Environmental Program Consultant

State of North Carolina • Raleigh, NC

23h • $63,927 - $98,741 • Hybrid

About The Position

This position is Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA) with the exception of Articles 6 and 7. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with applicable State Benefits. This position is responsible for writing and reviewing complex Major Municipal NPDES wastewater permits in accordance with federal and state requirements. This position serves as a consultant on a variety of permitting issues, requiring extensive interaction with stakeholders, including the regulated community, the US EPA, regional field staff, and the general public. The position will respond to general public inquiries and directly assist the Unit Supervisor with special projects.

Requirements

• Master's degree in one of the agricultural, biological, engineering, environmental or natural resource sciences or a closely related curriculum from an appropriately accredited institution and three years of experience related to the area of assignment; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• A valid driver's license is required.

Nice To Haves

• The Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) enhances the performance of the DEQ by fostering compliance and efficiency across diverse projects. OCI leverages business processes, data analysis, compliance, and engineering expertise to drive improvement. Embedded within DEQ divisions, OCI works to develop and strengthen processes and workflows that support DEQ's mandate to deliver federal funding effectively and equitably for infrastructure, energy, and resilience projects. OCI is charged with helping DEQ teams solve challenges, provides data strategy, technical support, and policy expertise.
• The Division of Water Resources is responsible for protecting North Carolina’s drinking, surface and groundwater for all waterbodies including lakes, streams, rivers, wetlands and aquifers. This environmental stewardship is accomplished through actions including permitting issuance, investigations, regulatory compliance and enforcement, monitoring and field assessments, certifications, laboratory analysis and testing, planning, water quality standards management, educational outreach and other efforts.
• The position managing a DWR’s NPDES permitting unit is responsible for permitting the federal National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) program for wastewater discharges from municipal facilities directly into state waters. The unit managed by the position focuses primarily on complex permits, including Major Municipal wastewater treatment plants. The position also manages several engineers in the collection system permitting unit including collection system variances, fast-track and system-wide permitting, not previously included in the prior positions descriptions. Permits must comply with federal regulations and rules adopted by the Environmental Management Commission to ensure compliance with state surface water quality standards. A primary focus of the unit is to provide engineering evaluation of domestic Authorization to Construct (ATC) permit applications that authorize wastewater treatment plant construction, issue collection system permits for complex or alternative sewers, and issue permits for OCI projects. In addition, this unit evaluates Engineering Alternatives Analyses for new and expanding wastewater treatment plants to ensure that the most environmentally sound alternative is selected from reasonably cost-effective treatment options.

Responsibilities

• Participate in technical reviews by the engineering staff, provides permit development and regulatory expertise to collaborate on reviewing engineering alternative analyses, process flow diagrams, eDMR data, sludge management plans, and other relevant information in the development of an effective NPDES permitting program.
• Conduct detailed reviews of draft permits prepared by other permit writers.
• May attend public hearings on complex permit issues, serving as a subject-matter expert to explain the technical and regulatory aspects of wastewater discharge permitting requirements.
• Present clear, concise information on a variety of issues, including permit conditions, water quality standards, and compliance matters.
• Respond to questions from both the regulated community and the general public, ensuring that stakeholder concerns are addressed appropriately.
• Review and analyze written and oral comments received during the public comment period, evaluating relevance to regulatory requirements or other permitting issues.
• May prepare public notice materials, public presentations, and review public hearing comments on draft permits.

Benefits

• State Benefits
• Eligibility for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program
• Comprehensive benefits, including a variety of leave options, professional development opportunities, insurance, and more.

What This Job Offers

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