401 Water Quality Certification Branch Manager

Environmental Quality Team Lead

The Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality is responsible for protecting the state's air, land, and water. Our mission is to safeguard the health, safety, and welfare of present and future generations of Mississippians by conserving and improving our environment and fostering wise economic growth through focused research and responsible regulation.

Manage all Water Quality Certification (401) permitting and compliance activities for the branch. Review project impacts to waters of the state, evaluate WQC requests, and ensure compliance with state and federal water quality requirements. Review, interpret, and apply relevant laws, regulations, policies, and procedures related to Section 401 Water Quality Certification. Coordinate project reviews and certification activities with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources, EPA, and other state and federal partners to ensure consistent regulatory outcomes.

Participate in the Mitigation Bank Interagency Review Team and evaluate mitigation proposals, monitoring plans, and related documentation. Communicate certification requirements, determinations, and timelines in a clear, timely, and professional manner to applicants, consultants, other agencies, and internal leadership. Direct daily branch operations, including staff supervision, workload planning, and process oversight. Manage contractor tasks, work orders, and invoicing to support branch needs.

Identify and implement program improvements to support consistency, efficiency, and timely reviews.

Highly organized and able to manage complex, time-sensitive project reviews. Strong technical judgment, with the ability to evaluate impacts, mitigation proposals, and project documentation clearly and accurately. Strong communicator who can work effectively with applicants, consultants, USACE, MDMR, EPA, and state partners. Professional and diplomatic, especially when working on sensitive, high-profile, or controversial projects. Responsive and dependable, capable of making timely, defensible decisions.

Comfortable supervising staff and managing daily branch operations, including contractor oversight and invoicing. Practical problem-solver with a focus on consistent, defensible regulatory outcomes. Committed to supporting staff, improving processes, and advancing the agency's mission to protect water quality.

Typically requires a Bachelor's Degree, a valid certificate of registration as a Professional Engineer from the Mississippi State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and 6+ years of engineering experience.