Environmental Unit Specialist - City

City of Oklahoma City • Oklahoma City, OK

7d • $28 - $43 • Hybrid

About The Position

The Environmental Unit Specialist is responsible for supporting supervisory staff to ensure team performance and efficient completion of various work tasks of section employees. This position performs various field and office-based inspections, investigations, audits, reviews, and data analyses to ensure compliance with local, state and federal rules pertaining to storm water management. This position is located in the Storm Water Quality Division of the Public Works Department within the City of Oklahoma City and reports directly to the Environmental Unit Supervisor. The Environmental Unit Specialist is a specialized classification responsible for technical and functional supervision of activities associated with administering City environmental protection programs. Essential job functions include: exchanging information regarding regulations, procedures, and/or program functions with businesses, agencies and private citizens; identifying potential environmental issues and traveling to conduct site visits to assess conditions and provide effective remedies; conducting environmental screenings and samplings of ambient water and other potential environmental contaminants; responding to emergency reports of hazardous materials spills or conditions; generating technical and routine reports; and monitoring citizen complaints and existing City programs for compliance with environmental policies and procedures. The employee is also responsible for reviewing and evaluating pollution prevention plans; assisting engineers and builders in determining effective storm water management methods; coordinating and assisting with special activities or projects, such as hazardous household waste collections; presenting information, educational programs and guidance to the general public; attending meetings of environmental committees, agencies and boards; recording information on departmental logs and forms and documenting action and results; and enforcing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Protection Act. This position is also responsible for oversite of field audits conducted by technicians and field generated paperwork and to ensure quality assurance and quality control objectives are achieved. The work is primarily performed on an independent basis and the employee must exercise tact and diplomacy in communication with citizens, businesses, outside agencies, and various City personnel. The nature of work performed may require the Environmental Unit Specialist to support decisions made in conjunction with the enforcement of established laws, rules, regulations, ordinances, and provide court testimony. The work assignments are received in both verbal and written form and are subject to review through inspection of records maintained, and through complaints registered by private citizens and businesses.

Requirements

• Knowledge of and skill in administering federal, state and City environmental codes, water quality regulations, policies and procedures.
• Knowledge of standards, factors, and design alternatives in area of specialization.
• Skill in assessing ambient biological, chemical, and physical scientific characteristic of water bodies.
• Skill in assessing salient technical information.
• Skill in conveying technical information both orally and in writing.
• Skill in determining most appropriate design to meet field conditions and applicable standards.
• Skill in performing mathematical computations following standard formulas.
• Skill in enforcing environmental protection programs, codes and standards.
• Skill in conducting on-site inspections to determine compliance with local, state, and federal program guidelines, regulations, and requirements.
• Skill in recording information accurately.
• Skill in communicating effectively in verbal and written form.
• Ability to supervise.
• Ability to work independently following verbal or written instructions.
• Ability and willingness to follow established safety procedures.
• Possession of a valid Driver License (Operator).

Nice To Haves

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree or higher in Chemistry, Biology, Environmental Science, Environmental Health & Safety or minimum of eight years applied experience in the regulatory processes regarding storm water quality permit management, impaired waters management, water quality standards assessment protocols, or non-point source water quality assessment.
• Skill utilizing specialized programs to generate various statistics, summaries, tables and detailed reports to develop and track pollutant reduction strategies. Candidate must be proficient with the use of Microsoft Office programs including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access.
• Experience with the development, design and presentation of program specific educational efforts using internal and external data sources. Candidate must have strong technical and non-technical writing skills in addition to communication and outreach skills.
• Expertise with the development, review, and audit of Storm Water Pollution Prevention Plans and applied experience with site/facility inspections with regulatory enforcement to gain compliance with local environmental codes, water quality regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Expertise in managing reasonably complex matters, fostering community partners, and providing compliance directives in written or verbal communications.

Responsibilities

• Supporting supervisory staff to ensure team performance and efficient completion of various work tasks of section employees.
• Performing field and office-based inspections, investigations, audits, reviews, and data analyses to ensure compliance with local, state and federal rules pertaining to storm water management.
• Exchanging information regarding regulations, procedures, and/or program functions with businesses, agencies and private citizens.
• Identifying potential environmental issues and traveling to conduct site visits to assess conditions and provide effective remedies.
• Conducting environmental screenings and samplings of ambient water and other potential environmental contaminants.
• Responding to emergency reports of hazardous materials spills or conditions.
• Generating technical and routine reports.
• Monitoring citizen complaints and existing City programs for compliance with environmental policies and procedures.
• Reviewing and evaluating pollution prevention plans.
• Assisting engineers and builders in determining effective storm water management methods.
• Coordinating and assisting with special activities or projects, such as hazardous household waste collections.
• Presenting information, educational programs and guidance to the general public.
• Attending meetings of environmental committees, agencies and boards.
• Recording information on departmental logs and forms and documenting action and results.
• Enforcing the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Clean Water Protection Act.
• Oversight of field audits conducted by technicians and field generated paperwork to ensure quality assurance and quality control objectives are achieved.
• Exercising tact and diplomacy in communication with citizens, businesses, outside agencies, and various City personnel.
• Supporting decisions made in conjunction with the enforcement of established laws, rules, regulations, ordinances.
• Providing court testimony.
• Working independently following verbal or written instructions.
• Following established safety procedures.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• An average of $22,000 annually contributed toward benefits and retirement
• A comprehensive package designed to support health and wellness, financial security, work-life balance, and personal and professional growth and development

What This Job Offers

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