Salary: $27.70 Hourly
Location : Lincoln, NE
Job Type: PERM FULL TIME
Job Number: 084-12108
Department: Department of Environment and Energy
Opening Date: 08/10/2023
Closing Date: 9/5/2023 11:59 PM Central
Description
It is a very exciting time at our agency! Some of the things you can look forward to as an employee with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy:
• A new office building at Fallbrook with free parking.
• Flexible work schedules.
• You will be doing work knowing you are making a difference for current and future generations.
Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Nebraska’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Nebraska at the Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE). At NDEE, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Nebraska’s air, land, water, and energy resources.
What will you be doing:
Drafting or assisting in the drafting of wastewater, stormwater, pretreatment, or other discharge permits that protect water quality in receiving water bodies. This position will be for an experienced wastewater and water quality specialist who will be able to write the most challenging of permits and provide guidance to teammates. This position will be responsible for calculating waste load allocations for pollutants being discharged from municipal wastewater treatment facilities and industries across the state. The successful candidate will also be writing state Construction and Operating Permits for livestock operations and reviewing general permit applications. As part of the section, you may also assist with inspections and field investigations.
What’s in it for you!
The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package. 12 days of vacation during first year of service (accruals increase with years of service), 12 days of sick leave during first year of service (accruals increase with years of service), and 13 paid holidays per year. Permanent Teammate Benefits:
• Health Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• WellNebraska Health Plan
• Direct Primary Care (DPC)
• Mail order Rx (3 month supply) and Specialty Pharmacy program
• Virtual Visits and FREE Nurse line 24 hours a day 7 days a week
• Employee Assistance Program
• Retirement/Investment Plan
• Early Retirement Insurance Program (55 and older)
• Short-Term and Long-Term Disability
• Health Savings Account
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Tuition Assistance*
• LinkedIn Learning Access to 16,000+ On-Demand Courses
• Direct Deposit of Payroll
• Nebraska State Employees Credit Union
• Deferred Compensation Plan
• Paid Holidays
• Vacation, Sick, Civil, and Injury Leave
• Military Training or Emergency Duty Leave
• Teammate Discount Program
• Charitable Giving through Payroll Deduction
*Coverage is effective the first of the month following 30 days of employment.
For a complete listing of job duties, requirements, and to apply, go to
“The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, disability, marital status, or genetics.”
Location and address of position: 245 Fallbrook Blvd – Suite 100 – Lincoln, NE
Examples of Work
• Determines the need for, reviews applications for and writes permits as required by discharge regulations for wastewater treatment. Reviews permit applications and prepares draft permits for regulatory compliance, including water quality-based permit limitations and engineering review under the National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System.
• Review the work of other permit writers for compliance with Clean Water Act goals. Mentor and be the subject matter expert for colleagues. Must be able to provide instruction on permit reviews, WLAs, and general permit reviews.
• Craft standard operating procedure documents to improve permit writing and reviews.
• Performs water quality modeling using mass balance, steady state, CORMIX, or other methods to calculate waste load allocations to be used to create permit limits or determine the reasonable potential of discharged pollutants.
• Communicates with programs, agencies, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), permittees and the public.
• Meets with federal, State, and local government representatives and the general public to explain environmental quality program policies and programs. Communicates technical program information and conducts presentations at conferences and meetings.
• Testifies at hearings as an expert witness to verify observations and conclusions from data collection and interpretation as required in legal actions. Presents facts and general information about the permit development process and permit requirements at public hearings.
• Develops strategies, modeling techniques, methods, protocol, and standards to implement environmental protection plans and programs for use within the State. Utilizes and interprets hydrological models to evaluate and determine appropriate permit limits for facilities. Uses advanced statistical and computer modeling techniques to interpret environmental quality data and writes reports to identify problems and pollution abatement alternatives.
• Write, edit, and review routine correspondence to/with animal feeding operations, consultants, and the public.
• Develop guidance documents for use by the public explaining the applicable rules and regulations governing animal feeding operations. Assist in the writing, review and revision of technical guidelines, regulations and Agency policies, procedures, and protocols to implement environmental plans and programs.
• Prepare and present seminars, workshops, and public information sessions that aid in the education of the public regarding environmental regulations and policies that affect livestock producers.
• Attend recommended regulatory, management and other professional development training courses.
• Review EPA guidance documents, memorandum, Federal Register notices, Federal and State regulations, professional journals, and trade magazines to keep abreast of emerging issues.
• Review applications and write construction and operating permits for holding ponds, lagoons, and other livestock waste control facilities.
• Reviews and makes recommendations for approval or denial of permits, certifications, facility plans, environmental impact statements, etc.; conducts compliance evaluations of permitted facilities to ensure continued conformance with permit provisions.
Qualifications / Requirements
REQUIREMENTS: Bachelor’s Degree in the physical sciences, natural sciences, environmental science, geology, biology, agronomy, civil engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, hydrology, community and regional planning, or a related field AND two years of professional experience in a related field. Experience may substitute for education or a year-for-year basis.
PREFERRED: Experience with all types of NPDES permits, including pretreatment, wastewater treatment facilities, non-process wastewater, and general permits.
OTHER: Valid driver’s license or the ability to provide independent transportation. Ability to travel overnight, approximately 10%. Ability to lift to 30 pounds. Ability to climb, bend and stoop. Ability to work in outdoor weather extremes during all seasons. Ability to walk on muddy, icy, and uneven terrain. Ability to walk long distances. Ability to maintain regular and reliable attendance.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
Knowledge of: the principles of agronomy, ecology, geology, and hydrology; biological, physical, and chemical sciences; statistical and analytical methods; word processing, spreadsheet and database management computer software. This candidate must have experience with NPDES permitting or compliance.
Skill in: communicating with individuals and groups with varying technical backgrounds to collect and relay information; listening to and understanding others; prioritizing workloads; using analytical judgment to make decisions; public speaking and providing presentations. This candidate must also have skills working with colleagues to be able to provide guidance and instruction.
Ability to: learn and apply local, State, and federal environmental laws, regulations, and standards; provide guidance to team; develop and write standard operating procedures; learn, apply, and uphold agency policies and procedures; establish and maintain effective working relationships with public and private officials and with the public; read and interpret topographic and geologic maps; organize, analyze, and interpret data to draw conclusions and prepare reports and technical papers; use computers and other tools for data storage and analysis.
We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.
Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! For more information on benefits currently offered to permanent teammates, please visit:
01
Do you have a Bachelor’s Degree in the physical sciences, natural sciences, environmental science, geology, biology, agronomy, civil engineering, environmental engineering mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, hydrology, community and regional planning, or a related field?
- a. Yes
- b. No
02
Please list degree(s).
03
Do you have two years of fulltime professional experience in a related field, consistent with the duties of the position?
- a. Yes
- b. No
04
Do you have experience with all types of NPDES permits, including pretreatment, wastewater treatment facilities, non-process wastewater, and general permits?
05
Please list or describe in detail your relevant NPDES, permitting, compliance inspection, pretreatment, wastewater treatment facility, non-process wastewater, and general permit work experience with the number of years and months.
06
Do you have any experience with being a mentor or guide to a colleague working in the wastewater or environmental field? If so, please describe your experience with mentoring or teaching.
07
Do you have a valid driver’s license or the ability to provide independent authorized transportation?
- Yes
- No
08
Are you willing and able to occasionally travel overnight?
- a. Yes
- b. No
09
Are you willing and able to lift up to 30 pounds?
- a. Yes
- b. No
10
Are you willing and able to work in outdoor temperature extremes, and walk on uneven terrains and steep slopes to accomplish tasks?
- a. Yes
- b. No
11
Are you willing and able to walk on muddy, icy, uneven terrains and steep slopes and uneven terrains and steep slopes to accomplish tasks?
- a. Yes
- b. No
12
Are you willing and able to walk long distances?
- a. Yes
- b. No
13
Are you able to maintain regular and reliable attendance?
- a. Yes
- b. No
14
Do you have experience with mapping software.
- a. Yes
- b. No
15
Do you have experience with Microsoft Office?
- a. No
- b. Yes
16
Do you have formal speech or presentation training?
- a. Yes
- b. No
Required Question