ENGINEERING SPECIALIST III - 37020934

Requisition No: 833823 

Agency: Environmental Protection

Working Title: ENGINEERING SPECIALIST III - 37020934

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 37020934 

Salary:  $45,308.75 - $47,250.00/annually (Commensurate with experience) 

Posting Closing Date: 01/13/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator Tool

Engineering Specialist III - 37020934

State of Florida

Department of Environmental Protection

Our Organization and Mission:

The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship - protecting our air, water and land. The vision of DEP is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystem. 

The Work You Will Do:

This Engineering Specialist III position performs professional work under the direction of the Environmental Manager, a Professional Engineer, for the Division of Water Resource Management’s Wastewater Management Program located in Tallahassee, Florida.  The ideal candidate will possess discipline-specific knowledge in wastewater regulations, leadership skills and basic engineering technical skills to promote the sustainability, implementation and efficiency of state and federal laws; along with rules and regulations related to the collection and treatment of wastewater, reuse of reclaimed water, including surface water quality and treatment wetlands techniques.

The Difference You Will Make:

The Engineering Specialist III participates in meetings with representatives from the regulated community and federal, state, and local governments, and develops reports as required by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection; and assists with other duties as required. The Engineering Specialist III also works with managers to plan and prioritize activities and projects in line with DEP’s strategic objectives and find integrated solutions for a variety of organizational challenges.

How You Will Grow:

DEP encourages its leaders to constantly innovate and seek efficiencies. We believe in supporting and encouraging you as you take on important and often complex projects while offering you the opportunity to gain valuable professional experience quickly.

Where You Will Work:

Tallahassee, Florida’s Capitol City, lined with rolling hills, oak trees, and canopied roads combines old world charm with a modern pace of life. Home to two major universities as well as state government, Tallahassee is a mid-sized city in the heart of Florida’s Big Bend. Tallahassee is a highly desirable location for both those seeking their first job or those ready to enter the next exciting chapter in their career.

The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida: (Please choose either FTE or OPS language, as appropriate**):

**FTE Benefits Language:

Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including:

• Annual and Sick Leave benefits;
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year;
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options;
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com);
• Flexible Spending Accounts;
• Tuition waivers;
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com.

Pay:

$45,308.75 - $47,250.00/annually (Commensurate with experience)

Your Specific Responsibilities:

• Assists Department staff with interpretations of wastewater related statues, rules, and policies. Provides training and technical guidance on permitting and other aspects of wastewater management. Assists the Environmental Manager with preparing reports related to various types of wastewater treatment facilities and wetlands used as treatment wetlands.
• Assists in developing rules and policies related to wastewater management. Evaluates current rules and policies and recommends modifications as needed. Assists in any necessary rulemaking and policy-making activities for the program. Reviews legislation and regulations and may provide draft amendments to existing legislation, in support of Program, Division, and Department leadership as needed.  Ensures that rules, policies, and legislation are consistent with environmental and economic concerns and with sound wastewater management practices.
• Assists the Environmental Manager for coordinating reviews of State permitting activities related to domestic wastewater, industrial wastewater, surface water discharges, along with treatment wetlands; assisting the district offices, Division of Environmental Assessment and Restoration, other Department staff, and water management districts. Assists in reviewing documents related to state-issued wastewater discharge permits for consistency with the State and NPDES permitting program requirements. Assists in developing standard permit conditions and testing updates in Permit Builder. Assists with training and providing technical guidance on permitting issues and other aspects of wastewater management.
• Assists the Environmental Manager with the Department’s regulatory district offices on activities pertaining to EPA’s NPDES Permit Quality Reviews and necessary revisions to implement program enhancements.
• Assists with conducting wastewater discharge permit overviews for Department’s regulatory district offices and delegated local wastewater permitting programs.
• Assists the Environmental Manager with developing and updating guidelines and manuals such as the Department’s guide for applicants of wastewater facilities or activities and the Department’s wastewater permit writer’s manual for training department staff. Updates include, but not limited to, new or revised wastewater statutes, rules, guidelines and policies. Assists with developing and testing electronic permitting tools.
• Consults with, coordinates with, and responds to inquiries from local governments, regional planning agencies, state and federal agencies, businesses, professional interests, media, and the general public on domestic wastewater, industrial wastewater and treatment wetland issues. Provides training and makes technical presentations to inform these interests about the State’s wastewater management practices and operation of treatment wetlands. Also, provides technical assistance to Department staff on collection systems, special domestic wastewater projects and other wastewater management issues.
• Assists with preparing and tracking the program’s employee development plan for staff. Coordinates uploading program trainings for district staff to the Department’s electronic learning management system. 
• Serves as special project manager for technically complex wastewater and treatment wetland projects that require coordination with other Department divisions and programs and water management districts. Provides technical assistance on complex domestic wastewater issues.
• Coordinates and assists with updating and maintaining the Department’s Wastewater Management Program webpages and ensures webpages and posted documents are 508 compliant.
• Aids the Department’s Water Tracker call center during emergency events; and 
• Performs other related duties as required. Some travel may be required in the performance of assigned duties.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Knowledge of engineering design principles for wastewater collection and treatment.
• Knowledge of state and federal permitting requirements and procedures.
• Ability to work independently and manage technical projects.
• Ability to understand wastewater treatment concepts and principles.
• Ability to plan, organize, and coordinate work assignments.
• Ability to prioritize workload.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in-writing.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others.
• Knowledge of computer-based retrieval systems.
• Ability to research and understand state, federal, and local wastewater rules, and regulations.
• Ability to travel outside of Tallahassee.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited university or college and 2-years of verifiable related experience; or Any combination of post-secondary education or verifiable related experience, as described in this posting, for a total of six years.

Preferred Qualifications

• Travel.
• Knowledge of the principles, concepts, and terminology of basic engineering design related to domestic and industrial wastewater.
• Experience in the preparation of Department records.
• Knowledge of Chapter, Florida Statues, and Chapters 62-600, 62-611- 62-620, 62-621, 62-660, 62-302, and 62-304, Florida Administrative Code.
• Knowledge of U.S. EPA’s e-reporting rules.
• Experience in the Department’s wastewater permitting procedures and review of design documents.
• Knowledge of federal and state regulations related to domestic and industrial wastewater facilities.

Other Job-Related Requirements for this position:

• Valid Class E Driver License

POSITION OF SPECIAL TRUST REQUIREMENT:

This position is designated as a Position of Special Trust in accordance with DEP-422 (Positions of Special Trust or Responsibility). Any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a Level 2 State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S.  No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency.

Persons interested in applying for this position must submit a completed State of Florida Employment Application through the People First System.

DEP is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. We recognize the extensive training, experience, and transferrable skills that veterans and individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce. Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact our recruiter for guidance and answers to questions through the following email addresses:

HR_VeteransPreference@dep.state.fl.us

HR_Recruitment@FloridaDEP.gov

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE.  Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply.  Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements.  Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code.  Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here.  All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement.