Environmental Compliance Manager

About the Metropolitan Council

The Metropolitan Council is the regional government for the seven‑county Twin Cities metropolitan area. We plan 30 years ahead for the future of the area and provide regional transportation, wastewater, and housing services.

Environmental Services (ES) protects the region’s water through safe, reliable wastewater treatment and long‑term planning. As regulations evolve, the Environmental Compliance Manager leads the Environmental Compliance system within ES, working closely with the Director of Environmental Compliance & Safety and partners across operations, planning, engineering, legal, and capital functions to build practical, forward‑looking strategies that balance regulatory requirements, operational realities, long‑term sustainability, and organizational priorities.

• Lead efforts to establish, maintain, and update ES compliance strategies, including water quality and air quality strategies.
• Work with the Director of Environmental Compliance & Safety to evaluate emerging environmental issues, changing regulations, and long‑term compliance strategies.
• Develop practical, forward‑looking environmental compliance strategies that anticipate regulatory changes and support long‑term organizational resilience.
• Coordinate with planning, treatment services, capital, and process engineering to evaluate options and establish strategies.
• Collaborate with the Office of General Counsel on legal issues.
• Coordinate work among departments within ES to ensure internal clarity and transparency of business processes, roles, and responsibilities.
• Strengthen partnerships with operations and internal stakeholders to integrate environmental compliance into daily work, improve field support, and align priorities.
• Serve as subject matter expert on ES’s Environmental Compliance requirements.
• Track, evaluate, and communicate changing regulatory requirements, mandates, and goals.
• Partner with planning system leads to coordinate work integration among environmental compliance and planning systems.
• Support practical, principle‑based approaches to complex challenges, including emerging contaminants and regulatory changes.
• Identify improvement opportunities and coordinate continuous improvement efforts.
• Promote data‑informed decision‑making and strengthen environmental compliance systems.
• Ensure accurate, consistent, and transparent environmental compliance reporting.
• Maintain working relationships with regulators and partners, connecting with ES staff as appropriate.
• Collaborate with Environmental Compliance department staff to set department priorities and support professional growth.
• Manage and support the success of the department’s staff as subject matter experts leading cross‑functional coordination.

• High school diploma/GED with eleven years of experience, including three years in management or supervision.
• Associate degree with nine years of experience, including three years in management or supervision.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher with seven years of experience, including three years of supervising employees and teams.

Required Experience: Professional experience in environmental compliance, including National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) requirements. Completed education in Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, or a closely related field.

Residency Requirement: Candidate’s permanent residence must be in Minnesota or Wisconsin.

• Experience as a subject matter expert in environmental compliance within a complex or highly regulated environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of federal and state laws related to air and water, including Clean Water Act, NPDES, National Ambient Air Quality Standards, and related frameworks.
• Knowledge of state biosolids land application regulations.
• Certifications or licenses in environmental compliance or wastewater operations areas such as biosolids, stormwater, hazardous materials, or related areas.
• Experience applying systems thinking and adaptive problem‑solving to complex environmental or utility challenges.
• Experience developing or implementing…