Host: City of Alameda
Openings: 1
Project Focus: Climate Adaptation (e.g.,sea level rise planning, environmental justice, climate migration planning), Climate Mitigation, Energy Efficiency
Skills Needed: Community Engagement, Relationship Management, Community Outreach, Stakeholder Engagement,

Remote or On-Site Placement

On-site

Service Needs & Plans

The City of Alameda strives to be a leader in climate action and resilience. The City’s first Sustainability and Resilience Manager was hired in 2021, new programs are being launched, and new policies are being adopted. Through adoption of its award-winning Climate Action and Resiliency Plan (CARP) in 2019, Alameda has set an ambitious goal of reducing emissions by 50% below 2005 levels by 2030 and becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible. The CARP charts a course to achieve this goal through improvements to transportation, buildings, energy use, and waste management. If we are successful, we will reduce Alameda’s greenhouse gas emissions, increase quality of life, and build a resilient, thriving city. In 2024, the City will undergo a midcycle update and refresh of this plan. The Fellow will assist in the development and implementation of the updated CARP.

As we approach CARP update and continued implementation, there is great need and opportunity for a Fellow to provide creative input and leadership to shape future programs and initiatives. The Fellow will report to the Sustainability and Resilience Manager and will be supported by staff and department heads in many departments, as well as engaged community groups who will all be eager to support and mentor the Fellow as they do their work.

The role of the Fellow will be to expand the capacity of the sustainability and resilience program to take bold action, rooted in equity and community resilience. This will entail working in tandem with City staff, nonprofit organizations, and community members to promote reduction of our GHG emissions through decarbonization of both transportation and buildings and transportation. With Alameda Municipal Power providing 100% clean energy to all customers, the groundwork has been laid for this ambitious decarbonization effort. The City is also working on ambitious sea level rise adaptation efforts and completing an urban forest plan and the Fellow will have the opportunity to support on these efforts as well.

Project Description

The Fellow will work on various projects including implementation of and updated Climate Action and Resiliency Plan, assisting in sea level rise adaptation project planning, expanding EV charging and building electrification. The Fellow will report to the Sustainability and Resilience Manager and will be supported by staff and department heads in many departments, as well as engaged community groups who will all be eager to support and mentor the Fellow as they do their work. As we approach both the Urban Forest Plan and CARP implementation, there is great need and opportunity for a Fellow to provide creative input and leadership to shape future programs and initiatives. The Fellow will work alongside community partners to conduct outreach to the general public on these programs, and will play a vital role in planning events, creating strategies for optimally effective programs, and supporting stakeholder engagement.

The role of the Fellow will be to expand the capacity of the sustainability and resilience program to take bold action, rooted in equity and community resilience, and to promote the reduction of Alameda’s GHG emissions through decarbonization of transportation and buildings, as well as adapting to sea level rise, and expanding the urban forest.

Desired Skills

The ideal Fellow is a passionate, creative, critical thinker who has a strong understanding of the root causes of social inequity and is dedicated to inclusive community engagement and creating sustainability and resilience solutions that achieve equitable outcomes. Interest in planning, policy development and analysis, public outreach, clear communication, marketing, and the ability to juggle multiple projects demands at once will all be important. This position has the rare opportunity to work closely with multiple department heads and high-quality work products will be expected. In turn, the Fellow will have the opportunity to work on interesting and complex problems and can expect high quality mentorship and experience with a city at the frontlines of climate impacts.

Organization & Workplace Highlights

As a microcosm of the Bay Area’s resilience and sustainability challenges and a leader in climate action, Alameda is a fascinating place to work. The City of Alameda is a welcoming, diverse and supportive place to work, and the Fellow will have many opportunities to work with a wide range of professionals across many different departments as well as with the community. The City partners with a diverse range of local community organizations, including many organizations based in Oakland, particularly with our multijurisdictional sea level rise adaptation projects.

The island city is both small enough that a motivated Fellow can make a meaningful impact in 10 months and large enough to be dynamic and exciting.

Community Highlights

Alameda’s relatively flat geography, and compact urban form make it particularly conducive to biking and walking. Some of the city’s highlights include a 3-mile beach, stunning views of San Francisco, and lots of sunshine tempered by a cooling Bay breeze. The community is relatively diverse and very family friendly. Just over half of the population are renters, and just over half are people of color, with Asians being the largest group after whites.

Alameda has a strong sense of community connection and local pride. Alamedans are enthusiastic about climate action and focused on adapting to the rising seas threatening the city. Many community organizations are actively involved in a variety of aspects of climate action and adaptation. Both city government and the community are focused on living out our unofficial motto, “everyone belongs here”. That commitment takes many forms across the community and has catalyzed the community to declare itself of sanctuary city, focus on reimagining policing, setting up an alternative mental health response team, and being the first city to pay a Shuumi Land Tax to participate in rematriation of land to Indigenous people.

Alameda’s livability, access to recreation, compact urban design, and central location make it an ideal place for a Fellow to stay. Previous Fellows have also stayed in nearby Berkeley and Oakland during their service year. Alameda is easily accessible from those cities by bike, ferry, bus, and train. Alameda is in the center of the 9-county Bay Area, meaning that a wealth of recreational and professional development opportunities are easily accessible.