Environmental Specialist

Environmental Specialist

The Environmental Specialist serves as an advanced, journey-level technical expert responsible for planning, conducting, coordinating, and monitoring complex environmental studies and projects for the Metropolitan Water District.

At this recognized specialist level, you will be responsible for ensuring compliance with source and treated water regulations with a strong focus on invasive mussel control and emerging regulations. You will spearhead the agency's strategic response to invasive mussels in source waters and ensure compliance with relevant environmental and water quality regulations, California Department of Fish and Wildlife mandates, and invasive species frameworks.

You will also be responsible for tracking and ensuring compliance with environmental permitting and pesticide regulations, considerations for raw water releases, contributing to agency responses to federal and state regulatory developments, hazardous waste management, various aspects of source water protection, and preparing reports, response plans, and research proposals.

Daily duties include monitoring pertinent environmental laws, codes, regulations, and pending litigation that impact operations, as well as drafting actionable, high-level strategies and responses to address operational requirements and regulatory developments.

Candidates must possess a bachelor's degree in environmental science, biology, chemistry, or a related field, supplemented by six years of progressive, professional environmental compliance experience that demonstrates mastery over multi-agency coordination and permitting and complex project management.

What You'll Do:

• Lead agency response to invasive mussels in source water infrastructure.
• Develop control strategies to prevent and mitigate infrastructure and biological impacts.
• Coordinate monitoring programs for invasive species.
• Ensure compliance with state and federal water quality, environmental, and invasive species regulations.
• Coordinate complex studies regarding environmental planning and regulatory compliance.
• Track pertinent laws, regulations, codes, and pending litigation.
• Analyze operational impacts of emerging environmental policies and regulations on Metropolitan.
• Represent the agency in meetings with stakeholders and serve as point-of-contact with regulators and outside agencies.
• Communicate and coordinate with member agencies on relevant environmental and water quality issues.
• Travel to Metropolitan and other agencies' field facilities may also be required for observation, planning, scoping, and sample collection.

Schedule 9/80: Monday through Friday /Every other Friday off. Monday through Thursday 9 hours per day, 8 hours per day every other Friday. Start times are no earlier than 6 am and ending times are no later than 6 pm.

Hybrid: Metropolitan's current practice in this position is a hybrid work schedule. This typically includes two days a week in person and the other days remote. This is subject to change dependent on organizational needs. In addition, a telework policy is scheduled for negotiations and once completed and implemented, will provide final direction on the hybrid schedule.

Benefits:

• Competitive compensation
• Excellent medical, dental, life, vision plans.
• Deferred compensation in the form of a 401(k) plan (with matching contribution) and a 457 plan.
• Retirement benefits under the California Public Employees' Retirement System
• Tuition reimbursement
• Training and advancement opportunities
• Excellent working environment
• Public transportation reimbursements
• Hub of public transportation: rail, subway, buses, and taxis
• On-site fitness center

About MWD:

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is a state-established cooperative that, along with its 26 cities and retail suppliers, provides water for 19 million people in six counties. The district imports water from the Colorado River and Northern California to supplement local supplies, and helps its members to develop increased water conservation, recycling, storage and other resource-management programs.

The Metropolitan Water District of Southern California is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities, who need a reasonable accommodation during the application or selection process, please call View phone number on click.appcast.io or email: View email address on click.appcast.io.

Metropolitan is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other protected characteristic(s).