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State of Washington Classified Job Specification

ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 4

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ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEER 4
Class Code: 536H
Category: Science & Engineering


Definition

In the Department of Ecology, directs a medium-sized environmental unit and supervises five or more staff which includes at least two environmental engineers performing environmental engineering duties.  Position represents the department as a registered Professional Engineer. 

OR 

In the Department of Health, directs a medium-sized environmental or public health unit and supervises five or more technical staff performing environmental engineering or public health duties.  Represents the department as a registered Professional Engineer. 

Typical Work

Provides direct supervision, hires and evaluates, develops training plans and annual work plans for staff within the unit;  

Tracks unit activities and outputs, performs staff workload analysis and develops unit budget;  

On technical and engineering related documents, provides the final quality assurance review to maintain high technical standards; assures all work produced by the unit is consistent with existing legislation, regulations and agency policy;  

Serves as a registered Professional Engineer responsible for performing independent environmental engineering duties for a specific environmental program; duties may include final review and/or approval of detailed engineering plans and specifications, site plans, engineering reports and/or operation and maintenance of environmental systems; reviews the work of engineers who do not possess registration as a Professional Engineer;  

Ensures compliance with applicable federal, state and local laws, regulations and policies; prepares, recommends and/or coordinates enforce action (civil and criminal penalties, directives, or regulatory orders) against the regulated community based on a review of applicable engineering information;

Serves as an agency environmental engineering expert responsible for the review of engineering reports and detailed plans and specifications for projects involving federal and state grant funds; may provide technical oversight, assistance and/or training to other governmental entities;  

Independently plans and/or conducts specialized comprehensive engineering inspections and/or studies of municipal and industrial environmental treatment facilities to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and design/ performance requirements;  

Provides professional engineering expertise to the review and evaluation of proposed or existing environmental permits and permit applications; negotiates and prepares permits; makes final recommendations on enforcement actions; 

Provides professional technical engineering assistance to agency staff and management, the regulated community, their consultants and the general public; 

Interprets regulations, polices, technical engineering guidelines and procedures covering design requirements, engineering review, and operation and maintenance requirements for environmental control or management facilities; 

Researches, writes and provides technical direction in the development/revision and implementation of engineering standards, regulations and guidelines for specific environmental program(s) and related engineering issues; 

Prepares, reviews, and negotiates with applicable parties environmental permits, regulatory orders and environmental plans and monitoring programs for assigned program(s); 

May supervise and plan the work of engineers and/or environmental staff with a unit responsible for assigned environmental program activities;  

Prepares and delivers engineering oriented presentations to professional groups and/or the public regarding department programs; serves as an expert witness in judicial proceedings and public hearings; 

Performs other work as required. 

Knowledge and Abilities

Knowledge of:  principles and practices of environmental engineering and/or environmental sanitation; design, construction and operation of air quality control, water supply and treatment and sewage and industrial waste disposal systems; physical and biological sciences as related to environmental engineering; methods and procedures in establishing and administering an environmental program; laws and regulations governing environmental issues. 

Ability to:  evaluate technical environmental engineering data and computations; develop designs involving environmental engineering theory and judgment; plan, promote and administer environmental engineering projects; supervise and train others; establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with public officials and community groups; write engineering reports and proposed environmental legislation. 

Legal Requirement(s)

Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington.  There may be instances where individual positions must have additional licenses or certification.  It is the employer’s responsibility to ensure the appropriate licenses/certifications are obtained for each position. 

Persons legally authorized to work in the U.S. under federal law, including Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients, are eligible for employment unless prohibited by other state or federal law.

Desirable Qualifications

A Master's degree with major study in one of the following engineering fields:  sanitary, water resource, civil, geotechnical, environmental, chemical, mechanical, or related field

AND 

Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington and two years of experience in environmental engineering

OR 

An Engineer-In-Training Certificate or a Bachelor's degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields:  sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field

AND 

Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington and three years of experience in environmental engineering.   

NOTE:  A Ph.D. in one of the above engineering fields will substitute for two years of the environmental engineering experience. 

NOTE:  Requirements for registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington are eight years of professional experience (which may include up to four years of college-level engineering education) and successful completion of sixteen hours of professional licensing exams.  Applicants qualifying through the licensing equivalency option must achieve professional registration as an engineer in the state of Washington within six months of appointment to this class. 

Class Specification History

New class, effective January 29, 1993.
Revised minimum qualifications, effective January 13, 1995.
New job title (formerly Environmental Engineer 3A) in general government and new class code (formerly 62521), effective July 1, 2007.
General revisions, housekeeping only: Revises definition, legal requirements, and desirable qualifications, effective November 14, 2008.

Revised Legal Requirements; effective June 6, 2024, due to adopted legislative action.