Environmental Engineer (Tribal Utility Consultant)

Indian Health Service; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 80,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

Indian Health Service (IHS) Sanitation Facilities Construction is seeking a Civil/Environmental Engineer to support the planning, design, and construction of water, wastewater, and solid waste facilities for Tribal communities.

The role involves field assessments, coordination with Tribes, and ensuring compliance with environmental and public health standards.

Qualifications

• Degree in engineering with ABET-accredited program or equivalent.
• Education and experience showing strong grounding in calculus and engineering sciences.
• Professional licensure as PE or EI/EIT is acceptable or pursued.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct operation and maintenance services to Tribes and tribal Utilities.
• Conduct site visits to assess condition of systems, mains locations, local water pressures, and plumbing layouts.
• Diagnose malfunctioning water/sewer components, estimate costs, and submit recommendations.
• Train and advise Tribes on sanitation facilities procedures, operator certification, and water act compliance.
• Complete sanitary surveys and related sanitation facility tasks.

Education

ABET-accredited engineering program

Professional licensure or EI/EIT

Job description

Summary

Want to have positive impact working in diverse environments? Join us at IHS Sanitation Facilities Construction! We collaborate with American Indian Tribes to plan, design, and construct water, wastewater, and solid waste facilities. Visit www.ihs.gov/dsfc or email [e-mail]. Position is eligible for the IHS Student Loan Repayment Program with selection based on IHS priorities and available funds.

A REAL ID will be required beginning May 7, 2025, in accordance with 6 C.F.R. 37.5 (2021).

Duties

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Total Compensation Package

Check out IHS's outstanding total compensation package for this job: Civil and Environmental Engineer Total Compensation | Pay (ihs.gov)

This position is being announced concurrently under Excepted Service/Merit Promotion Examining procedures. Please review vacancy announcement number IHS-26-HQ-13075722-ESEP/MP for eligibility requirements.

Responsibilities

• Providing direct operation and maintenance services to the Tribes and tribal Utilities.
• Perform site visits to obtain condition of systems, location of mains, determination of local water pressures and plumbing layouts.
• Investigates malfunctioning water and sewer system components, makes preliminary diagnosis, estimates cost and material and submits recommendations.
• Provide training and technical assistance directly to the Tribes on procedures for sanitation facilities, operator certification and compliance with the Clean Water Act and the Safe Drinking Water Act.
• Completes required sanitary surveys and other related tasks on a variety of sanitation facilities.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

Selectee may be subject to a probationary period

U.S. Citizenship is required

Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959

Must have a valid State driver's license. It must be REAL ID-compliant.

This may be a designated position covered by Public Law 101-630, requiring contact or control over Indian children. Due to this requirement, the agency must ensure that persons hired for these positions have not been found guilty of or pleaded nolo contendere or guilty to certain crimes.

Confidential Financial Disclosure Form may be required.

The selected individual is required to obtain and maintain any licensure requirements. If licensure is not obtained or maintained during employment, the employee will be subject to adverse actions, up to and including removal from Federal service.

Successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify/.

Must have a viable bank account at a financial institution for electronic direct deposit of salary payment.

Background Investigation Requirement

This position requires the successful completion of a federal background investigation as a condition of employment.

A background investigation is a standard process used by the Federal Government to verify an individual's identity, employment history, education, and other relevant information to determine suitability for Federal service.

Upon receipt of instructions, applicants must complete all required background investigation forms within five (5) calendar days of issuance. Timely completion is critical to avoid delays in processing or a determination of unsuitability.

Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize this requirement and to maintain regular communication with their assigned Personnel Security Specialist throughout the process.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, your resume must state sufficient experience and/or education, to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are applying.

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religious; spiritual; community; social). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer and part time experience. You must clearly identify the duties and responsibilities in each position held and the total number of hours per week.

Basic Requirement(s)

• Degree: Engineering. To be acceptable, the program must: (1) lead to a bachelor's degree in a school of engineering with at least one program accredited by ABET; or (2) include differential and integral calculus and courses (more advanced than first-year physics and chemistry) in five of the following seven areas of engineering science or physics: (a) statics, dynamics; (b) strength of materials (stress‑strain relationships); (c) fluid mechanics, hydraulics; (d) thermodynamics; (e) electrical fields and circuits; (f) nature and properties of materials (relating particle and aggregate structure to properties); and (g) any other comparable area of fundamental engineering science or physics, such as optics, heat transfer, soil mechanics, or electronics. OR
• Combination of education and experience -- college‑level education, training, and/or technical experience that furnished (1) a thorough knowledge of the physical and mathematical sciences underlying engineering, and (2) a good understanding, both theoretical and practical, of the engineering sciences and techniques and their applications to one of the branches of engineering. The adequacy of such background must be demonstrated by one of the following:
• Professional registration or licensure -- Current registration as an Engineer Intern (EI), Engineer in Training (EIT)1 , or licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) by any State, the District of Columbia, Guam, or Puerto Rico. Absent other means of qualifying under this standard, those applicants who achieved such registration