ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST

Equal Opportunity Employer The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. Equal Opportunity Employer The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation. It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants. Position Details Job Code #: JC-525070 Position #(s): 911-170-0762-911 Working Title: Environmental Scientist Classification: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST Salary: $4,418.00 - $6,035.00 A $5,370.00 - $7,350.00 B $6,796.00 - $9,321.00 C New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable # of Positions: Multiple Work Location: San Diego County Telework: In Office Job Type: Permanent, Full Time Facility: California Department of Transportation Department Information Caltrans Mission: Improving lives and communities through transportation. Caltrans Vision: A thriving and connected California. The Caltrans workforce is made up of diverse and unique individuals who contribute to our organizational success. Department Website: Director’s EEO Policy : Director’s EEO Policy Statement: Under the supervision of the Environmental Branch Chief, the incumbent is an interdisciplinary team member who will be responsible for preparing and reviewing environmental documents, technical studies, and analytical reports to ensure compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and numerous state and federal environmental resource laws and regulations. PARF 11-27-0001 / JC-525070 Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Environmental Scientist exam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions. To apply for the exam, please click here and search by typing in the classification title. Special Requirements Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a State owned or leased vehicle. Please answer each of the questions, in order. SOQ should be no more than 3-pages, single spaces, 11-point font. Failure to complete the SOQ will result in disqualification. Describe your experience coordinating environmental permits for transportation, infrastructure, or other complex development projects. Include examples of permits such as Clean Water Act Section 404, Section 401 Water Quality Certification, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Section 1602 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, Coastal Development Permits, Endangered Species Act consultations, or similar environmental authorizations. In your response, discuss the following (1) Your role and level of responsibility; (2) The agencies involved; (3) How you developed and maintained working relationships with regulatory agencies; (4) Challenges encountered during permit negotiations; (5) The final outcome of the project. Caltrans projects often require balancing environmental compliance, engineering needs, project schedules, budgets, and regulatory requirements. Describe a project in which competing priorities created challenges during environmental compliance or permitting and include the following: (1) The project background; (2) The environmental issues involved; (3) The stakeholders with differing priorities; (4) How you evaluated options; (5) How you achieved compliance while supporting project delivery; (6) Lessons learned. This position requires preparing technically accurate environmental documents, permit applications, regulatory correspondence, and environmental analyses. Describe your experience preparing environmental documentation. Environmental Scientists at Caltrans frequently manage multiple assignments simultaneously while coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, consultants, regulatory agencies, and project managers. Describe your approach to managing competing priorities across multiple projects. Your response should address the following (1) How you organize your workload; (2) How you track permit milestones and regulatory commitments; (3) How you communicate schedule risks; (4) How you coordinate with project managers, engineers, biologists, and regulatory agencies. A specific example where your organization or proactive communication prevented project delays. You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement. Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment. If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification. Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment. Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent. Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or .Please redact birthdates and social security numbers. Final Filing Date: 8/2/2026 Who May Apply Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply. Individuals who are eligible for a Training and Development assignment may also be considered for this position(s). Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s). Required Application Package Documents 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 optional. It may be included, but is not required. Statement of Qualifications - Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Please see the Special Requirements section for SOQ instructions. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting. #J-18808-Ljbffr