Associate Waste Management Specialist

Sacramento County, CA; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 85,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Sacramento County is seeking an Associate Waste Management Specialist to operate at the full advanced journey level, under supervision, handling complex waste management duties and evaluating hazardous materials programs and facility operations.

The role may lead staff, contribute to new program development, and requires strong knowledge of regulations, emergency preparedness, and field/lab testing. A California driver license is required.

Qualifications

• One year of full-time experience as Assistant Waste Management Specialist (Level II) in Sacramento County service.
• Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, planning, chemistry, biology, industrial hygiene, environmental science, or a closely related field.
• Two years of full-time experience in liquid and/or solid non-hazardous or hazardous waste programs and/or waste facilities.
• Full-time experience in one area may substitute for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

Responsibilities

• Independently perform the full range of responsible, varied and complex waste management duties.
• Evaluate non-hazardous/hazardous waste programs and facility operations.
• Provide leadworker and technical direction to staff or teams.

Skills

Leadworker

Project management

Public communication

Emergency response

Inspection findings reporting

Education

Bachelor's degree or higher in engineering, planning, chemistry, biology, industrial hygiene, environmental science, or closely related field

Tools

Computer databases

Job description

This is a continuous filing exam. Next filing cut-offs are at 5:00 pm on: 9/16/2026, 10/7/2026 (final).

The Associate Waste Management Specialist working under supervision, is the full advanced journey level class in the series. Incumbents independently perform the full range of responsible, varied and complex work as described for the Assistant Waste Management Specialist at (Level II). In addition, incumbents perform evaluations of non-hazardous and/or hazardous waste and hazardous materials programs and facility operational effectiveness, chemical contamination of sites, and compliance with permit conditions and other regulations. Incumbents at this level are expected to exercise considerable independence and sound judgment in the performance of their duties. They may provide leadworker and technical direction to Waste Management Specialists or another assigned staff, or may be given special staff assignments in the development and implementation of new programs.

Knowledge of

• Federal, state and local laws and regulations governing solid and/or liquid non-hazardous and/or hazardous waste and materials management waste planning, resource recovery, and education, safety, and program and/or facility development and operations.
• Industry and community waste management practices.
• Methods and procedures used in inspecting, identifying and correcting hazardous conditions associated with hazardous materials.
• Industrial hygiene practices.
• Principles and practices in emergency preparedness.
• Chemical testing for identification of hazardous materials.
• Principles of chemistry, biology and toxicology applicable to hazardous materials.
• Effects of hazardous materials and their interaction on human health and the environment.
• Hazardous waste generation, transportation and disposal practices.
• Field and laboratory chemical analysis techniques for the identification and management of hazardous and acutely hazardous materials and wastes.
• Toxicology, risk assessment and risk management principles.
• Environmental health and sanitation principles and regulations.
• Current principles and practices in the fields of engineering, environmental science, chemistry, toxicology, and public health as they relate to hazardous materials and waste management.
• Resource recovery techniques.
• Leadworker principles and practices, program development, and training techniques

Ability to

• Use personal protective clothing and equipment to protect against exposure to hazardous materials.
• Analyze self-inspection and investigation findings and prepare clear, concise reports and recommendations.
• Conduct limited field waste analysis chemical testing.
• Read, speak and write English at a level necessary for satisfactory job performance.
• Establish and maintain effective communication with members of the public under difficult circumstances.
• Plan and serve as leadworker over others.
• Provide project management.
• Instruct others, individually and in groups.
• Analyze inspection and investigation findings and prepare clear, concise reports and recommendations
• Assist in developing or implementing new programs.
• Establish and maintain effective relationships with staff, other governmental agencies, business, industry, community groups and the general public.
• Rapidly analyze information and make quick and accurate decisions in emergency situations
• Access and interpret information from computer databases
• Select and effectively use proper personal protective clothing and other equipment to prevent overexposure to hazardous substances.

Minimum Qualifications

• Either: 1. One year of full-time experience in the class of Assistant Waste Management Specialist at (Level II) in Sacramento County service.
• Or: 2. A Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited four-year college or university in engineering, planning, chemistry, biology, industrial hygiene, environmental science, or a closely related field.

AND Two years of full-time experience in liquid and/or solid non-hazardous or hazardous waste; non-hazardous or hazardous materials programs and/or waste facilities.

Note: Full-time experience in one of the areas outline above may substitute for the degree on a year-for-year basis.

Note: If the word “experience” is referenced in the minimum qualifications, it means full-time paid experience unless the minimum qualification states that volunteer experience is acceptable. Part-time paid experience may be accumulated and pro-rated to meet the total experience requirements.

Note: If the minimum qualifications include an educational or certificate/license requirement, applicants must submit proof of requirements with the application. Failure to submit proof of requirements may result in disqualification from the examination. Unofficial transcripts are acceptable. For guidelines on submitting acceptable proof of educational requirements, please or speak to someone in our office before the cut-off date listed in this notice.

General Qualifications

License Requirement: Possession of a valid California Driver License, Class C or higher, is required prior to appointment. Failure to maintain a valid California Driver License, Class C or higher may constitute cause for termination from the class in accordance with Civil Service Rule 11.4. Individuals who do not meet this requirement due to physical disability will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to ascend and descend ladders and stairs at considerable heights.
• Stoop and bend in confined spaces.
• See to read gauges and meters in dimly lighted areas.
• Move safely in unlighted areas or over uneven terrain at night.
• Wear protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Ability to lift a 40 pound object to shoulder level.

Work Schedule and Conditions: Incumbents are subject to emergency and on-call work in all kinds of weather, and under hazardous conditions, at other than normal duty hours.

Special Certificate or Course Requirements: Completion of the HAZWOPER 40 hour training course and/or the 8-hour annual refresher course within the past 12 months is desirable but not required prior to appointment.

Probationary Period

The probationary period for this classification is six (6) months.

Contact Information

County of Sacramento Department of Personnel Services Employment Services Division 700 H Street, Room 4667 Sacramento, CA 95814 Phone [phone]; 7-1-1 California Relay Service.

Email: [e-mail]

Inter-Office Mail Code: 09-4667

www.SacCountyJobs.net

Supplemental Questionnaire

Applicants are required to provide a full and complete response to each supplemental question. The Supplemental Questionnaire is located in the tab marked 'Supplemental Questions'. Please be descriptive in your response.

Note: Responses of "See Resume" or "See Application", or copy and paste of work experience are not qualifying responses and will not be considered.

• Supplemental Questionnaires must be submitted by 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date. Employment Services is not responsible for any issues or delays caused by an applicant's computer or web browser. Applicants will be automatically logged out if they have not submitted their applications and all documentation prior to 5:00 p.m. on the cut-off date.
• The supplemental questions are designed to elicit specific information regarding a candidate's experience, education, and training. Responses should be consistent with the information on your application and are subject to verification.
• Please provide place of employment, pertinent dates, and concise, descriptive and detailed information for each question.
• If a job included responsibilities applicable to several questions, separate the different functions of the job to answer all the questions completely.
• Resumes or referral to the application or other questionnaire responses will not be accepted in lieu of completing each question.
• If you have no experience, write "no experience" for the appropriate question.
• For many individuals, it is more efficient to develop responses to the supplemental questions in a word processing document and then paste them into the final document to be submitted. Changes or corrections to your Supplemental Questionnaire cannot be made once your application packet has been submitted.
• If the Supplemental Questionnaire is used in the Formula Rate exam, failure to complete all of the questions or incomplete responses will result in a lower score. While scoring the Supplemental Questionnaire, the candidate's application and/or attachments will not be reviewed, therefore, a candidate's responses to the questions should be accurate, thorough, detailed, and complete.

Formula Rate Examination (Weighted 100%)

All candidates meeting the minimum qualifications by the cut-off date will have their Supplemental Questionnaire scored in the Formula Rate Examination.

This examination will evaluate the relevance, level, recency, progression and quality of candidate's education, training and experience. The candidate's application or other materials will not be included in this examination. Therefore, the candidate's responses to the supplemental questionnaire should be thorough, detailed and complete. The score from the Formula Rate Examination will determine the ranking on the eligible/employment list for this job.

All candidates competing in the testing process will receive written notice of their examination results by email. Notices can also be accessed in their governmentjobs.com inbox. Applicants achieving a passing score will be placed on the eligible list in rank order. The rank is determined by the test score attained from the examination.

Frequently Asked Questions

For information regarding County jobs: www.saccountyjobs.net

Sacramento County is about enriching communities to thrive. We strive to create inclusive workplaces that reflect the communities we serve. We value and celebrate the unique perspectives, backgrounds, abilities, and diverse dimensions of our employees and residents. Through transparency, courage, innovation, and trust we are committed to advance equity and transformational change.

We are a proud equal opportunity employer. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability for any phase of the hiring process, please contact our Disability Compliance Office at [e-mail] or 916-874-7642, CA Relay 711.