Ecological Services Environmental Specialist

If you enjoy working outdoors in natural settings and love protecting the environment, wetlands and natural resources, Pinellas County Environmental Management division has a fantastic opportunity.

This is highly independent professional and technical work performing functions linked to protection of wetlands, natural resources and the implementation of environmental regulations within the Environmental Management Division of Public Works. Duties include but are not limited to conducting project scoping and design review of mitigation areas, environmental restoration projects, stormwater projects, and other capital improvement projects; jurisdictional determinations, environmental permitting and compliance, mitigation design, contract management (project plantings and maintenance), environmental assessments, and report writing.

Knowledge of wetland permitting and compliance; restoration and mitigation design and implementation; water resource protection; ecological and habitat evaluations; and tree assessments is essential.

What Would You Do?

• Assists in wetland mitigation and stormwater design specifically relating to methods, soils, plant selection, and permit compliance.
• Prepares and reviews restoration and mitigation plans.
• Conducts wetland delineations, seasonal high and normal pool determinations, wetland documentation, UMAM assessments and ranking and representation of delineations/projects to regulatory agencies.
• Assists with preparation of multi-faceted permit applications, and participates in regulatory reviews, pre-apps, compliance meetings.
• Conducts biological monitoring data collection and analysis and report submittal to agencies including wetland completion report, monitoring reports, maintenance reports and others as needed.
• Assists county staff with interpretation of environmental regulations and compliance with federal state and local laws, codes and ordinances.
• Reviews transportation and stormwater plans and specifications for features pertaining to environmental and sustainability functions. Also prepares habitat management permits for inclusion in bid packages, issues habitat permits to contractors and monitors compliance.
• Conducts construction monitoring and mitigation oversight and monitoring of site preparation, planting and maintenance activities.
• Performs tree assessments and surveys, determines preservation measures, and conducts other activities related to arboriculture.
• Inspects permitted facilities and mitigation sites for compliance with federal, state and local regulations, and also for Department standards relating to habitat, invasive species, tree canopy and care, and sustainability.
• Performs related work as assigned or required.

What Do You Need To Have?

Experience:

Professional level experience in the assigned field of environmental management(ecological, natural resources, wetland permitting, restoration and mitigation, water resources).

Education:Major course work in physical, natural or biological science, anthropology, ecology, environmental engineering, or related field.

Environmental Specialist 2

• 6 years of experience as described above.
• Associate’s degree as described above, and at least 4 years of experience as described above.
• Bachelor’s degree as described above, and at least 2 years of experience as described above.
• Master’s or higher-level degree as described above.
• An equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.

Environmental Specialist 3

• 7 years of experience as described above.
• Associate’s degree as described above, and at least 5 years of experience as described above.
• Bachelor’s degree as described above, and at least 3 years of experience as described above.
• Master’s or higher-level degree as described above and at least 1 years of experience as described above.
• An equivalent combination of education, training and/or experience.

Additional Requirements

• Possession and maintenance of a valid Florida Driver's License.
• Assignment to work a variety of work schedules including compulsory work periods in special, emergency, and/or disaster situations.

Highly Desirable

• Master’s Degree in natural sciences.
• ESRI GIS experience.
• Authorized Gopher Tortoise Agent.
• P…