Water Quality Senior Environmental Engineer (Environmental Engineer 3)

Application Deadline:

07/17/2022

Agency:

Department of Environmental Quality

Salary Range:

6,038.00 - 9,282.00

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Water Quality Senior Environmental Engineer (Environmental Engineer 3)

Job Description:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability. Candidates from diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply. We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may not meet every one of our listed preferred qualifications. Lived experience may count towards the preferred qualification. If you are excited about this position, we encourage you to apply. If you are unsure as to whether or not you meet the qualifications of this position, please contact us to discuss your application.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/iP3K7JoLe1k

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity for 2 Water Quality Senior Environmental Engineers (Environmental Engineer 3). One will be located in Eastern Region (Bend, Pendleton, or The Dalles, Oregon) and one will be located in Western Region (Eugene or Salem, Oregon). The finalist may choose their office location within the selected region.

Staff in the regional offices work directly with Oregon communities and regulated facilities to protect public health and the environment. Specifically, the regions provide the following services: we issue air, land and water quality permits to limit pollution so our environment remains healthy for people and wildlife; ensure regulated facilities remain in compliance with their permits; investigate pollution reports from residents; respond to and clean up oil spills and other hazardous materials; provide expertise and technical assistance to regulated facilities and the public; and coordinate work with other governmental entities, industries and the public. View a map of all of the DEQ offices.

What you will do!

You will work in the Water Quality Permitting and Compliance Section to apply advanced environmental engineering knowledge of industrial and domestic wastewater treatment in the review of proposed wastewater planning documents, engineering reports, and engineering plans and specifications to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations. The state and federal regulations include requirements for the protection of groundwater and waterways (surface water) and, if applicable, Clean Water State Revolving Fund loan requirements. You will be responsible for monitoring complex industrial and domestic wastewater permittees to determine compliance with their federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System or state Water Pollution Control Facility permits. You will review technical reports, studies, and proposals for upgrades, modifications, and expansion proposals for complex or innovative wastewater treatment systems. In addition, you will conduct routine inspections and investigations of permittees; issue warning letters and pre-enforcement notices for permit violations, referring serious violations for formal enforcement, which may include the assessment of monetary penalties; and provide technical assistance to permittees to maintain or return to compliance.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon's environment, apply today!

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications:

• 4 years of engineering experience and a Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field, such as environmental, chemical, civil, or mechanical (or an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience).
• 2 years of experience in an environmental protection/control program.
• A current PE. If you are currently registered as a professional engineer in another state, you must be able to obtain your Oregon registration within 6 months of employment in order to retain this appointment.

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following:

• Advanced environmental, science, or engineering education.
• Knowledge of wastewater treatment operations. An Oregon or other state certification in wastewater treatment operation is desired but not required.
• Experience evaluating permit applications and modifications and ensuring that all proposed actions are completed to the highest standards of engineering practice.
• Experience conducting site investigations and inspections, preferably at wastewater sites.
• Working knowledge of geology, hydrogeology, chemistry, and chemical principles.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; experience communicating complex technical information or controversial environmental issues to stakeholders and lay people; ability to communicate technical data to audiences unfamiliar with the subject matter.
• Experience representing an agency or organization at public hearings and meetings; skill in writing concise and clear reports describing complex industries and regulatory determinations.

Working Conditions:

Work is performed in both an office and outdoors, at times during inclement weather. Statewide travel by car and occasional evening and weekend meetings will occur. During field visits, there may be exposure to pollutants, pathogens or hazardous materials, chemicals, contaminated soil and water, fumes, airborne contaminants, and challenging field conditions (steep slope, heavy vegetation, and uneven terrain).

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Please Note: In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application material.

Veterans Information:

DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. You will be asked to submit those at a later time.

Pay Equity:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, please contact Willa Wilbanks, Human Resources Analyst, at willa.wilbanks@deq.oregon.gov or (503) 229-6441. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.

Are you interested in an Informational Interview with DEQ to learn more about working at DEQ, how current DEQ employees got to where they are today, and what opportunities there may be for you at DEQ? Please go here and complete the form: https://www.oregon.gov/deq/about-us/Pages/humanresources.aspx. Please note that informational interviews are not tied to an open recruitment. If you complete the form above, you will be put in the queue to have an informational interview with a Hiring Manager from our Informational Interview Registry.