Engineering Geologist

Job Description and Duties

DTSC has an opening for an Engineering Geologist in the Bay Area Branch of the Site Mitigation and Restoration Program. The Engineering Geologist will provide regulatory oversight for the investigation and cleanup of contaminated sites in the San Francisco Bay Area and other parts of coastal California. The sites include fast-paced redevelopment projects and projects in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by contamination. The purpose of this work is to protect people’s health and the environment from toxic substances, and to restore contaminated land to enhance economic vitality. Join us today!!

As an Engineering Geologist you will have the opportunity to:

• Review or prepare technical geologic reports and other documents including, but not limited to: Phase I Environmental Site Assessments, Preliminary Endangerment Assessments, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Facility Assessments, site characterization workplans and reports, sampling and analysis plans, human health and ecological risk assessments; pilot and treatability studies; feasibility studies; remedy selection documents; design, implementation, and completion reports; operation and maintenance plans; five-year reviews; and long-term monitoring reports for compliance with approved plans
• Evaluate geologic, hydrologic, and geochemical data of the surface and subsurface to characterize the occurrence and migration of contaminants
• Review and prepare cross sections, maps, charts, and graphs that illustrate the physical and geochemical setting of contaminated sites
• Evaluate site characterization data to support engineering remedial design and implementation
• Review or perform analyses of soil, groundwater, and soil vapor extraction and treatment system designs and monitoring plans for the investigation and cleanup process
• Perform statistical and trend analysis on data to define the overall effectiveness of  remedial treatment technology

You will find additional information about the job in the .

Working Conditions

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here .

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment. The Department of Toxic Substances Control does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

A hybrid schedule may be available for this position.  As of July 1st, 2026, the position is office-centered, and employees will be expected to report to the office at least four days per week. This position may be eligible for hybrid telework under Government Code 14200, subject to the candidate meeting telework eligibility criteria set forth in the telework policy and/or future program needs. Regardless of telework eligibility, all employees may be required to report to the positions designated headquarter location, as reflected on the duty statement and at their own expense.

Click the link below for a special message from Director Katie Butler on DTSC’s culture:

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

• Experience with environmental site assessment and site cleanup
• Familiarity with regulatory requirements (CERCLA, RCRA) and frameworks
• Experience working with people outside of the organization (members of the public, clients, etc.)
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Practice evaluating data to formulate an understanding of conditions and make decisions
• Experience conducting hydrogeologic studies and independent laboratory or field project
• Coursework in environmental science, chemistry, geology, environmental health, or a related field
• Experience evaluating contaminant fate and transport in soil, soil vapor, and groundwater
• Licensed as a California Professional Geologist preferred

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Additional Application Instructions

For experience/education to qualify during the application screening process, and to ensure that minimum qualifications can be determined, applicants should include all employment history on the Employment Application (STD 678), including detailed job descriptions, hours worked per week, and start/end dates (MM/DD/YYYY). Application packages without this information may experience delayed processing times and your eligibility for this position may be impacted.

Electronic applications submitted through your CalCareer Account are highly recommended . If you are unable to apply electronically through your CalCareer account, please mail a completed and signed STD. 678 and application package to the mailing address provided above in the “Application Instructions” section. Applications must be postmarked on or before the final filing date.

For mail-in or drop-off applications, please include JC# 537356  and indicate the basis of your eligibility in the Examination(s) or Job Title(s) section. SROA and surplus candidates should submit a copy of their letter with their application.

Pending Budget Approval - DTSC will obtain all necessary approvals prior to extending a job offer. 

Foreign Degrees

Applicants who completed their education outside the United States (with foreign degree/ transcripts) must obtain and submit verification of United States course/degree equivalency.

Foreign education credential evaluation services can be found .

DO NOT include any confidential information in your application or supporting documents (i.e., Social Security Number, birthdate, marital status, medical information, examination results, method of eligibility, etc.).

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is required and must be included.