Drinking Water Protection Program Coordinator (Natural Resource Specialist 5)

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability in the administration of our programs and activities. Visit DEQ’s Civil Rights and Environmental Justice page.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, 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 Oregon’s air, land, and water.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Drinking Water Protection Program Coordinator (Natural Resource Specialist 5) in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and working to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality.

About DEQ!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state’s natural resources. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/E-Cs6M9AAlU

The Water Quality Division has a critical role in achieving the Department’s mission by developing policy, implementation tools, and implementation priorities for improving and protecting the quality of water in Oregon’s waterways. The Water Quality Division works cooperatively with the Department’s three regional offices and the Laboratory to deliver programs and services that protect and enhance the quality of the waters of the state to protect public health and the environment.

The Standards, Source-water Protection, and Assessment Section is responsible for the implementation of DEQ’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program for source water protection. The section is also responsible for development and adoption of Oregon’s water quality standards, identification of outstanding resource waters and water quality limited waters, conducting a statewide water quality assessment and assembling a biennial status report on Oregon’s water quality, and providing scientific and technical assistance to the regions, laboratory, and other water quality program sections on water quality standards.

For a visual representation of DEQ’s offices and their locations, view our DEQ Offices and Vehicle Inspection Testing Stations map.

What you will do!

You will coordinate the statewide implementation of the Drinking Water Source Protection Program, including leading and developing goals and strategies for DEQ’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program projects; leading the coordination of drinking water source protection activities with other state and federal agencies; working collaboratively with Oregon Health Authority to evaluate and solve implementation issues for the Drinking Water Source Protection program; and representing the Department at hearings and meetings with the Legislature, local government officials, other State agencies, and the public. DEQ and the Oregon Health Authority partner closely in Oregon’s Drinking Water Source Protection Program, combining expertise and resources to help communities safeguard drinking water through proactive planning and risk reduction. In addition, you will consult with other State, Federal, and local government agencies concerning natural resources-oriented studies, issues, and problems; work with other State and Federal natural resource agencies on joint strategy development; and develop cross-program strategies to evaluate emerging contaminants, nutrients, and other risks to drinking water sources.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! DEQ cares deeply about employee wellness and benefits. We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon’s environment, apply today!

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: 8 years of experience in a natural resource or environmental field, with at least 1 year of experience at a technical or professional level performing activities in a natural resource program such as researching and analyzing data, conducting investigations, applying pertinent laws and regulations, or coordinating and monitoring project activities.

Substitutions:

• Bachelor’s degree in physical science, environmental science, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 3 of the required years of experience.
• Master’s degree in physical science, environmental science, environmental engineering, natural resource engineering, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 4 of the required years of experience.
• Doctorate degree in physical science, environmental science, environmental engineering, natural resource engineering, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 5 of the required years of experience.

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following desired attributes:

• Demonstrated emotional intelligence and capacity to work well in a team environment and with diverse interest parties.
• Extensive knowledge of and experience with the Clean Water Act and Safe Drinking Water Act, supporting federal and state laws, and associated regulations.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience with environmental justice, including the historical impacts on marginalized and underrepresented communities; commitment to increasing personal knowledge of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Demonstrated experience building and sustaining relationships with diverse partners, including colleagues, interested parties, communities, organizations, and businesses.
• Extensive knowledge and experience with surface water/groundwater interactions, technical water quality issues, groundwater principles, nonpoint and point sources of contamination, and contamination transport.
• Extensive knowledge of current trends, emerging technologies, and evolving issues related to water quality, with the ability to anticipate and adapt to changing regulatory and technical landscapes.
• Strong skills in conflict resolution, negotiation, collaboration, and engagement, with the ability to break down barriers between programs and foster coordinated approaches to problem-solving.
• Proven leadership skills, including the ability to analyze, integrate, and balance multiple perspectives, backgrounds, and priorities; demonstrate flexibility, patience, and effective facilitation.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to convey complex policy and technical information in a clear, concise, and compelling manner; skill in preparing and presenting reports with both qualitative and quantitative analyses, supported by sound recommendations and conclusions.
• Demonstrated experience communicating complex policy and technical information to a variety of audiences.
• Experience with policy development, including identifying strategic objectives and outcomes, drafting policies, legislative proposals, and regulations related to water quality protection, management, and control.
• Excellent project management, analytical, and organizational skills, with experience in planning, leading, and implementing complex projects and programs; prior consulting or regulatory project management experience preferred.
• Ability to synthesize complex cross-program and cross-agency issues and apply multidisciplinary expertise to develop effective strategies and solutions.
• Demonstrated experience and ability to collaborate with others to achieve consensus on challenging decisions.
• Deep listening skills to understand the perspectives of others.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Headquarters office in Portland; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

This position requires occasional travel to attend meetings, trainings, public hearings, conferences, workshops, and seminars, some of which may involve extended work hours, overnight stays, and/or weekend work.

How to Apply: (complete the Application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. For resources and support related to applying, view our External Candidate job aid and Workday Recruitment for External Job Applicants video.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account. For step-by-step resources on how to apply, review the Jobs, search & apply knowledge article
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Help Your Application Rise to the Top!

Your application materials are the perfect opportunity to highlight your interest in the position and showcase your amazing skills and experience. In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials.

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Veterans Information:

DEQ provides candidate preference points to all eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard service members (current and former). For more information on candidate preference, please visit Veterans Resources. For privacy reasons, please do not attach candidate preference documents when initially applying. Instead, you will be asked to submit those at a later time as part of a future task in Workday.

Equal Pay Analysis:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. All finalists have an equal pay analysis completed to determine their placement on the salary scale. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at jobs@deq.oregon.gov or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.