Environmental Programs Specialist

State of Oklahoma • Oklahoma City, OK

16h • $52,333 - $70,824 • Onsite

About The Position

This position is located in the Water Quality Division - Public Water Supply Compliance Section in Oklahoma City. All applicants must be able to pass a background check and must be able to legally work within the United States. DEQ does not allow sponsorship for those on a H1B visa. This position requires in-office work Monday - Friday. Other than regular field work, there is no remote work allowed.

Requirements

• All applicants must upload a resume, cover letter, transcript and references to be considered for this position.
• Must be able to pass a background check.
• Must be able to legally work within the United States.
• Must have a valid government issued driver’s license.
• Applicants must be able to walk long distances on a variety of terrain occasionally in extreme weather conditions, climb ladders or stairs, bend or squat, carry up to 25 lbs. of equipment, sit behind the wheel of a vehicle for several hours a day, and operate a personal computer for long periods of time.
• Applicants must be able to utilize basic PPE such as hard hats, steel-toed boots, as well as ear, eye, and hand protection for extended periods up to several hours per day.
• Employee must be capable of effectively and politely communicating, both verbally and in writing, with co-workers and customers.
• Employee must exhibit positive responsiveness with assigned tasks and with newly identified projects that the agency/division deem necessary to meet program assignments, commitments, and directives.
• The employee must be capable of working as a team member and individually to meet and advance the overall Agency or Division goals.
• Employee must be capable of proficiently using DEQ standard software (MS Office, Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and Access) and the Internet, as well as the proficiency to learn database programs used in data entry.
• Employee will be expected to participate in training in those areas deemed important for performing the job, in order to continually enhance work skills.
• Employee must work effectively with others, cooperate with others to complete projects, give credit to those on the team, support others on team by sharing knowledge and providing detailed instructions, listen effectively, give specific and helpful feedback to others in order to improve the way things are done in the department or agency, share work experiences and information to educate others about the Public Water Supply Compliance programs, to bring unique experiences and abilities into the job, and to address conflicts in a timely and constructive manner.
• Employee must develop a clear understanding of customers’ needs and goals, maintain clear communications with customers, follow up with customers after a problem has been resolved, take personal responsibility for meeting commitments and correcting problems, respond calmly under pressure, work to build cooperative relationships with customers, show special concern in using as much time as necessary to help customers and solve issues at hand, be flexible with schedule in helping a customer with a pressing problem, and tactfully defuses volatile situations and works patiently to resolve them.
• Employee must solve problems in a timely way, identify the cause of problems and find the necessary resources and information to solve the problem, identify obstacles and alternatives for action when addressing problems and creating solutions, find solutions for nearly any problem that crops up within their own work area, understand and express how parts of a problem affect other situations or issues, gather information from different sources to identify the source of problems, consequences of alternative courses of action, and potential obstacles and solutions to avoid the problem in the future.

Nice To Haves

• To be considered for this position applicants must be within 60 days of obtaining their degree.

Responsibilities

• Ensure protection of public health through implementation of State and Federal regulations
• Complete monthly reviews of data submitted by public water systems and laboratories
• Respond to PWS emergencies and oversee the issuance of public notices
• Provide direct assistance and guidance to public water systems in their efforts to maintain or return to compliance
• Provide technical assistance and educational outreach to water systems and the public regarding State and Federal drinking water regulations
• Prepare materials for Public Water Supply systems (PWSs) so they may successfully achieve, and maintain compliance with, the requirements of the National Primary Drinking Water Standards.
• Provide technical assistance and conduct outreach efforts to educate PWSs on requirements.
• Make compliance determinations of whether PWSs are meeting the National Primary Drinking Water Standards.
• Prepare enforcement documents (e.g., informal enforcement letters, Notices of Violation, etc.) for the National Primary Drinking Water Standards.
• Track tasks associated with compliance and enforcement activities. These tasks include public notice requirements, violation resolution, and successful monitoring and reporting.
• Provide customer assistance such as information requests from PWSs, disseminate information to PWSs, and work with other DEQ groups such as the State Environmental Lab Services Division.
• Develop skills necessary to effectively utilize the drinking water database, Safe Drinking Water Information System, for reviewing data and updating violations and enforcement activities.
• Perform other duties and tasks as assigned to maintain program activities and commitments.

Benefits

• Generous leave including 15 days of vacation, 15 days of sick leave and 11 paid holidays annually.
• A comprehensive Benefit Package with a generous benefit allowance to offset the cost of insurance premiums for employees and their eligible dependents.

What This Job Offers

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