Recycling Program Specialist III

Recycling Program Specialist III

Salary

$106,175.16 - $130,362.00 Annually

Location

Oakland, CA

Job Type

Full Time Civil Service

Job Number

26-PP141-10

Department

Oakland Public Works Department

Opening Date

10/19/2026

Closing Date

11/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

FLSA

Non-Exempt

Bargaining Unit

UM2

• Description
• Benefits
• Questions

The Position

The City of Oakland is an equal opportunity employer that values workforce diversity, inclusion, and equity. Oakland has a long history of activism around issues of justice and equity. Both oppression and this resistance to oppression have shaped the city's historical roots and the lives of its residents to this day. As public servants in one of the most diverse cities in the nation, we strive to develop employees who understand the harm and impacts of systemic inequity to create lasting, meaningful outcomes for everyone. Oakland strives to establish an environment that embraces the richness of culture, community, and individualism of employees.

Why join the City of Oakland Public Works, Environmental Services Division (ESD)?

The Environmental Services Division (ESD) within Oakland Public Works is made up of a group of enthusiastic environmental professionals dedicated to promoting solid waste recycling and composting programs; reducing blight through illegal dumping eradication and related enforcement efforts; supporting environmental stewardship with volunteers; providing environmental investigation and remediation services for City-owned land; and ensuring environmental regulatory compliance by City facilities and assets. We accomplish these through active public outreach, stakeholder engagement, logistical support, and enforcement.

The City of Oakland is currently recruiting for two (2) Recycling Program Specialist IIIs. The ideal candidate is a highly skilled and experienced individual who can direct, plan, and implement a variety of solid waste and blight reduction, and recycling programs for Oakland including residences, businesses, City offices, and facilities.

We are looking for someone who is:

• A self-driven team leader. You will need to take initiative, have the ability to work in a fast-paced environment, and have a strong desire to work in public service.
• A critical thinker. You will collect and use facts, data, and evidence in choosing and recommending courses of action.
• A difference maker. You will have the opportunity to develop and shape innovative recycling programs, procedures, and related outreach initiatives to promote recycling and solid waste/blight reduction.
• Organized and results-driven. You will need to balance multiple assignments and priorities in a dynamic environment. Attention to detail is a must to ensure timely delivery of products responsive to specific needs.
• An influencer for performance. You will need to set clear, challenging, and attainable goals, and support others in stretching and expanding their capabilities.
• A passionate and effective communicator and relationship builder. You will play an important role in interfacing with various City work groups, outside agencies, and community-based organizations, and promote recycling programs to City staff and the public. With this, you will get to establish meaningful professional relationships and communicate with a variety of audiences.

What you will typically be responsible for:

• Overseeing personnel and operations of recycling and environmental enforcement programs.
• Assessing, recommending, developing, and implementing solid waste reduction and recycling, and illegal dumping enforcement and reduction related programs and policies.
• Supporting the procurement and administration of Oakland's franchise agreements for solid waste collection, recycling, and composting, and management of construction and demolition debris.
• Overseeing the procurement and administration of contracts for consulting, community outreach, and other technical services, including writing contract specifications, issuing requests for proposals, accepting and evaluating proposals, awarding contracts, and planning, organizing, directing, and evaluating work products.
• Developing and managing programs for public/staff outreach to promote recycling, waste reduction, and illegal dumping prevention policies and programs, and for investigating and enforcing against violations.
• Overseeing the identification of, application for, and administration of grants.
• Preparing technical or City Council reports and legislation.
• Staffing citizen advisory bodies, committees, and commissions, and attending meetings of community organizations, City Council, and other groups relating to program implementation.

Read the complete job description by clicking this City of Oakland Recycling Program Specialist III Class Specification

• Click on the link below to see a video on what its like to work for the City of Oakland!

Working for the City of Oakland

A few reasons you might love this job:

• You will work on a wide variety of cutting-edge recycling/waste reduction and environmental enforcement programs
• Your work will have a direct impact on creating a cleaner, safer, and healthier Oakland through policy, environmental enforcement, and waste prevention in a community with a rich and dynamic history.
• You will be a part of a passionate, fun, and diverse group of environmental professionals
• You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other environmental disciplines such as environmental stewardship/volunteer programs, climate action planning, stormwater, keep Oakland clean and beautiful and environmental protection and compliance.

A few challenges you might face in this job:

• You will need to deliver services quickly while balancing priorities and will navigate City bureaucracy to coordinate with other work groups to implement programs.
• You will have to navigate complex rules, regulations, and policies that govern Oakland's diverse portfolio of solid waste reduction, recycling, and enforcement programs.
• You will have less resources than ideas to complete your goals.

Competencies Required:

• Displaying Ownership and Accountability: Holding self and others accountable for measurable high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results
• Professional & Technical Expertise: Applying technical subject matter to the job
• Innovative Problem Solving: Identifying and analyzing problems in order to propose new and better ways of doing things
• Project Management: Ensuring that projects are on-time, on-budget, and achieve their objectives
• Action & Results Focused (Taking Initiative): Initiating tasks and focusing on accomplishment
• Writing: Communicating effectively in writing
• Oral Communication: Engaging effectively in dialogue
• Fact Finding: Obtaining facts and data pertaining to an issue or question
• Critical Thinking: Analytically and logically evaluating information, propositions, and claims
• Legal & Regulatory Navigation: Understanding, interpreting, and ensuring compliance with laws and regulations
• Managing Performance: Ensuring superior individual and group performance
• Design Sense: Creating work products that are functional, intuitive, and aesthetically pleasing

Minimum Requirements for Application

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process.

This is a public contact position. The City highly encourages all bilingual candidates to apply! Some positions may require bilingual skills in Spanish, Cantonese, or Mandarin. Under the authority of Civil Service Rules Section 5.03, if a position requires bilingual language skills, only those candidates who have indicated they are bilingual in the required language(s) will be referred. Bilingual candidates will be required to successfully pass a language proficiency test if selected for hire.

Any combination of education and experience that is equivalent to the following minimum qualifications may be acceptable.

Education: A Bachelors degree with a major in environmental science/studies, waste management, public or business administration or a related field. (A degree in a field other than those listed or a related field will be reviewed for consideration as a substitution for the qualifying educational background. Related experience may also be considered for substitution.)

Experience: Four (4) years of progressively responsible experience in planning, organizing, developing, and implementing recycling and waste management programs and/or environmental related programs and projects. Previous lead or supervisory experience is highly desirable.

Supplemental Information

The Recruitment Process:

The City of Oakland works with a Civil Service system. Applicants apply online, and HR staff reviews their experience, education, and training listed on the application against the "minimum qualifications" listed for each position.

Candidates who demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements are then invited to participate in an assessment process (or testing) to measure their knowledge, skills, and abilities in job-related areas.

Candidates who do not demonstrate that they meet the minimum qualification requirements will have an opportunity to request a final review. Candidates must request a final review within 5 business days of being notified that they did not meet the minimum qualifications.

In the final review, candidates may clarify information already provided on their application. No additional work history, education, or certifications will be accepted. Any decisions made during this review process will be final.

For this recruitment, all qualified applicants will be invited to the structured interview (sometimes referred to as an Oral Exam) (weighted 100%), which will be evaluated and rated by subject matter experts. The structured interview will be conducted as a one-way video interview, where you will record your responses to a set of questions. You will have 7 days from the time you receive the interview link to complete and submit your video responses. The tentative date of the structured interview is the week of November 16, 2026.

Candidates requesting reasonable accommodations for the examination process must request accommodations no later than one week before they are scheduled to take the exam; otherwise, it may not be possible to arrange accommodations for the selection process. Please complete the Request for Reasonable Accommodation in Testing form by clicking on this link or by copying and pasting the link into your browser to open it: https://cao-94612.s3.amazonaws.com/documents/Request-for-Reasonable-Accommodation-in-Testing-2.9.22-Fillable.pdf

Send the completed form and any supporting documentation to the exam analyst: Cynthia Ng at cng@oaklandca.gov.

Candidates who pass each stage in the process will be placed on an eligible list. Some candidates may receive extra points, for example, if you are a Veteran with an honorable discharge, or if you are a current City of Oakland resident. If you're applying to a "restricted" posting and you are eligible as a current City employee, you may also receive additional points for your City service. Extra points are only applied to passing scores, so if you do not pass every element of the testing process, you cannot use extra points to pass.

The City of Oakland reserves the right to modify the selection process and date of examination as necessary to conform to administrative or business necessity. The information contained in this announcement is subject to change and does not constitute either an expressed or implied contract.

What's in it for you?

• Work/Life Balance: 37.5 hour work weeks
• 15 paid holidays
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year minimum with the ability to accrue more depending on public sector years of service
• Retirement: CalPERS (California Public Employees' Retirement System) with a pension formula of 2.5% @ 55 (for Classic CalPERS members) and 2% @ 62 for new CalPERS members. Classic Employees contribute 8% of pre-tax wages. The City of Oakland does not participate in Social Security
• Health: The City of Oakland pays the full cost of employee and eligible dependent coverage at the Kaiser rate. Other plans include Anthem, Blue Shield, United Health Care, and other HMO and PPO plans
• Dental: Delta Dental full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Vision: VSP full premium for employees and eligible dependents
• Sick leave: Employees accrue 12 days per year
• Deferred Compensation: 457(b) pre-tax plan and an after-tax ROTH 401(k)plan
• Other benefits include a Flexible Spending Account, Wellness Program, Employee Assistance Program, Tuition Reimbursement, Life Insurance up to $200k & Employee Training.
• Benefits described herein do not represent a contract and may be changed without notice. Additional information can be found here: Working for Oakland | City of Oakland, CA

Applicants are required to submit criminal history information upon request after receiving a conditional offer of employment. If the requested information is not furnished in a timely manner, applicants will not qualify for further consideration and will be removed from the eligible list.

Disaster Service Workers

All employees are designated Disaster Service Workers through state and local law. Employees are required to complete all Disaster Service Worker-related training as assigned and to return to work as ordered in the event of an emergency.

How to Apply

Apply prior to the closing time of the job announcement and allow at least two to three hours to submit your application if you are a new user of the system. APPLICATIONS ARE ACCEPTED ONLINE ONLY. You may apply and view current openings by visiting our employment opportunities webpage at:

http://agency.governmentjobs.com/oaklandca

If you do not have access to a computer, there are computer stations available at any City of Oakland Public Library. There are also workstations at the Human Resources Management Department, 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza, 2nd Floor, Oakland, CA 94612. Workstations are available during regular business hours (normally 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.).

Our online application system is provided by GovernmentJobs. If you have problems while applying online, please contact GovernmentJobs Live Applicant Support at (855) 524-5627 between 6:00 AM and 5:00 PM Pacific Time, Monday - Friday. You may also call the City of Oakland Human Resources Management Department during regular business hours at (510) 238-3112 for information; however, we are unable to provide technical support for the online application system. For recruitment-specific questions, please contact Cynthia Ng, Senior Human Resources Analyst, at cng@oaklandca.gov.

The City of Oakland is committed to the wellbeing of its employees and offers comprehensive health and wellness services along with an array of other benefits for most positions. Benefits may include*:

• CalPERS Medical
• Dental
• Vision
• Medical Waiver Plan - Cash-In-Lieu
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Benefits
• Group & Supplemental Life Insurance
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Guaranteed Ride Home (GRH)
• Pension Benefits
• Deferred Compensation
• Specific benefits may vary depending on the assigned specific bargaining unit. Information regarding most benefits can be reviewed here: Employee Benefits Information Current MOUs may be reviewed here: City of Oakland Labor Agreements

01

Please be sure to answer the supplemental questions thoroughly and accurately. Applicants are responsible for clearly, completely, and accurately identifying their qualifications. Responses to the supplemental questions may determine your application status. By answering "yes" to this question, I certify that I have read and understand the statement above concerning submission of supplemental question responses.

• Yes
• No

02

This recruitment will produce two eligible lists. The restricted list will be for full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City and Port of Oakland employees who maintain employment for the duration of the recruitment and pass all stages of the recruitment process. The open list will be for all other applicants who pass all stages of the recruitment process. Are you a current full-time, permanent part-time, or part-time City of Oakland or Port of Oakland employee?

• Yes
• No

03

If you are a current City or Port of Oakland employee, what is your job title and employee ID number? If you are not a City or Port employee, type "N/A".

04

Have you previously been employed by the City of Oakland?

• Yes
• No

05

If you have previously been employed by the City of Oakland, please enter any other names used while you were employed by the City of Oakland below. If you have not been employed by the City of Oakland, type "N/A".

06

Please list other names used while employed by the City of Oakland. If you have not been employed by the City of Oakland, type "N/A".

07

Do you confirm that the address on your application matches your current residential address?

• Yes
• No

08

If the address on your application does not match your current residential address, please enter your address and update it in your governmentjobs.com profile. If not applicable, type "N/A".

09

Which of the following best describes your highest educational achievement?

• High school diploma or equivalent
• Some college credits
• Associates degree
• Bachelors degree
• Masters degree
• Doctorate degree
• Other

10

If you indicated your highest educational achievement is "Some college credits", how many units of college level coursework have you completed?

• 1-14 semester / 1-21 quarter units / or equivalent
• 15-29 semester / 22-44 quarter units / or equivalent
• 30-59 semester / 45-89 quarter units / or equivalent
• 60-89 semester / 90-134 quarter units / or equivalent
• 90+ semester / 135+ quarter units / or equivalent
• N/A

11

If you indicated that you have attained a Bachelors degree or above, please list the field of study (major) in each degree attained. (for example: BA degree - Environmental Science & MA degree - Business Administration) If this doesnt apply, type "N/A".

12

How many years of progressively responsible experience do you have in planning, organizing, developing, and implementing recycling and waste management programs and/or environmental related programs and projects?

• I possess 9 or more years of experience as described
• I possess 8 or more years, but less than 9 years, of experience as described
• I possess 7 or more years, but less than 8 years, of experience as described
• I possess 6 or more years, but less than 7 years, of experience as described
• I possess 5 or more years, but less than 6 years, of experience as described
• I possess 4 or more years, but less than 5 years, of experience as described
• I possess 3 or more years, but less than 4 years, of experience as described
• I possess 2 or more years, but less than 3 years, of experience as described
• I possess 1 year, but less than 2 years, of experience as described
• I possess less than 1 year of experience as described
• I do not possess any experience as described

13

Please clearly and thoroughly state your progressively responsible experience in planning, organizing, developing, and implementing recycling and waste management programs and/or environmental related programs and projects. If you do not have this experience, type "N/A". Do not enter "See resume / application" as a response.

14

Acting assignments: If you have served in an Acting assignment that you would like considered as experience towards the minimum qualifications requirement, please list the Acting assignment(s) separately in the "Work experience" section of your application. For each Acting assignment, the description must include the Acting job title (use the word Acting as part of the job title), dates and hours served, and duties performed. I understand the above statement and will list any Acting assignments separately in the "Work experience" section of my application form.

• Yes
• No

15

This is a public contact position. Although no current vacancies require bilingual skills in a specific language, the eligible list generated from this announcement will be used to fill positions that may or may not require bilingual language skills. For positions in this classification not requiring bilingual language skills, names will be certified in rank order (in accordance with Civil Service Rules, Section 5.02). For positions in this classification requiring selective certification of bilingual language skills, names of eligible candidates certified to the hiring authority shall be the highest ranking candidates willing to accept employment and who possess the additional and special qualifications required (in accordance with Civil Service Rules, Section 5.03, Selective Certification). Such positions will require selective bilingual skills in one or more of the following languages: Spanish, Cantonese, and Mandarin. Please note, identified bilingual skills will be tested prior to a final offer of employment. Candidates must pass the bilingual skills test to be considered for selectively certified positions. Identify the language(s) for which you have bilingual conversational proficiency. If you do not have bilingual conversational proficiency in any of the identified languages, check the appropriate box.

• Cantonese
• Mandarin
• Spanish
• I do not have bilingual conversational proficiency in any of the identified languages, but I am still interested in the position.

16

Answers to the above supplemental questions MUST be supported by information contained in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of this application. Answers not supported by information contained in the "Education" and "Work Experience" sections of this application will NOT be considered. Resumes and cover letters will not be reviewed. I have read and understand this statement.

• Yes
• No

Required Question

Employer City of Oakland

Address 150 Frank H. Ogawa Plaza - 2nd Floor

Oakland, California, 94612

Phone (510) 238-3112

Website http://www.oaklandca.gov/