Environmental Scientist Staff DCL-A

State of Louisiana; Shreveport (LA); On-site; USD 36,000 - 51,000; Full time

Job summary

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) seeks an environmental professional for a leadership role within the Northwest Regional Office Surveillance Division. This promotional, internal position focuses on water quality, leading complex investigations and providing technical guidance to regional staff.

The role requires advanced degrees with progressively responsible experience; GIS experience is valued.

Qualifications

• A bachelor’s degree in an environmental, biological, atmospheric, chemical, health, nuclear or physical science field, plus three years of experience in an environmental program, GIS, or related labs.
• A master’s degree in similar fields plus two years of experience in environmental programs or GIS; or a doctorate with one year of experience.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate and conduct complex environmental compliance inspections, primarily focused on water quality, and provide technical leadership during multimedia inspections.
• Lead or conduct investigations into challenging citizen complaints and represent the region at public meetings to explain environmental issues.
• Train and guide staff on water quality sampling, oversee ambient water quality monitoring activities, and ensure QA/QC standards.
• Serve as a technical expert and incident leader for environmental emergencies and review inspection and incident reports.
• Assist with maintaining information and data-management systems, including updating SOPs and providing staff training.

Education

Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences / biology / chemistry / physics / health / nuclear / engineering / geosciences / natural resources / statistics or quantitative methods

Master's degree in environmental sciences / biology / chemistry / physics / health / nuclear / engineering / geosciences / natural resources / statistics or quantitative methods

Doctorate in environmental sciences / engineering / geosciences / natural resources / statistics or quantitative methods

Tools

GIS

Job description

The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s (LDEQ) mission is to provide service to the people of Louisiana through comprehensive environmental protection in order to promote and protect health, safety, and welfare.

The LDEQ is seeking a qualified environmental professional for a leadership opportunity within the Northwest Regional Office Surveillance Division. This promotional position offers the opportunity to lead complex environmental investigations and compliance inspections, with a primary focus on water quality, while providing technical guidance to regional staff.

A bachelor’s degree in an environmental, biological, atmospheric, chemical, health, nuclear or physical science field, an engineering field, a geography/geosciences field, a natural resources field, or in a statistics or quantitative methods field plus three years of experience in an environmental program, nuclear energy or radiation protection program; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); an environmental, analytical, or research laboratory, LIMS (Lab Integrated Management Systems), or laboratory auditing; OR

A master’s degree in an environmental, biological, atmospheric, chemical, health, nuclear or physical science field, an engineering field, a geography/geosciences field, a natural resources field, or in a statistics or quantitative methods field plus two years of experience in an environmental program, nuclear energy or radiation protection program; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); an environmental, analytical, or research laboratory, LIMS (Lab Integrated Management Systems), or laboratory auditing; OR

A doctorate in an environmental, biological, atmospheric, chemical, health, nuclear or physical science field, an engineering field, a geography/geosciences field, a natural resources field, or in a statistics or quantitative methods field plus one year of experience in an environmental program, nuclear energy or radiation protection program; Geographic Information Systems (GIS); an environmental, analytical, or research laboratory, LIMS (Lab Integrated Management Systems), or laboratory auditing.

Supplemental Qualifications: One year of environmental scientific or technical experience at or above the Environmental Scientist 3 level. Qualifying experience may include experience in permitting procedures and program requirements, reviewing and evaluating operational data, reviewing/editing SOPs, and/or grant management and reporting.

The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.

Job Duties:

• Coordinate and conduct complex environmental compliance inspections, primarily focused on water quality, and provide technical leadership during multimedia inspections.
• Lead or conduct investigations into challenging citizen complaints and represent the region at public meetings to explain environmental issues.
• Train and guide staff on water quality sampling, oversee ambient water quality monitoring activities, and ensure adherence to QA/QC standards and departmental procedures.
• Serve as a technical expert and incident leader for environmental emergencies, assist with interpreting complex regulations, and review inspection and incident reports.
• Assist with maintaining and improving information and data-management systems, including updating SOPs, ensuring data accuracy, and providing technical support and training for regional staff.

Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: Promotion-Internal Open only to current permanent employees of DEQ.

Location: Caddo Parish

Compensation: This position offers a Special Entrance Rate (SER) listed below. This is the minimum compensation that may be offered. The job title and salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

• Environmental Scientist DCL-A: $31.38 per hour

Overview of the five major offices within the agency:

• Office of the Secretary
• Office of Management and Finance
• Office of Environmental Services
• Office of Environmental Compliance
• Office of Environmental Assessment

Contact Information:

For further information about this vacancy, contact:

Human Resources

LA Department of Environmental Quality

P.O. Box 4303

Baton Rouge, LA 70821

225-219-3867

This agency participates in the E-Verify system for verification of citizenship and employment authorization.

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer.