Environmental Specialist 1
Category: Classified
Pay Grade: C21
Job Code: 02430
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the essential job functions satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the primary job functions herein described. Since every duty associated with this position may not be described herein, employees may be required to perform duties not specifically spelled out in the job description, but which may be reasonably considered to be incidental in the performing of their duties just as though they were actually written out in this job description.
JOB SUMMARY
Performs technical field and office work in an environmental land use management, air, water, or groundwater pollution control program; assists in a wide variety of tasks, including environmental inspection, enforcement details, monitoring, sampling, evaluation, and analysis related to the protection of the County’s natural resources; enforces national, state, and local environmental laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations; performs site development plan review, field investigations, permit issuance, collection of air or water samples for monitoring pollutants, environmental impact assessments, investigation of potential environmental hazards, calculation of retention and drainage, preparation of environmental reports, and inspections for certificates of compliance.
ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS (examples, not all inclusive)
- Reviews site development plans and permit applications, conducts field investigations for compliance with environmental codes and ordinances, recommends modifications to ensure regulatory compliance, and inspects sites for certificates of compliance with approved site development plans;
- Performs field inspections and makes recommendations and limited decisions on the removal of protected vegetation and issues permits;
- Prepares and serves fine citations and appears in court as a witness;
- Assists businesses, contractors, developers, engineers, and the public with interpretation of environmental regulations and compliance with federal, state, and local environmental laws, codes, and ordinances;
- Conducts sampling and field investigations for air or water quality programs including the operation, calibration, and routine maintenance of specialized sampling apparatus and pollution control testing and monitoring equipment;
- Collects and maintains technical environmental data, interprets the results of laboratory tests, evaluates ecological and environmental impact, and develops reports on specialized studies;
- Performs quality assurance tests and audits validating the integrity of environmental data and performs technical statistical analyses of data using automated programs;
- Evaluates conformance with established environmental codes, ordinances, and regulations and initiates field enforcement actions based on inspection findings of administrative or operational non-compliance;
- Conducts permitting reviews and special assessments on mangroves, wetlands, and uplands to protect environmentally sensitive areas;
- May assist in Environmental Specialist trainee development;
- Coordinates the activities of volunteer personnel as needed within the section or department;
- Investigates citizen complaints on land use, air, or water quality matters including fish kills, noxious odors, hazardous waste, etc.;
- Maintains original documents and scans and files electronically;
- Investigates citizen complaints on water quality and other matters;
- Identifies needs for and ideas of new educational publications for businesses and provides applicable materials to businesses;
- Performs other related job duties as assigned.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree with major course work in environmental, physical, natural or biological science, engineering, or related field and one (1) year of related experience; or an equivalent combination of education, training, and/or experience.
Special Qualifications (May be required depending on area of assignment):
- Florida Driver’s License or Florida Commercial Driver’s License and endorsement, if any.
- Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.
- Candidate to demonstrate more advanced proficiency, competency, and satisfactory completion of regularly assigned work in an independent manner. Appointing Authority retains discretion to employ an incumbent at this level or advance the incumbent non-competitively or competitively, after a candidate meets the minimum qualifications to an in-line career ladder position within the same organization or department.
- Employee be a non-smoker and submit to periodic physical examinations for medical monitoring.
- Other knowledge, skills, abilities, and credentials required for a specific position.
Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:
- Knowledge of environmental related codes, laws, rules, ordinances, and regulations and the principles of environmental pollution control;
- Knowledge of mathematics and natural, physical, and biological sciences;
- Knowledge of scientific research techniques including the collection of sampling data and preparation of environmental reports;
- Ability to read and interpret blueprints, plats, maps, aerial photos, and diagrams;
- Ability to operate, calibrate, and perform routine maintenance and repair on assigned electronic and mechanical environmental monitoring equipment;
- Ability to formulate and present ideas and findings clearly and concisely in written, oral, or graphic form;
- Ability to operate basic computerized data analysis equipment;
- Ability to swim and operate small watercraft may be required based upon area of assignment;
- Ability to testify in court as an expert witness;
- Ability to use small office equipment, computers, and highly technical computer applications;
- Ability to use or repair small and medium equipment and machinery.
PHYSICAL/MENTAL DEMANDS
The work is light work which requires exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or up to 10 pounds of force to move objects. Additionally, the following physical abilities are required:
- Balancing: Maintaining body equilibrium to prevent falling while walking, standing or crouching on narrow, slippery, or erratically moving surfaces. The amount of balancing exceeds that needed for ordinary locomotion and maintenance of body equilibrium.
- Climbing: Ascending or descending ladders, stairs, scaffolding, ramps, poles and the like, using feet and legs and/or hands and arms. Body agility is emphasized.
- Crouching: Bending the body downward and forward by bending leg and spine.
- Feeling: Perceiving attributes of objects, such as size, shape, temperature or texture by touching with skin, particularly that of fingertips.
- Fingering: Picking, pinching, typing, or otherwise working, primarily with fingers rather than with the whole hand as in handling.
- Grasping: Applying pressure to an object with the fingers and palm.
- Handling: Picking, holding, or otherwise working, primarily with the whole hand.
- Kneeling: Bending legs at knee to come to a rest on knee or knees.
- Lifting: Raising objects from a lower to a higher position or moving objects horizontally from position-to-position. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires substantial use of upper extremities and back muscles.
- Pulling: Using upper extremities to exert force in order to draw, haul or tug objects in a sustained motion.
- Pushing: Using upper extremities to press against something with steady force in order to thrust forward, downward or outward.
- Reaching: Extending hand(s) and arm(s) in any direction.
- Visual ability: Sufficient to effectively operate office equipment including copier, computer, etc.; and to read and write reports, correspondence, instructions, etc.
- Hearing ability: Sufficient to hold a conversation with other individuals both in person and over a telephone; and to hear recording on transcription device.
- Speaking ability: Sufficient to communicate effectively with other individuals in person and over a telephone.
- Mental acuity: Ability to make rational decisions through sound logic and deductive processes.
- Talking: Expressing or exchanging ideas by means of the spoken word including those activities in which they must convey detailed or important spoken instructions to other workers accurately, loudly, or quickly.
- Repetitive motion: Substantial movements (motions) of the wrist, hands, and/or fingers.
- Standing: Particularly for sustained periods of time.
- Stooping: Bending body downward and forward by bending spine at the waist. Occurs to a considerable degree and requires full motion of the lower extremities and back muscles.
- Walking: Moving about on foot to accomplish tasks, particularly for long distances or moving from one work site to another.
WORKING CONDITIONS
Work is performed in a dynamic environment that requires me to be sensitive to change and responsive to changing goals, priorities, and needs.