighborhoods, intermodal transit hubs, pristine marinas, shopping, recreational and cultural amenities, and 32 miles of trail-lined shoreline. This all contributes to making Richmond among the most desirable up-and-coming communities in California.

The City’s approach to professional development is to help Fellows achieve their goals over the service term by encouraging Fellows to attend conferences, regional meetings, training, and help connect fellows to informational interviews. The Environmental Initiatives Division practices radical candor and strive to be good mentors, challenge each other, and discuss ideas openly and freely. The City of Richmond is the only city in the CivicSpark program to have had three members stay for two program years as Senior CivicSpark Fellows.

Remote or On-Site Placement

At this time we can accommodate 1 or 2 days serving remote if needed.