ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST

State of California; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 78,000 - 147,000; Full time

Job summary

State of California's Department of Toxic Substances Control is seeking an Engineering Geologist to oversee the Chiquita Canyon Landfill project in the Greater Los Angeles area, applying geotechnical and regulatory expertise to ensure compliance and timely project delivery.

You will manage investigations, prepare schedules and cost estimates, and maintain EnviroStor documentation while coordinating with stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Licensed in California as a Professional Geologist.
• Geotechnical experience or a Certified Engineering Geologist license.
• Experience assessing, investigating, or remediating properties with releases of hazardous substances.
• Experience working for or under the oversight of an environmental regulatory agency.
• Experience with written and verbal science communication, including preparation of investigation, cleanup and/or Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment reports and work plans.
• Experience working with landfill regulations or landfills experiencing subsurface elevated temperature events.

Responsibilities

• Serve as project manager to oversee all aspects of investigation and cleanup related to assigned hazardous waste/substance sites
• Plan and manage a workload consisting of multiple projects with overlapping deadlines to ensure all assignments are completed on time and within budget
• Prepare and maintain accurate project schedules to facilitate allocation of resources
• Prepare estimates for oversight costs for each assigned project and follow up with the Responsible Parties to ensure payment of invoices for billed activities
• Routinely update and maintain project information on existing sites in the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) EnviroStor database, including uploading major milestone documents to EnviroStor on a timely basis to ensure the most current/correct information is up to date
• Communicate internally and externally the status of assignments, recommendations, or issues and prepares clear written documents free of errors in grammar or punctuation for Senior/Exec management, external agencies, external stakeholders, local governments, or private parties

Skills

Professional Geologist CA

Geotechnical experience

Hazardous substances remediation

Regulatory experience

Environmental communication

Landfill regulations

Job description

$6,488.00 - $12,215.00 per Month
New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

Final Filing Date: 10/7/2026

Application Methods: Electronic (Using your CalCareer Account) By Mail Drop-off

DTSC’s Site Mitigation and Restoration Program is looking for highly qualified and motivated staff to assist with the investigation and remediation of contaminated properties in the Greater Los Angeles area. This Engineering Geologist position is primarily responsible for the day-to-day oversight of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill project located in Castaic as well as geologic and geotechnical review of submitted documents. This challenging site requires applying engineering, geotechnical, and regulatory expertise to ensure compliance with DTSC’s Imminent and Substantial Endangerment Determination and Order.

As an Engineering Geologist you will have the opportunity to:

• Serve as project manager to oversee all aspects of investigation and cleanup related to assigned hazardous waste/substance sites
• Plan and manage a workload consisting of multiple projects with overlapping deadlines to ensure all assignments are completed on time and within budget
• Prepare and maintain accurate project schedules to facilitate allocation of resources
• Prepare estimates for oversight costs for each assigned project and follow up with the Responsible Parties to ensure payment of invoices for billed activities
• Routinely update and maintain project information on existing sites in the Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) EnviroStor database, including uploading major milestone documents to EnviroStor on a timely basis to ensure the most current/correct information is up to date
• Communicate internally and externally the status of assignments, recommendations, or issues and prepares clear written documents free of errors in grammar or punctuation for Senior/Exec management, external agencies, external stakeholders, local governments, or private parties

Desirable Qualifications We Look For:

• Licensed in California as a Professional Geologist
• Geotechnical experience or a Certified Engineering Geologist license
• Experience assessing, investigating, or remediating properties with releases of hazardous substances
• Experience working for or under the oversight of an environmental regulatory agency
• Experience with written and verbal science communication, including preparation of investigation, cleanup and/or Phase 1 Environmental Site Assessment reports and work plans
• Experience working with landfill regulations or landfills experiencing subsurface elevated temperature events

You will find additional information about the job in the Duty Statement .

Working Conditions

Effective July 1, 2025, specific Bargaining Units and associated Excluded State employees are subject to a salary reduction between 2% - 4.62% in exchange for hours in the Personal Leave Program 2025 (PLP 2025) per month. For more details, please click here https://hrmanual.calhr.ca.gov/Home/ManualItem/1/2113 .

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States without the need for visa sponsorship by the start date of employment. The Department of Toxic Substances Control does not participate in E-Verify for employment authorization purposes.

A hybrid telework schedule may be available for this position.

Click the link below for a special message from Director Katie Butler on DTSC’s culture:

Minimum Requirements

You will find the Minimum Requirements in the Class Specification.

• ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST

ENGINEERING GEOLOGIST $6,488.00 - $7,735.00A $7,428.00 - $9,296.00B $9,142.00 - $11,449.00C $9,754.00 - $12,215.00D New to State candidates will be hired into the minimum salary of the classification or minimum of alternate range when applicable.

# of Positions:

1

Work Location:

Telework:

Hybrid

Job Type:

Permanent, Full Time

Facility:

Chatsworth Regional Office

Department Information

This position is located at DTSC’s Regional office in Chatsworth, CA .

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is a member of the boards, departments, and offices (BDOs) within the California Environmental Protection Agency (CalEPA).

Our Mission: To protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products.

Our Vision: All of California is thriving in a healthy environment.

Our Core Values: DTSC values diversity, equity, and inclusion throughout the organization. We foster an environment where employees from a variety of backgrounds, cultures, and personal experiences are welcomed and can thrive. We believe the diversity of our employees is essential to inspiring innovative solutions. Together we further our mission to protect California’s people, communities, and environment from toxic substances, to enhance economic vitality by restoring contaminated land, and to compel manufacturers to make safer consumer products. Join DTSC to improve the lives of all Californians!

• The position(s) require(s) a valid California Drivers License (CDL). You must answer the questions addressing your CDL on your application. Ensure you provide your CDL number, class, expiration date, and any endorsements and/or restrictions.

A Statement of Qualifications (SOQ) is required for the hiring manager’s review. Applications submitted without an SOQ may be disqualified.

The SOQ should be no longer than 2 pages, Arial font size 12. Your response should reference this position’s Duty Statement.

Your SOQ should address the following:

1. Please describe why you are the best candidate for this position. Includeinformation about your experience managing environmental conditions at landfills, conducting geotechnical analysis, and investigation and remediation of hazardous substances releases at sites with high levels of public scrutiny.

Applicants requiring reasonable accommodations for the hiring interview process must request the necessary accommodations if scheduled for a hiring interview. The request should be made at the time of contact to schedule the interview. Questions regarding reasonable accommodations may be directed to the EEO contact listed on this job posting.

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Contact Information

The Human Resources Contact is available to answer questions regarding the application process. The Hiring Unit Contact is available to answer questions regarding the position.

Human Resources Contact:
Classification & Recruitment
[phone]
[e-mail]

Please direct requests for Reasonable Accommodations to the interview scheduler at the time the interview is being scheduled. You may direct any additional questions regarding Reasonable Accommodations or Equal Employment Opportunity for this position(s) to the Department's EEO Office.

California Relay Service: 1-800-735-2929 (TTY), 1-800-735-2922 (Voice)TTY is a Telecommunications Device for the Deaf, and is reachable only from phones equipped with a TTY Device.

DO NOT include any confidential information to your application or supporting documents (i.e., Social Security Number, birthdate, marital status, medical information, examination results, method of eligibility, etc.).

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.

It is an objective of the State of California to achieve a drug-free work place. Any applicant for state employment will be expected to behave in accordance with this objective because the use of illegal drugs is inconsistent with the law of the State, the rules governing Civil Service, and the special trust placed in public servants.