Tdec-Environmental Scientist 2* - 04132023-45094

Job Information

LOCATION OF (1) POSITION(S) TO BE FILLED: DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT & CONSERVATION, SOLID WASTE ASSISTANCE DIVISION, DAVIDSON COUNTY
For more information, visit the link below:
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/job-announcements-/preferred-service/00104942_env_sci_2_swm_mm_tdec-job-opp_ps.pdf
Work form home

Minimum 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 one year 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 one year (24 semester hours or 36 quarter hours is equivalent to one year).
OR

One year of fulltime professional environmental, sustainability, or natural resource conservation program work with the State of Tennessee.

Other Requirements

Necessary Special Qualifications: Applicants for this class must:

• Some TDEC Environmental Scientist 2, positions assigned to function as Biologists must meet the specific educational requirements for Biologists, as follows: Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree, including at least 36 quarter hours (or 24 semester hours) in biology, in one of the following areas: (1) biology or biological sciences, (2) botanical sciences, (3) environmental or conservation sciences, (4) zoological sciences, or (5) aquatic, terrestrial, or wetland biology or ecology or other acceptable biological science related field.
• Possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment in some positions;
• TDEC Environmental Scientist's 2, performing geologic duties the major portion of their time must: Either a.) have completed the required college course work at the time of appointment to be eligible to take the licensing examination offered by Tennessee's Department of Commerce and Insurance's Board of Professional Geologists, or b.) hold and maintain a current Geologic license from the State of Tennessee during employment or hold a current Geologic license from another State that Tennessee has evaluated and granted reciprocal licensing rights;
• Applicants not flexing from the TDEC Environmental Scientist 1, or Health Physicist 1, who are working in the Division of Radiological Health must successfully complete the training courses offered by the Division of Radiological Health. Failure to do so may result in termination;

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

Job Overview

Summary: Under general supervision, is responsible for performing a wide variety of professional environmental, health physicist, natural resources, sustainability, laboratory, geological, and/or similar science related program work of average difficulty; and performs related work as required.

Distinguishing Features: This is the working-level in the TDEC Environmental Scientist sub-series. An employee in this class may perform a full range of environmental compliance activities, including inspections, monitoring, problem identification, sample collection, report writing, corrective action, emergency response, surveying, lab work, and enforcement duties in environmental regulatory, radiological health, natural resources, or sustainable practices program areas. An employee in this class may perform natural resource management and other non-regulatory duties.
This class is flexibly staffed with and differs from the TDEC Environmental Scientist 1, in that an incumbent of the latter functions at the entry-training level. This class differs from TDEC Environmental Scientist 3 in that an incumbent of the latter functions at an advanced level and may lead other staff.

Work Activities

Resolving Conflicts and Negotiating with Others:

• Investigates complaints; develops corrective recommendations for identified problems, and if necessary, initiates legal action to effect compliance of established standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies.

Making Decisions and Solving Problems:

• Determines validity and severity of violation(s) and if an enforcement action is warranted.
• Determine the validity and severity of an incident and appropriate response.
• Review plans and reports to determine future regulatory actions.
• Analyzes available information and makes recommendations to ensure the best solution is chosen to meet regulatory, project, and/or stakeholders' needs.

Interpreting the Meaning of Information for Others:

• Interprets findings, results, (i.e. site inspections, permits, lab results, etc.) and communicates interpretation of regulations, policy, guidance to stakeholders.
• Prepare various publications, reports, technical documents, maps and plans.

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

• Prepares documentation (such as permits, designs, layout, blueprints, soil evaluations, etc.), in a concise and defensible manner, to ensure missions are met.

Processing Information:

• Prepare statistical/metric reports for aquatic, terrestrial, and wetland evaluations.
• Reviews Quality Assurance/Quality Control parameters, specific to and required by acceptable methodologies, to ensure they are performed with each data set.
• Compiles, processes, and reviews records, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, reports, etc.
• Compile legally defensible environmental documents.

Analyzing Data or Information:

• Review plans to ensure protection of human health and the environment.
• Performs laboratory or field tests based specific sample requirements.
• Analyze environmental and/or other information, such as monitoring records, site inspections, sampling data to determine if further action is necessary and to evaluate trends.
• Analyze environmental data using mathematical and statistical methods.
• Prepare plans, maps or reports of findings relating to health and environmental data.
• Perform studies of environmental pollution or ionizing radiation and any socioeconomic effects.
• Assist in developing standards.
• Interpret analytical results to determine data quality and usability.

Monitor Processes, Materials, or Surroundings:

• Verify expiration dates of chemicals and supplies, disposing of expired materials as required by safety rules and regulations.
• Coordinates and serves as technical lead for projects.
• Performs environmental or health investigations, remediation, and/or monitoring work, including sampling and evaluation of pollutants to determine compliance with environmental or other standards.
• Comply with safe handling, storage and disposal procedures for samples, laboratory reagents and other chemicals.
• Reviews monitoring data to determine permit compliance, environmental standards and/or ecological conditions.
• Serve as a technical advisor to emergency responders for incidents/accidents.

Evaluating Information to Determine Compliance with Standards:

• Compares environmental and/or health related data to applicable criteria.
• Enforce environmental or other standards, laws, rules, regulations, and/or administrative policies and procedures, taking corrective action as warranted.
• Reviews and evaluates applications, forms, plans, inspection documents, general correspondence, reports or other records to ensure technical adequacy.
• Assesses fees based on the regulatory standards.
• Perform inspections and/or investigations when required by a specific TDEC program area such as air pollution, water resources, remediation, underground storage tanks, solid waste management, radiological health, natural areas, etc., to determine compliance with laws, regulations, or standards.
• Ensures statutory obligations are fulfilled.
• Audits third party inspections of facilities to determine compliance with regulatory standards.
• Adheres to requirements specified in Standard Operating Procedures and any applicable federal and/or state standards.
• Determines if documents (i.e., permits, applications, National Environmental Policy Act, licenses, accreditations and certifications, etc.) may be approved by reviewing and evaluating information submitted by applicant or acquired by site inspections and/or other informative sources used for determining minimum environmental or other compliance with established standards.
• Oversee environmental sampling and/or investigations to assure that acceptable procedures are followed.

Inspecting Equipment, Structures, or Material:

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

Interacting With Computers:

• Possesses general knowledge and utilizes computer software including but not limited to: statistical programs, scientific instruments, modeling, Geographic Information System (GIS), databases, word processing, spreadsheets, email, etc.
• Generate reports and documents utilizing contemporary computer software.

Provide Consultation and Advice to Others:

• Provide technical expertise in handling events involving radiation and radioactive material, including transportation, and industrial incidents as well as natural catastrophes.
• Update regulatory information to stakeholders.
• Provide consultative, technical, or educational services to industry, municipalities, counties, individuals, or groups in the necessity and methodology of enhancing environmental stewardship, health or other standards, practices, and safety.

Getting Information:

• Conducts, observes and/or oversees environmental or health surveys, sampling, inventories or monitoring, testing, including site evaluations.
• Obtains and receives records, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, survey information, etc.
• Perform regulatory and other research in order to stay current with local, state, and federal standards and procedures.
• Searches for and/or identifies entities or locations that should be regulated and inform those that need to be brought into compliance.

Performing General Physical Activities:

• Collect environmental samples and/or monitoring data (e.g., soil, rock, air, water, sediment, sludge, biological), under physically demanding conditions.
• Operates, carries or handles equipment/machinery unassisted that may weigh up to 50 pounds.
• Perform physical activities, such as walking (i.e. ditches, uneven terrain, etc.), wading in water, climbing, lifting (such as coolers, generators, etc.), operating field equipment (backpack shockers, augers, core samplers, or probes), etc.
• Performs physically demanding, ecologically-based stewardship and natural resource management on state natural areas, (utilizing equipment, such as backpack sprayer, chainsaw, bush hog, lawnmower, tractor, etc. in the management of rare species habitat, controlled fire, trail maintenance, boundary maintenance, invasive species control, etc.)

Selling or Influencing Others:

• Build consensus among internal and/or external stakeholders in order to further TDEC's missions and goals.

Documenting/Recording Information:

• Documents all relevant work activities, contacts, and meetings.
• Prepares and maintains complete and accurate records, reports, logs, databases, chain-of-custody and correspondence based on established guidelines and procedures.
• Maintains records of observations made during field evaluations to document data collection, ambient site conditions, and the location of the evaluation.

Repairing and Maintaining Electronic Equipment:

• Maintains, repairs and calibrates electronic equipment, such as radiation detection meter, photo ionization detector, pH meter, GPS, and X-ray fluorescence (XRF) as needed.

Communicating with Persons Outside Organization:

• Provide expert testimony for legal hearings and proceedings.
• Ensures all customers are serviced in a timely, professional and knowledgeable manner so as to meet the mission.
• Communicate findings in applicable approval letters, notice of deficiencies, notice of violations, license or amendment agreement or enforcement action requests.
• Participates and/or leads compliance review meetings with stakeholders to achieve compliance with regulations.
• Coordinate with stakeholders for consultations, meetings, workshops and joint projects.
• Uses tools, such as GIS, to inform and educate stakeholders and to improve or maintain environmental resources.
• Explain the validity and severity of incidents to governmental agencies and other stakeholders.
• Provide high-quality outreach, including design, distribution of information, and technical assistance to stakeholders.
• Participate in public participation opportunities as assigned.

Monitoring and Controlling Resources:

• Ensures contractors' proposed work activities comply with established rates and/or approved scope of work.
• Provide technical oversight, review, and/or project management of ongoing state and/or federal grant/loan programs.

Scheduling Work and Activities:

• Manages or assists in managing state programs including certifying officials/professionals; coordination and training; records management; and federal reporting requirements (e.g. the ginseng program, asbestos, lead based paint, etc.).
• Schedules assigned work to address compliance monitoring inspections, complaints and/or investigations, tasks, directives, correspondence, laboratory activities, biological surveys, etc.
• Participate in a required on-call rotation to respond to incidents/accidents as assigned.

Training and Teaching Others:

• Train other staff, in the proper methods and procedures for performing environmental work as requested.
• Provides training to stakeholders who may require specific knowledge.

Operating Vehicles, Mechanized Devices, or Equipment:

• Operates personal or assigned vehicles (such as, but not limited to watercraft, all-terrain vehicles, tractors, etc.), in accordance with agency policy and procedures, as well as all traffic laws.

Organizing, Planning, and Prioritizing Work:

• Develop work and study plans to identify specific goals and activities to ensure proper distribution of the workload.
• Organizes, plans and prioritizes work to ensure completion by a given deadline or other time constraint.

Repairing and Maintaining Mechanical Equipment:

• Maintains, repairs, and/or calibrates mechanical equipment, such as ozone monitor, air monitoring, laser level and watercrafts as needed.

Establishing and Maintaining Interpersonal Relationships:

• Relate observations, conclusions, and opinions to co-workers/internal customers in a respectful and professional manner.
• Works harmoniously with and ensures healthy relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Work with other agencies and organizations to ensure that operational and programmatic activities receive early concurrence and input from regional and statewide authorities.

Performing for or Working Directly with the Public:

• Schedules, attends, observes, and/or participates in public meetings or public outreach, as required.

Updating and Using Relevant Knowledge:

• Fulfill established educational, training, and safety requirements.
• Seek opportunities for professional development within and outside of the agency.
• Keeps up-to-date with technical developments, standard operating procedures and regulations and applies new knowledge to the job.

Performing Administrative Activities:

• Drafts and/or develops documents for review and signature within the required timeframe.
• Distribute documents to appropriate parties to ensure proper routing.
• Ensures all information is properly filed.
• Complete required documentation for travel and/or field use of vehicle (e.g. mileage logs, travel time, vehicle inspection checklist).
• Ensures files are managed according to the Records Disposition Authorization.
• Recognizes and coordinates interpretation or translation services, as needed.
• Enter time and leave within the designated computer program in a proper and timely manner.

Communicating with Supervisors, Peers, or Subordinates:

• Disseminate information as appropriate within the agency.
• Advise management about work issues of concern as they occur.
• Recognizes, provides, and communicates potential areas of improvement.
• Provide relevant, effective and routine written or verbal communication to supervisors or peers.

Competencies (KSA'S)

Competencies:

• Decision Quality
• Planning
• Problem Solving
• Written Communication
• Technical Learning
• Customer Focus
• Self-Development
• Functional/Technical Competency
• Time Management
• Learning on the Fly
• Listening

Knowledge:

• Law & Government
• Physics
• Geology
• Mathematics
• Chemistry
• Customer & Personal Service
• Biology

Skills:

• Active Listening
• Time Management
• Science
• Equipment Selection
• Critical Thinking
• Judgment & Decision Making
• Complex Problem Solving
• Quality Control Analysis
• Active Learning

Abilities:

• Oral Comprehension
• Written Comprehension
• Inductive Reasoning
• Stamina
• Deductive Reasoning
• Oral Expression
• Gross Body Coordination
• Written Expression
• Static Strength

Tools and Equipment Used

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.