Definition: Serves as a senior staff environmental specialist who independently acts as a section expert in one or more section subject areas as designated in writing by a program manager, assistant secretary, equivalent or higher. A section expert is assigned projects that are a high priority for the program. Trains and mentors more junior staff, and may serve as a section historical resource or testify as to historical interpretation of laws and regulations at legal or public hearings; or manages all the environmental regulatory and analyses functions of an agency.

Typical Work

Serves in the teaching, training and mentoring of junior staff;

Is assigned responsibility for more complex and difficult projects and permits;

Is assigned multiple regulatory responsibility;

Directs or coordinates non-agency employees at large spills or complex sites;

Represents agency and testifies at legal or public hearings or conferences;

Serves as a historical resource or technical expert in one or more subject areas;

Serves as project manager and coordinator on complex projects;

Project administration and environmental technical assistance on high priority environmental issues requiring technical expertise;

Performs other work as required.

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of: principles, practices and methods of environmental or resource management and environmental pollution prevention and pollution control; the application of emerging technologies to existing methods and of techniques of environmental sampling, testing, data gathering, basic research and field investigations; applicable state, federal and local environmental regulations and policies; multimedia environmental principles and practices.

Ability to: provide technical direction to professional staff for complex or controversial studies or projects; design and develop guidelines for enforcement activities, field studies and siting surveys; provide final review for technical reports, permit evaluations and conclusions reached by professional staff; work effectively with other government officials, the regulated community and other clientele groups on complex or controversial environmental issues or problems.

Minimum Qualifications

A Bachelor's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field and five years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

Additional qualifying experience will substitute, year for year, for education.

A Master's degree in one of the above fields and three years of professional- level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

A Ph.D. in one of the above fields and two years of professional-level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3.

New class: 5-5-72
Revised minimum qualifications: 9-15-72
General revision: 11-10-78
Revised distinguishing characteristics: 4-12-79
Revised minimum qualifications: 2-15-80
Revised definition, distinguishing characteristics and minimum qualifications: 4-11-86
Revised distinguishing characteristics: 4-15-86
Revised definition and minimum qualifications, deleted distinguishing characteristics, general revision and title change (formerly Environmentalist 4): 3-11-94