Transportation and Clean Air Policy Fellow

Overview

The Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), in partnership with the City of New York, is seeking the next Transportation and Clean Air Policy Fellow to support innovative policy development at the NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP). The New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the NYC Mayor’s Office, LACI, and C40 Cities have been working to develop an “indirect source rule,” which would create requirements that warehouses reduce pollution from their operations – including mobile sources of pollution, like cars and trucks.
About a warehouse indirect source rule. Air pollution from traffic alone contributes to an estimated 320 premature deaths and 870 emergency room visits and hospitalizations each year in New York City. Air pollution is approximately 50% higher in high poverty NYC neighborhoods than low-poverty neighborhoods, and the density of warehouses explains this difference in pollution levels even more than industrial zoning generally.
A warehouse indirect source rule presents an exciting opportunity to improve the health and well-being of New Yorkers by requiring certain warehouses to take actions to reduce their impacts by converting their fleets to lower pollution vehicles, shifting to cleaner modes like maritime freight or cargo bicycles, installing anti-idling technology in vehicles, or other options.

About this Fellowship Opportunity. Policy development for this initiative is significantly underway. NYC Council held a hearing on indirect source rule legislation. The team has studied the operational landscape of NYC warehouses and conducted case study research on related policies to inform policy development in NYC. NYC needs a policy fellow to expand upon this work to develop, in partnership with stakeholders, additional details.

This work will include:
● Analyzing and iterating initial policy design concepts as new insights come to light from environmental review and additional input from stakeholders, industry, and experts.
● Maintaining and building relationships between DEP and industry, environmental, and community stakeholders.
● Conducting research and working with legal and interagency teams to answer open policy design questions regarding treatment of vehicles of different fuel types, treatment of battery energy storage and solar installations, treatment of warehouses storing food, and definition of a participating warehouse operation.
● Translating learnings from this work into legislative amendments, DEP agency regulations, and implementation recommendations. Ultimately the fellow will deliver a memo of policy recommendations that incorporates insights from the environmental review process and the policy design questions, as well as additional input from stakeholders, industry, and experts. The recommendations will build on existing policy design and details, suggesting adjustments for strengthening the policy and addressing specific use cases.

About you. A successful fellow would have many of the following characteristics:
● A bachelor’s degree and 2 – 5 years of experience, or a master’s degree in a related field (e.g., public policy, urban planning, environmental studies)
● Strong interpersonal skills, written and verbal communication skills, organizational skills, and project management skills                                                                                                                                                                                          ● Interest in transportation and environmental policy
More details.
Compensation: This fellowship provides a stipend totaling $95,000 for 9 months, approximately 35 hours of project-based work per week.
Fellows will manage their own schedules to meet project roles and deliverables. Fellow will be a 1099 Independent Contractor for LACI and will be provided a monthly stipend.
Work location: Preference for hybrid (3 days/week at NYC DEP offices in Queens, NY); open to other arrangements.
Start date: Q2 2025
To apply. Please submit a resume and cover letter to careers@laincubator.org with the subject line “Policy Fellow Submission-LACI”. Please indicate in cover letter whether you would be available for in-person project work 3 days/week at DEP offices in Queens, NY or if you would be seeking an alternative arrangement.