Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT AND CONSERVATION, SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT DIVISION, WASHINGTON COUNTY

This position has some flexibility for working from home on scheduled days.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT THE LINK BELOW:

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/job-announcements-/preferred-service/00108036_env_con_1_swm_jcefo_tdec-job-opp_ps.pdf

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in environmental science, physical sciences (e.g. physics, chemistry, geology, meteorology), ecology, sustainability or applied science in sustainability, life sciences (e.g. biology, microbiology, health physics or biophysics), environmental health, pre-medicine, engineering or other acceptable science or natural resource related field and three years of full-time professional environmental program, natural resource conservation work or full-time professional work that involved ensuring compliance with radiation safety standards and/or regulations.

Substitution of Education for Experience: Graduate coursework in environmental science, biology, chemistry, geology, engineering, physics, ecology, sustainability, applied science in sustainability, or other acceptable science or natural resource related field may be substituted for the required experience, on a year-for-year basis, to a maximum of two years (24 semester hours is equivalent to one year).

Substitution of a Specific Bachelor's Degree for Experience: A bachelor's degree in health physics or nuclear engineering may substitute for one year of the required experience in the Division of Radiological Health.

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class must:

• Applicants for this class must possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment in some positions.

Examination Method: Education and Experience, 100%, for Preferred Service positions.

Summary

Summary: Under general supervision, serves as an Environmental Consultant dealing with issues of average difficulty within a division. Performs complex scientific and technical work of average difficulty associated with or related to technical oversight, planning, reviewing, negotiating, coordinating, program and process development and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Features: This is the first level technical consultant in the TDEC Environmental Consultant sub-series. An employee in this class performs professional environmental consultant duties in environmental regulatory, radiological health, natural areas and/or sustainability programs by serving as an Environmental Consultant and technical or regulatory expert addressing complex issues. This classification performs scientific and technical environmental consultant duties by serving as a subject matter or process expert, may assist in training others, and performs technical tasks of average difficulty in a small work unit or project team. This classification differs from TDEC Environmental Consultant 2 in that an incumbent of the latter functions as a technical consultant working on issues of considerable difficulty and/or trains or coordinates two or more small project or process teams.

Responsibilities

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:

• Perform investigation, remediation, abatement and/or closure and/or monitoring work, including sampling and evaluation of the environment, pollutants and/or ionizing radiation to determine compliance with environmental or other standards.
• Independently performs environmental or other compliance monitoring.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems:

• Develop theories to identify causes, sources, pathways, receptors, and potential risks associated with environmental pollutants.
• Writes and/or recommends amendments, corrective action plans, licenses or permits, etc., of average difficulty.
• Analyzes available information/data, to ensure the best solution is chosen, to meet regulatory and/or stakeholders (such as, but not limited to: the public, legislators, other government agencies, coworkers, non-governmental organizations, etc.), needs.
• Review plans and reports of average difficulty to determine future regulatory actions required.
• Determines if compliance violation warrants an enforcement order; recommends enforcement actions as required.

Analyzing Data or Information:

• Conduct computational modeling or other technical analyses that support program decision and policy making.
• Analyze data to ensure quality control standards are met.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others:

• Interpret findings, results, etc. to stakeholders (i.e. site inspections, permits, lab results, etc.).
• Communicates and/or presents interpretation of regulations, policy, guidance, etc. to stakeholders.

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others:

• Negotiate with stakeholders to resolve issues.
• Oversees and/or investigates complaints; develops and/or reviews corrective recommendations for identified problems, and if necessary, initiates enforcement/legal action to effect compliance of established standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies; supports technical dispute resolution.
• Coordinate with management, to ensure that all critical factors are considered, when determining the need for disciplinary action.
• Attempt to prevent grievances by fostering an atmosphere where potential problems are brought forth and resolved.

Selling or Influencing Others:

• Build consensus among stakeholders, in order to further the mission and goals.
• Make technical presentations of average difficulty to internal and external stakeholders.

Coordinating the Work and Activities of Others:

• Assist with technical project management duties, including interaction with responsible parties, review of relevant documents and pertinent information.
• Plans and coordinates activities of technical work groups.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others:

• Provide basic technical advice in responding to environmental incidents.
• Assists or provides consultative, technical, or educational information to other environmental staff, industries, municipalities, counties, individuals, or groups.
• Participate in enforcement actions to bring non-compliant entities into compliance.
• Assist with the development of and/or revisions to regulations and guidance documents.
• Respond to environmental or other incidents/complaints/requests/inquiries, in a timely manner.
• Update regulatory information to stakeholders.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material:

• Conduct inspections of equipment, structures and/or material, to ensure proper installation, maintenance, and/or operation.
• Evaluate performance of equipment, structures, and/or materials.

Coaching and Developing Others:

• Provide coaching and mentoring to other technical staff.

Documenting/Recording Information:

• Prepares and/or maintains complete and accurate records and reports.
• Documents all relevant work activities, contacts, and meetings.

Judging the Qualities of Things, Services, or People:

• Evaluate proposals or other business instruments from a financial and technical perspective.
• Interpret material evaluations.
• Determine material properties and classification.

Drafting, Laying Out, and Specifying Technical Devices, Parts, and Equipment:

• Prepares documentation (such as permits, equipment specifications, designs, layout, blueprints, evaluations, etc.), in a concise and defensible manner, to ensure missions are met.
• Write justification describing the need for equipment.
• Obtains cost estimates for equipment from different vendors.
• Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:
• Ensure healthy relationships with stakeholders.
• Work with other agencies and organizations to ensure that operational and programmatic activities receive early concurrence and input from regional and statewide authorities.
• Relate observations, conclusions, and opinions to co-workers/internal customers in a respectful and professional manner.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization:

• Serve as a subject matter advisor for technical or legal issues.
• Follows established policy for media/legislative contacts, which may include providing a response.
• Provide high-quality outreach, including design, distribution of information, and technical assistance to stakeholders.
• Ensures all internal and external customers are serviced in a timely, professional and knowledgeable manner, so as to meet the mission.
• May coordinate with local, state, and/or federal agencies, and/or non-governmental organizations, for consultations and/or joint projects.
• Update and inform stakeholders of policy and/or regulation changes, as they occur.
• Use tools, such as GIS, etc., to inform and educate stakeholders and improve or maintain environmental resources.
• Processing Information:
• Compiles, processes, and reviews records, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, etc.
• Manage databases, as designated, to meet agency requirements.
• Compiles all required technical information for environmental or other documents.
• Generates queries and develop reports for stakeholders.

Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment:

• Maintains, troubleshoots and calibrates electronic equipment (such as, but not limited to: radiation detection meter, photo ionization detector, pH meter, GPS, etc.), as needed.

Interacting With Computers:

• Designs, develops and/or maintains technical applications including but not limited to: (databases, web-based applications, electronic documents, etc.).
• General knowledge and use of various software programs, such as word processing, spreadsheets, databases, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), etc.
• Enter time and leave within the designated computer program, in a proper and timely manner.

Developing Objectives and Strategies:

• Assist with developing standard operating procedures.

Training and Teaching Others:

• Participate in education and training for and to stakeholders.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:

• Determines if the documents of average difficulty (i.e., permits, applications, reciprocity documents, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), licenses, etc.) may be approved or deemed acceptable by reviewing and evaluating information submitted by applicant or acquired by the department used for determining compliance with established standards.
• Enforce established environmental or other standards, laws, rules, regulations, and/or administrative policies and procedures, taking corrective action as warranted.
• Oversees environmental compliance monitoring and inspection work within the department.
• Reviews technical reports and other submitted documentation for accuracy and completeness.
• Ensures statutory obligations are fulfilled.
• Assure that projects adhere to all agency directives, policies, procedures, and protocols.
• Assure that projects are completed on time and within assigned performance standards.
• Assure that electronic and paper reports as required for projects are submitted accurately and promptly
• Assure that completed reimbursements or billing requests are properly justified and submitted in a timely manner with properly coded expenditures, as warranted.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:

• Assist with implementing state and/or federal grant/loan projects, including planning, researching, field work, data management, report writing, and public outreach.
• Assist in the development of technical policies and guidance.
• Assists with planning, including the preparation and updating of management plans and ensuring annual reports are compiled and submitted, each year.
• Prioritizes work assignments to ensure goals are met.
• Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment:
• Maintains and troubleshoots equipment (such as, but not limited to air monitoring, laser level, boats, etc.), needed to perform duties.
• Calibrate mechanical equipment (such as, but not limited to: ozone monitor, etc.), as needed.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:

• Schedule, and/or participate in public meetings/hearings, as required.
• Schedule and/or participate in technical presentations at public outreach events.
• Monitoring and Controlling Resources:
• Provide technical oversight, review, and/or project management of ongoing state and/or federal grant/loan programs.
• Assist management with budget development.
• Determine eligibility to participate in fund reimbursement programs.
• Ensures contractors' proposed work activities comply with established rates.
• Calculate the technical basis for fee assessments.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:

• Maintain knowledge of current regulatory information and technical area of expertise.
• Maintain educational/training requirements, (CEUs, certifications, etc.)
• Seek additional education/training opportunities for professional development.

Developing and Building Teams:

• Encourages and works effectively with team members by listening, sharing, and/or brainstorming.
• Continually seeks out ways to build effective technical teams and seeks their commitment to departmental goals.
• Volunteers and participates in work groups, special assignments, planning teams, etc., as opportunities arise that further established goals.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:

• Advise management about issues of concern, as they occur.
• Communicates regularly with coworkers, and/or supervisors to ensure consistent program operation, (i.e., staff meetings, performance evaluations, etc.).
• Provides effective communication to supervisors and peers by telephone, email, verbally, etc.
• Recognizes, provides, and communicates areas of improvement.

Getting Information:

• Consult with staff, investigators, attorneys, judges and other court officials to obtain information related to legal cases.
• Conducts and/or oversees environmental and scientific surveys, inventories or monitoring, including site evaluations that may be of conservation interest.
• Performs research on regulatory information sources, to provide assistance and stay current with local, state, and federal standards and/or procedures.
• Review rules, track updates, and assess impacts to stakeholders.
• Obtains and receives technical information, such as records, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, permit applications, etc.
• May search for entities that should be regulated, to identify and inform those that need to be brought into compliance.
• Attend meetings (such as, but not limited to: board meetings, regulatory, professional, stakeholder, and association meetings, etc.).

Thinking Creatively:

• Actively seeks opportunities to improve processes to ensure goals and/or mission of the department are met or exceeded.
• May create and design outreach material (i.e. websites, social media, etc.) and/or regulatory assistance/training programs that apply to stakeholders.

Competencies

Tools & Equipment

• Personal Computer/ Calculator Table
• Telephone/Cell Phone/Pager
• Printer/Scanner/Copier/Fax
• Water Craft/Motor Vehicle
• Sampling, Monitoring Equipment and Supplies/Tools
• Radiation Detection Meter/ Radiation Survey Equipment/Personal Dosimetry
• Tractors/All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
• Two-way Radios
• Cameras and Optical Equipment
• Film Processing Equipment
• Global Position System (GPS)
• Surveying and Measuring Equipment
• Safety and/or Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Outdoor Power Equipment and Hand Tools
• Projector
• Laboratory Equipment
• Maps/Plans
• Fluorometer
• Electroshocking Equipment
• Compass
• Graphic Software

TN Driver Standards

State of Tennessee positions that may involve driving responsibilities require candidates to meet the following minimum driver qualifications:

• A valid driver's license
• For the past five years, the candidate's driver record must not have record of the following violations: driving under the influence (DUI), reckless driving, license suspension for moving violations, more than 4 moving violations.

Please include your Driver's License Information under the Licenses and Certifications section of your application.

**Agencies may allow an exception based on other factors.