Senior Environmental Specialist

An Overview
The Department of Transportation & Environmental Services (T&ES) Stormwater Management Division is seeking a Senior Environmental Specialist (Civil Engineer III) to perform professional and technical work to continue the successful and award-winning implementation of the City's Phase II Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Virginia Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (VPDES) General Permit.

The Senior Environmental Specialist performs compliance duties under the Phase II MS4 General Permit as well as works with the Division Chief, other Transportation and Environmental Services staff, and others across the agency to ensure MS4 permit compliance. This work will focus on the Phase II MS4 Minimum Control Measures and Special Conditions to perform and record compliance activities associated with Public Education and Outreach, Public Involvement, Illicit Discharge Detection and Elimination, and Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping.

The Senior Environmental Specialist must take a highly proactive approach to the work, think strategically to formulate solutions, and possess strong verbal and written communication skills to be successful in this position.

The Opportunity

• Perform Public Education and Outreach in coordination with the City's regional partners (Northern Virginia Clean Water Partners), as well as manage the creation and dissemination of water quality and stormwater flooding outreach materials and communications in multiple media formats, which may include coordination with public information officers to send out eNews and social media posts, and update Division web pages as needed;
• Lead education and outreach activities for local and regional groups, the Alexandria City Public Schools (ACPS), community groups, and others to broaden these efforts, through participation as the Stormwater Division's lead representative;
• Represent the Division on the Infrastructure and Environmental Quality (IEQ) Branch Outreach Committee to coordinate messages and efforts across the Branch using various media formats;
• Represent IEQ as lead on the implementation and refinement of the City's 311 Call Center effort, to include development and update of Knowledge Base information for the Call Center and update of the Stormwater webpage to ensure relevant and understandable information is presented;
• Lead the organization, coordination and participation in volunteer community stream cleanups, volunteer stream monitoring workshops, storm drain marking, and other outreach events by sending out notices, scheduling volunteers, distributing supplies, sending out announcements, performing onsite coordination, and maintaining records for reporting on these activities;
• Respond to Call.Click.Connect illicit discharge complaints and perform source investigations, determine responsible party, and address the discharge via education or Notice of Violation (non-hazardous) or work closely with the Environmental Industrial Unit (EIU) for potential criminal violations (hazardous);
• Perform compliance inspections of City facilities and revise Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plans as necessary; conduct staff training to support MS4 Pollution Prevention and Good Housekeeping requirements and maintain training records;
• Serve as the lead coordinator to the City's Water Quality Work Group to include subject matter and technical participation, coordinating the agenda, and preparing meeting with action items;
• Coordinate compliance tracking with designated staff across the organization and compile the information, document permit progress, hold quarterly stakeholder meetings, and prepare the MS4 annual report to comply with all permit requirements, and;
• Perform related work as required.

The Ideal Candidate
To qualify for this position, all candidates must possess a four-year college degree in civil engineering from an engineering school of recognized standing or equivalent degree in a related environmental field and five (5) years of professional experience; or any equivalent combination of experience and training which provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.

To be considered as an ideal candidate, one should possess knowledge of the MS4 permit requirements; maintain a comprehensive knowledge of the current local, state and federal water quality regulations; and have the ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively with staff members, residents, business owners, engineers, applicants, and contractors;

About the Department
T&ES is a community partner in shaping a livable, green, and prospering Alexandria. We plan, build, operate, and maintain transportation systems and infrastructure that improve mobility and provide people and businesses with core public services. The work we do keeps Alexandrians moving, growing sustainability, and thriving. If you are curious for a broader view of our City, click City of Alexandria to learn more.