Environmental Scientist; Air Quality

We are the Metropolitan Council, the regional government for the seven-county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the metropolitan area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services. More information about us is on our website.

Join an award-winning wastewater industry leader in protecting our environment!

Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (ES) operates and maintains the regional wastewater collection and treatment system in the Twin Cities metropolitan region. It also provides coordinated long‑range water resources and supply planning, as well as air and water quality monitoring, to meet future needs. ES treatment plants consistently earn state and national awards for complete compliance with their environmental permits. ES received a Governor’s Award as a Great Place to Work.

The Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (ES) division is accepting applications for one (1) full‑time Environmental Scientist – Air Quality (AQ) and Odor Monitoring.

The Environmental Scientist – Air Quality (AQ) and Odor Monitoring works in the ES Air Quality Monitoring Program. The program monitors air quality associated with ES facilities to ensure permit requirements are met; assists in the control, optimization, and/or modification of system operations; and identifies and mitigates potential odor and air emissions problems. This qualified individual will monitor, sample, and characterize odors from odor control units at ES wastewater collection and treatment facilities, as well as assist with testing incinerator emissions and auditing continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS).

• Assist with air emissions monitoring of the incinerators at the Metro and Seneca water resource recovery facilities (WRRFs) as required by air quality permits.
• Assist in the preparation for emissions testing, perform emissions testing and laboratory analysis, ensure adequate testing equipment and supplies, and maintain and calibrate testing equipment.
• Assist with permit‑required audits and certifications of continuous emissions monitoring systems (opacity, total hydrocarbon‑THC, and oxygen analyzers) at the Metro and Seneca WRRFs.
• Develop and apply knowledge of applicable state and federal rules and regulations.

• Collect odor samples from odor control units within the ES wastewater collection system and treatment facilities throughout the Metro Area to determine the ongoing effectiveness of these units for removing odors.
• Assist with odor characterization of these samples in the AQ Odor Lab using an olfactometer and an odor panel of trained odor assessors.
• Organize and report Odor Lab data.
• Monitor odors (primarily hydrogen sulfide) along and within the ES wastewater collection system and treatment facilities.
• Organize and report monitoring data.

• Calibrate and troubleshoot AQ monitoring equipment, maintain AQ monitoring supplies, help identify and evaluate non‑standard monitoring results, and help develop processes to resolve monitoring problems.
• Serve on ES ad hoc teams and provide support for other ES and AQ activities as necessary. May include supporting opportunities to provide education and outreach on ES environmental monitoring efforts and environmental resource protection.
• Perform related duties as assigned.

An Environmental Scientist will work with direction and review by Senior and Principal Scientists and by the Assistant Manager responsible for the Air Quality function.

Environmental Scientist

• Bachelor’s degree in biology, chemistry, environmental sciences, or a related scientific field.

• A valid driver’s license is required.

• One year of air quality monitoring experience (odor sampling, odor testing/odor characterization, stack testing, and/or auditing of continuous emissions monitoring systems), other environmental sampling experience (soil vapor, groundwater, or surface water), and/or compliance‑related experience (following regulatory guidelines and…