Environmental Scientist

The work of the District’s Environmental Services Department centers on supporting the District’s efforts to achieve its mission to manage, protect, conserve and enhance the region's water supply in an environmentally balanced manner. The Environmental Scientist/ Regulatory Affairs Specialist provides expertise in the realm of regulatory compliance to guide and complete projects that support the District’s environmental and conservation initiatives and functions intended to achieve the District’s mission and ensure long-term sustainability of the District’s water resources programs.

Primary responsibilities center on the regulatory and compliance components of the District’s projects. This includes playing both a lead and support role in the project planning, management, and implementation process for large, complex, and technical projects that are highly specialized in the water resource management sector.

• Provide technical expertise and guidance during project planning and development phase. Prepare project-specific documentation (e.g., regulatory application packages, implementation reports, and associated correspondence).
• Advise District staff, Board of Directors, and executive management on regulatory and technical matters for District projects to ensure that sound science and regulatory compliance requirements are informing decisions in support of achieving the District’s mission.
• Represent the District on regulatory and permitting matters to governmental agencies, various organizations, and the general public; and develop effective working relationships with representatives of key agencies and organizations.
• Guide state and federal environmental review (e.g., CEQA, NEPA, cultural) and permitting (e.g., ESA, CESA, Clean Water Act, LSA, FERC license requirements) processes to support the District’s development, implementation, and operation of water resources projects.

• Perform administrative tasks, as required, of the Environmental Services Department, including developing and managing contracts with consultants, developing and tracking budgets, grant applications and management, preparing reports and presentations for Board meetings, and maintaining records on project activities and the District’s compliance with requirements of federal, state, and local environmental laws, rules, and regulations.

• May supervise or direct the work of other staff in the Environmental Services Department.

• Federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations along with the functions, procedures and organization of state and federal governmental agencies that administer these laws, including familiarity with the Endangered Species Act, the California Endangered Species Act, FERC licensing and compliance, Clean Water Act permitting, Lake and Streambed Alteration agreements, the California Environmental Quality Act, and the National Environmental Policy Act.
• Principles of ecology, biology, hydrology, geomorphology, and water resource management.
• Scientific methods and techniques of data collection, management, and analysis for ecological studies.
• Preparation of formal documents including reports, letters, presentations, application packages, and other clearly written professional communication.
• Principles and practices of management for projects, contracts, and budgets.
• Current technology, field equipment, and computers necessary to perform work tasks.

• Manage projects to ensure that they are completed on schedule and within budget.
• Apply principles of logic and scientific thinking to a wide range of intellectual and practical problems.
• Read, analyze, and interpret complex documents and data.
• Communicate…