Job Description

Job Description and Duties

Under the supervision of the Environmental Branch Chief, the incumbent is an interdisciplinary team member who will be responsible for preparing and reviewing environmental documents, technical studies, and analytical reports to ensure compliance with the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and numerous state and federal environmental resource laws and regulations.

Eligibility for hire may be determined by your score on the Environmental Scientist e xam. For those who do not have current eligibility (e.g., transfer, permissive reinstatement, or voluntary demotions) and/or who will be new to state civil services employment, you must be on the state examination list to be eligible for these positions.  To apply for the exam, please click and search by typing in the classification title.

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Working Conditions

Position located at 4050 Taylor Street, San Diego, San Diego County.

Multiple positions may be filled from this recruitment.

While at your base of operation, you will work in a climate-controlled office under artificial lighting in a office. Frequent travel and  field work are required within the Region. Some fieldwork requires the ability to work in a variety of climatic and geographical  conditions. You may be required to travel to offices and field locations, as well as occasional travel outside of the Region.

Special Requirements

• Possession of a valid driver’s license is required when operating a State owned or leased vehicle.

• Please answer each of the questions, in order. SOQ should be no more than 3-pages, single spaces, 11-point font. Failure to complete the SOQ will result in disqualification.

1. Describe your experience coordinating environmental permits for transportation, infrastructure, or other complex development projects. Include examples of permits such as Clean Water Act Section 404, Section 401 Water Quality Certification, California Department of Fish and Wildlife Section 1602 Lake and Streambed Alteration Agreements, Coastal Development Permits, Endangered Species Act consultations, or similar environmental authorizations. In your response, discuss the following (1) Your role and level of responsibility; (2) The agencies involved; (3) How you developed and maintained working relationships with regulatory agencies; (4) Challenges encountered during permit negotiations; (5) The final outcome of the project.
2. Caltrans projects often require balancing environmental compliance, engineering needs, project schedules, budgets, and regulatory requirements.  Describe a project in which competing priorities created challenges during environmental compliance or permitting and include the following: (1) The project background; (2) The environmental issues involved; (3) The stakeholders with differing priorities; (4) How you evaluated options; (5) How you achieved compliance while supporting project delivery; (6) Lessons learned.
3. This position requires preparing technically accurate environmental documents, permit applications, regulatory correspondence, and environmental analyses. Describe your experience preparing environmental documentation.
4. Environmental Scientists at Caltrans frequently manage multiple assignments simultaneously while coordinating with multidisciplinary teams, consultants, regulatory agencies, and project managers. Describe your approach to managing competing priorities across multiple projects. Your response should address the following (1) How you organize your workload; (2) How you track permit milestones and regulatory commitments; (3) How you communicate schedule risks; (4) How you coordinate with project managers, engineers, biologists, and regulatory agencies.
5. A specific example where your organization or proactive communication prevented project delays.

Possession of Minimum Qualifications will be verified prior to interview and/or appointment.  If you are basing your eligibility on education, you must include your unofficial transcript(s)/diploma for verification.  Unofficial, original, or official sealed transcripts will be accepted and may be required upon appointment.  Applicants with foreign transcripts/degrees must provide a transcript/degree U.S. equivalency report evaluation that indicates the number of units and degree to which the foreign coursework is equivalent.  Please visit either of the following two websites for a list of evaluation agencies: or . Please redact birthdates and social security numbers.

Desirable Qualifications

In addition to evaluating each candidate's relative ability, as demonstrated by quality and breadth of experience, the following factors will provide the basis for competitively evaluating each candidate:

Education: Possession of a bachelor's or advanced degree with a major in a biological, chemical, physical, or environmental science, soil science, water science, hydrology, agronomy, natural resource science, environmental or public health, physical geography, or a closely related scientific discipline. (Admission to a masters or doctoral degree program in a biological, chemical, physical, or environmental science, soil science, water science, hydrology, agronomy, natural resource science, environmental or public health, physical geography, or a closely related scientific discipline shall be considered to meet these education qualifications.)

In appraising the relative qualifications of candidates, consideration will be given to the extent and type of pertinent experience and education over and above that required under "Minimum Qualifications. Experience in management, research, planning, or consultation in environmental programs, demonstrated environmental management skills, and knowledge of broad principles of economics , social science, and political science will be given preference.

Some positions within the Department of Health Services may require possession of a valid certificate of registration as an Environmental Health Specialist in the State of California pursuant to California Health and Safety Code Sections 514-534.

Benefits

to view the Benefits Summary for Civil Service Employees in the State of California.

Important Applications Instructions:

Electronic applications through your CalCareers account are highly recommended and encouraged.

Candidates that meet the minimum qualifications based on possession of EDUCATION, LICENSE, OR CERTIFICATE must include a copy of your DEGREE/TRANSCRIPTS, LICENSE, or CERTIFICATE, along with your State application (STD. 678), to be considered for this position.

NOTE: Do not submit the “Equal Employment Opportunity” questionnaire (page 5) with your completed State application (STD. 678). This page is for examination use only. Do not include any confidential information on any documents you submit for this job vacancy, such as your state application, resume, or educational transcripts.  Confidential information that should be  excluded or removed from these documents includes, but is not limited to, your Social Security Number, birth date, driver’s license number, examination results, LEAP status, marital status, and age.  The job application packet checklist is not required to apply for this position.  Failure to follow these instructions may result in your application not being considered for this position.

Required Application Package Documents

The following items are required to be submitted with your application. Applicants who do not submit the required items timely may not be considered for this job:

• Current version of the State Examination/Employment Application STD Form 678 (when not applying electronically), or the Electronic State Employment Application through your Applicant Account at All Experience and Education relating to the Minimum Qualifications listed on the Classification Specification should be included to demonstrate how you meet the Minimum Qualifications for the position.
• Resume is optional. It may be included, but is not required.
• Statement of Qualifications -

  Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required. Please see the Special Requirements section for SOQ instructions.

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