Environmental Justice Advisor

Environmental Justice Advisor

Start Date:  October 2024       

Salary Range: $75,000 – 85,000

Reports to: MWC Co-Executive Directors, AOC EJ Advisor Support Team

Benefits:  

• Three weeks paid time off 
• 12 paid holidays per year
• Health, dental and vision coverage  

Position Purpose:

This Environmental Justice Advisor will provide expertise and support on environmental justice for the numerous projects, partners and initiatives happening as part of the Milwaukee Estuary Area of Concern. This position works closely with project partners and workgroups to ensure that EJ objectives are incorporated at every step of decision making and implementation.

The Milwaukee AOC is a historic investment in cleaning up Milwaukee’s waters. We are working to center environmental justice and community engagement throughout this work. Read more about the Milwaukee AOC here.

Environmental justice is the fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people, informed by race, class or income, in the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulation and policies. In that, we seek to address and rectify the disproportionate environmental burdens and risks encountered by marginalized communities. (MEJA – Milwaukee Environmental Justice Alliance)

Through providing guidance on EJ components within AOC projects, the EJ Advisor aims to foster a more holistic approach. By incorporating perspectives, particularly those traditionally marginalized in such initiatives, the Advisor contributes to a framework that extends beyond the current AOC work. This inclusive strategy seeks to create a sustainable model that can be applied to other Milwaukee initiatives and other communities ensuring the incorporation of diverse viewpoints and fostering equitable and lasting positive impact.

Essential duties and responsibilities

• Develop a model for an environmental justice strategy and process that includes measurement and advocacy for community benefit.
• Evaluate the processes used to advance the AOC work, procedures, and elements of AOC projects with an EJ lens.
• Develop a process to determine how EJ can be better addressed for historic, current, and future projects.
• Ensure that AOC projects include an EJ audit and identify an approach, goals, and deliverables beyond the scope of the core restoration project objectives to address community EJ concerns.
• Create and pilot EJ project evaluation tools that can be used across AOC projects.
• Participate in works groups, coalitions and community meetings to advance the mission of the Milwaukee AOC.
• Document meetings and activities. Synthesize findings and compile reports.
• Other relevant duties as assigned.

 Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:

• Ability to lead within teams including building trust, conflict resolution and making fair decisions.
• Work effectively with local stakeholders, project partners and policy makers.
• Action-oriented, adaptable, and innovative approach to coalition work.
• Ability to clearly and concisely communicate complex information.
• Strong facilitation skills. Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience in workforce development, contract management, procurement or public policy a plus.
• Ability to work in solidarity with historically disadvantaged communities.
• Demonstrated commitment to cultural competence. Bilingual English/Spanish skills a plus.

Bachelor’s Degree preferred. Significant experience and recognized community leadership may substitute for this requirement.

Reporting Structure:

Due to the complex nature of this position a multifaceted support system has been created. The EJ Advisor reports to the Co-Executive Directors at Milwaukee Water Commons, and meets monthly with an Environmental Justice Advisor Support Team. They will also work closely with the Community Advisory Committee (CAC) and other EJ networks locally and regionally.

Key Principles of Milwaukee Water Commons Culture and Values 

Milwaukee Water Commons is a cross-city, cross neighborhood network that fosters connection, collaboration and broad community leadership on behalf of our common waters. We promote stewardship, equitable access and shared decision making for our shared waters. We advocate on environmental justice issues, water justice, climate justice, and social justice.

Our programmatic work is neighborhood based, although our organizational reach includes communities throughout the Great Lakes Region. We strive to build an anti-racist, multi-racial, environmental justice movement on behalf of our shared waters.

Milwaukee Water Commons organizes under four frameworks: The Commons, Collective Impact, Environmental Justice and Community Engagement. We believe environmental work has the greatest impact when it adopts an intersectional approach. By that we mean we must inclusively consider the connections between social and environmental systems, recognizing that vulnerability is often experienced as multiple compounding challenges that cannot be separated. To arrive at justice these challenges must be addressed simultaneously. We believe the community must be at the center of envisioning and decision-making about our shared waters.

We are creating a workplace with guiding principles of integrity, accountability, diligence, perseverance, and discipline. The successful employee must have the ability to demonstrate and apply Milwaukee Water Commons values and frameworks, which are embedded in all Milwaukee Water Commons roles.

Anti-Discrimination Policy 

Milwaukee Water Commons is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. Milwaukee Water Commons is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all employees and to providing employees with a work environment free of discrimination and harassment.  All employment decisions at Milwaukee Water Commons are based on programmatic needs, job requirements and individual  qualifications, without regard to a person’s race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, sex (including pregnancy), age, or physical, disability, HIV status, sexual orientation, gender identity  and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, past or present military service,  family medical history or genetic information, family or parental status, or any other status protected by  the laws or regulations of our city and state. Milwaukee Water Commons will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. 

We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills.  Milwaukee Water Commons believes the more inclusive we are, the better our work will be on behalf of our community. If you are a member of one of these groups, feel free to identify in your cover letter or resume.