Senior Analyst - Technical Project, National Reimbursement

About the Role

The Technical Project Analyst, National Reimbursement is a hands-on technical review and state team support role within the Material Services team. This position evaluates the feasibility, eligibility, and strategic alignment of reimbursement-funded projects across California and emerging EPR states. Reporting to the Technical Project Principal Analyst, the role supports state teams by reviewing proposed projects against regulatory requirements, covered-cost criteria, operational realities, technical assumptions, and CAA’s strategic priorities to support defensible reimbursement recommendations.

This position is part of the Material Services department of Program Planning and Operations (PPO), which includes Compliance & Regulatory Affairs (CRA), Data & Analytics (D&A), and Emerging States. The Analyst performs detailed technical assessments of funding requests, including reviewing project scopes, supporting documentation, cost assumptions, implementation plans, operational impacts, performance expectations, and claimed alignment with regulatory and program requirements.

Responsibilities

• Conduct hands-on technical review of proposed reimbursement projects to assess feasibility, practicality, implementation readiness, and alignment with stated objectives.
• Review funding requests for alignment with applicable EPR laws, regulations, program plan requirements, covered-cost criteria, and CAA reimbursement policies.
• Assess whether proposed projects advance CAA’s strategic priorities, including regulatory compliance, improved recycling outcomes, operational effectiveness, equitable service delivery, system modernization, and measurable program value.
• Review reimbursement applications and supporting materials to determine whether the proposed project is sufficiently defined for technical assessment.
• Assess reimbursement applications to determine whether requested funding is technically justified, adequately documented, and connected to eligible program outcomes.
• Work collaboratively across internal teams—including Legal, State level operations teams, Data & Analytics, Materials, Finance, Planning, and Compliance & Regulatory Affairs—to obtain inputs needed for technical, regulatory, operational, and financial review.
• Conduct technical, regulatory, operational, and economic research needed to evaluate proposed projects and reimbursement requests.
• Document review rationale, assumptions, unresolved issues, and recommendation basis in a clear and audit-ready manner.
• Operate effectively in ambiguous, evolving environments by applying sound judgment, escalating material concerns, and distinguishing feasibility issues from documentation gaps.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required in engineering, environmental science, environmental studies, public administration, economics, data analytics, project management, or a related field.
• Master’s or advanced degree in engineering, environmental science, environmental studies, public administration, economics, data analytics, project management, or a related field preferred.
• 7+ years of relevant professional experience in technical project review, infrastructure or operations assessment, recycling or solid waste programs, regulated funding programs, reimbursement review, project analysis, or similar fields.
• Experience evaluating project scopes, costs, feasibility, regulatory alignment, implementation plans, or technical documentation preferred.
• Experience with EPR programs, recycling systems, municipal operations, public-sector funding programs, regulated programs, or application-based reimbursement processes preferred.

Skills

• Strong technical judgment and ability to assess project feasibility, implementation readiness, operational dependencies, and practical constraints.
• Ability to interpret regulatory, program, and reimbursement requirements and apply them to specific project facts and funding requests.
• Experience reviewing technical project scopes, cost assumptions, documentation packages, implementation plans, and performance expectations.
• Ability to identify unsupported assumptions, gaps, risks, inconsistencies, and potential misalignment with strategic or regulatory objectives.
• Strong analytical and written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear findings, recommendations, questions, and decision-support materials.
• Attention to detail and commitment to documentation quality, traceability, and audit readiness.
• Ability to work with operational, financial, performance, and project data to evaluate reasonableness and supportability of funding requests.
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-paced, dynamic environment with flexibility to pivot as needed.
• Familiarity with recycling operations, infrastructure projects, municipal programs, environmental policy, EPR programs, or regulated funding programs preferred.

Schedule

Remote from the United States of America, with some travel for meetings and stakeholder interactions.

Reports to: Technical Project Principal Analyst