Environmental Engineer Specialist 2/3

Arizona Department of Administration • Phoenix, WA

4d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) is hiring an Environmental Engineer Specialist for the Water Quality Division’s Groundwater Protection Inspection & Compliance Enforcement Unit. The role serves as an Underground Injection Control (UIC) Inspector, protecting subsurface drinking water resources by evaluating and overseeing injection operations. The posting describes Level 2 (EES 2) and Level 3 (EES 3) responsibilities, with the level determined by the position’s scope and experience.

EES 2 work includes moderately complex UIC well compliance evaluations, field inspections, witnessing mechanical integrity tests (MITs), fluid dynamics and pressure calculations, and technical or enforcement reports. EES 3 work involves advanced engineering oversight for Class I–VI wells, complex permit reviews, advanced MITs, hydrogeologic modeling, and support for legal enforcement actions.

The job involves field work approximately one to two days per week, with statewide travel and possible overnight stays. The position may offer remote work within Arizona according to business needs and performance. The posting describes the work schedule as approximately 60% virtual and 40% field/office, while noting that remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in environmental, mechanical, electrical, chemical, or geotechnical engineering, or an engineering-related discipline.
• EES 2: 2–5 years of engineering experience; a master’s or doctorate may substitute for two years of experience.
• EES 3: Five or more years of engineering experience; a master’s degree may substitute for two years, or a doctorate may substitute for four years.
• EES 3: Engineer-in-Training certification through the Arizona Board of Technical Registration or an equivalent organization in a reciprocal jurisdiction.
• Valid Arizona driver’s license.
• Ability to work independently, prioritize tasks, complete assignments, and meet deadlines with minimal supervision.
• Ability to provide technical assistance and communicate effectively and diplomatically with interdisciplinary teams, stakeholders, and the public.
• Ability to build and maintain positive working relationships across department divisions and with external contacts.
• Flexibility, analytical problem-solving skills, and sound judgment when adapting to changing priorities.
• Ability to travel statewide and/or work remotely as required by department needs.
• Knowledge of fluid mechanics, hydrogeology, geomechanics, and environmental remediation.
• Knowledge of wellbore integrity, casing and tubing metallurgy, cementing, surface piping, and packers.
• Understanding of the Safe Drinking Water Act, EPA UIC rules for Classes I–VI, state codes, and procurement standards.
• Quantitative skills involving mathematics, algebra, geometry, engineering statistics, and thermodynamics for fluid dynamics.
• Ability to research information and agency rules and use standard workplace software such as MS Office or G-Suite.
• Skills in fluid dynamics, subsurface pressure, and fracture-gradient calculations; engineering plan review; data analysis; documentation; communication; customer service; and statistical analysis.
• For advanced-level work: skills in plume modeling, complex pressure and flow calculations, reviewing complex engineering plans, analyzing advanced logs, MITs and matrix data, and developing engineering countermeasures and legal justifications.
• Successful completion of the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify) is required for newly hired State employees.
• If driving or vehicle use is an essential job function, the stated driver’s license requirements apply.

Responsibilities

• Inspect injection wellheads, piping, pressure relief systems, and monitoring systems for compliance with engineering plans and regulations.
• Review files, respond to complaints, and travel statewide, including overnight stays, for facility inspections.
• Draft engineering technical reports and compliance action plans.
• Provide technical justifications and expert determinations to legal counsel for enforcement proceedings.
• Provide field guidance to facilities on achieving compliance during inspections.
• Manage caseloads and resolve open compliance cases to return facilities to compliance.
• Evaluate UIC permit applications, facility designs, well construction, stress calculations, pump sizing, and plugging specifications for Class I–VI wells.
• Conduct cost-benefit analyses to evaluate project efficacy.
• Evaluate and witness standard MITs, such as pressure tests and temperature logs, and calculate annulus behavior and fracture pressures using standard methodologies.
• Evaluate and witness advanced MITs, such as radioactive tracer, temperature, and noise logs, and calculate fluid migration and formation fracture pressures.
• Analyze injection rates, well pressures, groundwater data, and chemical compatibility using engineering principles and mass balance calculations.
• Apply hydrogeologic models to evaluate fluid behavior and subsurface conditions.
• Develop innovative solutions to recurring compliance and permitting issues.
• At EES 3, lead engineering oversight for Class I–VI wells, review complex UIC permits, and support legal enforcement actions.
• At EES 3, lead cross-disciplinary initiatives, mentor junior staff, and apply technical authority to complex subsurface scenarios.

Benefits

• 10 paid holidays per year.
• Sick and annual leave accrual beginning at 12 and 13 days per year, respectively, for full-time employees.
• Paid parental leave of up to 12 weeks per year for a newborn or newly placed foster or adopted child (pilot program).
• Arizona State Retirement System lifetime pension benefits.
• Medical, dental, life, short-term disability, and long-term disability insurance.
• Incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program.
• Workplace flexibility intended to support work/life balance.
• Learning and career development opportunities.
• Remote work schedule options, subject to management approval and agency discretion.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level