US News & World Reported that Sarasota, Florida is the number 1 place in Florida and Number 18 in the country for best places to live. We need your help to create wonderful experiences for residents and vacationing guests navigating Sarasota.   We have an opening and you can join this dedicated high-performing team of County professionals.  Enjoy great benefits including the Florida Retirement System (FRS), Health, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance, Short-Term and Long-Term Disability, Flexible Spending Accounts, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), Florida Retirement System and many, many more such as optional insurance options for Accident, Cancer, Long Term Care and Identity Theft and award-winning wellness program including free gyms and classes at 7 Sarasota County Government locations. 

Environmental Specialist  Coordinates the permitting for wastewater treatment facilities and collection/transmission systems and compliance inspections. Tracks facility capacity, reviews, comments, and issues permits, transfers, and modifications. Ensures that wastewater facilities adequately protect the environment and protects water resources by stopping and reducing contamination of groundwater, surface water, and stormwater. Coordinates Beach Action Response Team, rain barrel and fertilizer projects.
 

Duties:

• County regulations. Tracks facility capacity, reviews, comments, and issues draft and final permits, transfers, and permit modifications. Tracks status of construction and operation permits. Receives applications and permit fees to determine completeness. Reviews engineered drawings and engineering reports such as capacity analysis reports, operation and maintenance manuals, and biosolid storage plans. Generates correspondence to applicant requesting additional information and/or corrective action. Schedules and conducts meetings with permittees, citizens, DEP personnel, and other regulatory agencies, as necessary, to provide information and to resolve permitting issues. Maintains County and State databases. Issues final permit granting approval to construct collection system.  Reviews as-builts of constructed systems and prepares authorization to place the system into service. Updates permitting information in the County and State databases in a timely manner and addresses noncompliance issues. Trains and mentors the ES II to serve as backup on wastewater facility inspections and permits, and response to sewage spills, manhole overflows, odor concerns, and lift station issues.
• Coordinates compliance inspections of wastewater treatment/disposal facilities to ensure that WWTFs adequately protect the environment and to determine compliance of permit conditions and applicable DEP and County regulations. Collects samples to determine effluent and influent quality. Generates compliance inspection reports. Reviews Discharge Monitoring Reports and laboratory data and enters data into County and State databases. Resolves noncompliance issues. Prepares enforcement documents and supporting documentation. Attends meetings with facility personnel and other entities to discuss findings and resolutions and conducts follow-up actions.
• Manage the Beach Action Response Team. Works closely with DOH and County and City staff regarding beach advisories and provides a rapid and coordinated community response. Schedules field staff’s site visits, reviews investigative findings, and trains field staff on investigative and sampling techniques. Provides data for press releases.
• Coordinates rain barrel distribution program. Helps with term contract. Contacts vendors for pricing, parts availability, storage requirements, and delivery. Maintains partnership with UF/IFAS Extension to provide rain barrel workshops, coordinates event, and staff to work the event. Creates rain barrel educational materials.
• Coordinates the issuance and tracking of fertilizer decals and BMP training. Assists with compliance of the Fertilizer Code. Verifies that fertilizer applicators have successfully passed BMP training and have DACS certification. Tracks number of decals distributed to fertilizer companies and maintains database. Assists with public outreach.
• Protects water resources by stopping and reducing contamination of ground water, surface water, and stormwater. Supports management on complex issues facing the community such as red tide and pollution issues.  Maintains a lead role in representing the program in any associated public forums.   Conducts field investigations in response to citizen concerns and pollution incidents relating to wastewater, water quality and pollution sources.  Reviews laboratory data. Prepares reports on investigative findings. Enters data into database. Interacts extensively with homeowners, responsible parties, and governmental agencies, as appropriate, to provide information, to discuss problems and findings, and to effect resolutions and remedial actions to contamination problems. Conducts follow-up inspections and action. Resolves noncompliance issues through education, direction, cooperation, and enforcement. Prepares enforcement documents and supporting documentation. Attends meetings to discuss findings and resolutions and conducts follow-up actions. Acts as County Code Enforcement Official in bringing cases before the Special Magistrate, and testifies, as necessary, in other hearings or court proceedings and follows DEP enforcement procedures.

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Minimum Qualifications:  A Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college or university in one of the biological or physical sciences, Environmental Engineering or a related field and three (3) years of professional experience. A Master’s Degree in related discipline may substitute for one year of experience. Progressively responsible professional experience may be substituted on a year-for-year basis for the required college degree.  A valid Driver’s License is required.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• FDEP Stormwater Management Inspector certification for completion of the Stormwater Erosion and Sediment Control Inspector
• FDEP Stormwater Management FL Stormwater Association Stormwater Operator certification
• 40 Hour HAZWOPER certification
• Experience with FDEP Database/Permitting Systems (WAFR/ORACLE, ezDMR, Permit Builder, OCULUS)

Job Based Competencies:  General office equipment, various field testing and sampling equipment

Hours:  8:00 am. - 5:00 pm. Monday through Friday. There may be some after normal business hours or on the weekend.

Physical Demands:  Must occasionally lifts/moves up 50 pounds.  Employee can use a handling device or work with another team member to lift/move excessive poundage. 

Sarasota County Government is committed to wellness and successful applicants must be tobacco free for twelve months preceding date of application.

Drug Free Work Environment             EOE/AA/ADA