Senior Environmental Engineer

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority; California (MO); On-site; USD 120,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority seeks a Senior Environmental Engineer to lead environmental remediation efforts, investigations, and regulatory compliance across transit facilities and construction sites.

The role requires experience in hazardous materials remediation, site investigations, and coordination with regulators, with a focus on delivering safe, compliant infrastructure projects for Santa Clara County.

Qualifications

• Degree in Civil, Chemical, Geotechnical, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering or related field plus six years of environmental engineering experience.
• Professional Engineer (PE) registration in California is required or must be obtained at time of appointment.
• Experience supervising or leading engineers or consultants.
• Knowledge of hazardous materials remediation and regulatory compliance.
• Ability to manage multiple projects and coordinate with regulators and jurisdictions.

Responsibilities

• Perform environmental remediation planning and oversee implementation of hazardous materials programs.
• Direct consultants and internal staff on investigations, sampling, and remediation design.
• Coordinate with regulators, agencies and stakeholders for permits and compliance.
• supervise and train team members to support project delivery and site work.
• Prepare detailed engineering studies, reports and site management plans.

Skills

Environmental engineering

Regulatory coordination

Project management

Mentoring

Interdisciplinary collaboration

Education

Engineering degree (Civil/Chm/Geotech/Mech/Industrial)

Tools

CADD

MS Office

Project management software

Job description

VTA’s Engineering and Program Delivery Division is seeking a seasoned professional with strong project delivery experience and a specialized focus in environmental engineering to serve as a Senior Environmental Engineer.

The Senior Environmental Engineer is expected to manage, mentor and train team members that supports delivery of projects with regards to environmental assessment/survey, hazardous material investigation, abatement of VTA acquired properties, remediation of soil and groundwater at VTA facilities and construction sites, noise and vibration monitoring, design of remediation system, preparation of site management plan, and facility closure application.

Engineering and Program Delivery Division

The Engineering and Program Delivery (EPD) division is responsible for the design and construction of all capital projects and infrastructure required to provide a safe, reliable and efficient transportation system for Santa Clara County. These responsibilities include program and project management, design development, engineering management, project controls, construction management and turnover of various projects that are part of VTA's rail, facilities and highway transportation improvement programs.

This division is also responsible for the implementation of the projects identified in the 2000 Measure A Program, which includes the planning, design, and construction of the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART Silicon Valley) Project. This project will extend the BART regional heavy rail system to Milpitas, San Jose and Santa Clara.

Transit Engineering Department

The Transit Engineering Department is responsible to deliver capital transit and facility projects located throughout the VTA service area. This group provides program management services for this transit and facility program by leading capital projects from engineering through construction and turnover. With close coordination with VTA Operations and local jurisdictions, these projects include a variety of pedestrian, bus, light rail and commuter rail improvements. Projects managed by this group also include important capital improvements for facility projects at the light rail and bus operations and maintenance facilities. The transit and facility projects include a variety of purposes ranging from rehabilitation to sustain a state of good repair to expansion of the existing infrastructure to increase bus or light rail service. This group also performs modification to the system to increase operational efficiency and flexibility and implements safety and security projects to improve the protection of the community and our riders.

What You will Be Doing:

Definition

Under general direction, a Senior Environmental Engineer supervises and performs highly responsible professional engineering in the analysis, design, implementation, operation, monitoring and reporting of hazardous materials remedial action systems either directly or through subordinate staff or consultants.

Distinguishing Characteristics

This position is responsible for managing all issues associated with regulatory determinations, site investigations, remedial recommendations and civil/hazmat contractor coordination for all hazardous material related issues encountered in property acquisitions, light rail construction, highway program liaison, and facility improvement construction activities for VTA.

Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will have experience in construction methodologies and the ability to collaborate with regulators and jurisdictional authorities to implement cleanup actions in compliance with federal and state regulations and local ordinance. The candidate must also be able to manage multiple on-call consultants and provide the necessary technical oversight to support environmental engineering services across various VTA projects. In addition, the candidate will possess ability to work collaboratively with project managers or resident engineers to meet project schedule, scope and budget.

About VTA

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority employs more than 2,000 people dedicated to providing solutions that move Silicon Valley. Unique among transportation organizations in the San Francisco Bay Area, VTA is Santa Clara County’s authority for transit development and operations (light rail and bus), congestion management, transportation‑related funding, highway design and construction, real estate and transit‑oriented development, and bicycle and pedestrian planning. With local, state, and federal partners, VTA works to innovate the way Silicon Valley moves and provide mobility solutions for all.

Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority (VTA) is an independent special district that provides sustainable, accessible, community‑focused transportation options that are innovative, environmentally responsible, and promote the vitality of our region.

VTA provides bus, light rail, and paratransit services, as well as participates as a funding partner in regional rail service including Caltrain, Capitol Corridor, and the Altamont Corridor Express.

As the county’s congestion management agency, VTA is responsible for countywide transportation planning, including congestion management, design and construction of specific highway, pedestrian, and bicycle improvement projects, as well as promotion of transit oriented development.

VTA provides these services throughout the county, including Campbell, Cupertino, Gilroy, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, Los Gatos, Milpitas, Monte Sereno, Morgan Hill, Mountain View, Palo Alto, San Jose, Santa Clara, Saratoga and Sunnyvale. VTA continually builds partnerships to deliver transportation solutions that meet the evolving mobility needs of Santa Clara County.

As we continue to implement our VTA Forward Plan, we aim to strengthen and increase our workforce to take on future opportunities and challenges by elevating our people and our services.

For more information about our VTA Forward Plan, visit: https://www.vta.org/VTAForward

Family-Friendly Workplace Certification Program (FFWCP)

The County of Santa Clara FFWCP recognizes VTA as a business that creates supportive workplaces for employees and their families. Family‑friendly workplaces improve health outcomes and job satisfaction for employees and increase work productivity and retention for employers. Employers can create a family‑friendly workplace by meeting and exceeding state and federal employment laws relating to parental leave, lactation accommodation, and work/family balance.

Typical Tasks

• Performs program management for hazardous materials remediation projects;
• Directs engineers and other professionals involved in the remediation activities of VTA facilities, construction projects and real estate transactions;
• Processes requests for hazardous material investigations, develops scope of work for investigation, assigns work to a consultant, arranges for site walkthrough/inspections;
• Meets with Program and Construction Managers to provide status reports;
• Manages the work of environmental consultants and environmental hazardous materials contractors;
• Maintains records of remedial action systems;
• Performs due diligence investigations for property acquisitions for VTA capital projects;
• Performs groundwater monitoring and remedial activities at VTA maintenance facilities;
• Provides oversight of the VTA Highway Program relating to hazardous materials investigations;
• Keeps abreast of Federal, State, and local regulations and programs, and adheres to reporting requirements of regulatory agencies;
• Evaluates permit requirements and develops methods of compliance;
• Conducts and supervises environmental compliance audits;
• Performs related duties as required.

Employment Standards

Training, education and experience that demonstrates possession of the required knowledge, skills and abilities.

Development of the required knowledge, skills and abilities is typically obtained through graduation from an accredited college or university with a degree in Civil, Chemical, Biochemical, Geotechnical, Mechanical or Industrial Engineering or a related field and six (6) years of increasingly responsible professional environmental engineering work including experience supervising or leading professional engineers or consultants.

Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of California in Civil, Chemical, Biochemical, Geotechnical, Mechanic, or Industrial Engineering or a related field at the time of appointment is required.

The ability to obtain and maintain a Hazardous Materials training certificate issued by the State of California.

Knowledge of:

• Federal, State and local hazardous materials and safety regulations, statutes and legislation;
• Hazardous materials management activities and programs in the public sector;
• Design, operation, analysis, and monitoring of remedial action systems;
• Hazardous facility permitting processes;
• Types of remedial action systems including air strippers, carbon absorbers, recovery/monitoring wells, recovery slurry trenches, biodegradation, and soil vapor vacuum removal;
• Principles of supervision and training;
• Personal computers and common software applications.

Ability to:

• Monitor, evaluate and report on hazardous remedial action systems;
• Investigate and analyze remedial action systems;
• Prepared detailed and comprehensive engineering studies & reports;
• Interpret and comply with hazardous materials regulations;
• Analyze, evaluate and prepare construction drawings and specifications for remedial action systems;
• Rapidly assess hazardous situations and take appropriate action;
• Prepare and administer consultant contracts;
• Operate personal computers and software programs including word processing, spreadsheets, project management and CADD;
• Prepare comprehensive reports
• Communicate effectively both orally and in writing;
• Plan, direct and supervise the work of others;
• Coordinate the activities of VTA staff, contractors and regulatory agencies on projects with hazardous potential;
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships with those contacted in the course of work.

Tentative Examinations:

Oral Panel: July 2026

Conditions of Employment

Final candidates must successfully complete a Livescan background check, reference checks, verification of education or certifications, and a criminal history review before appointment.

For sensitive positions, VTA requires all safety-sensitive positions to have a 6‑month DOT physical clearance. Obtained at the time of preboarding from a VTA‑contracted Concentra Location.

Eligibility List

The established Eligible List from this recruitment will be used to fill the current vacancies and additional vacancies that may occur. Eligible Lists typically remain in effect for six (6) months. However, Human Resources may abolish Eligible Lists at any time during the six (6) month period. Human Resources may extend eligible Lists for up to two (2) years. Eligible Lists may be used for more than one recruitment.

Americans with Disabilities Act Accommodations

VTA is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to individuals with disabilities in the recruitment and examination process. To request an accommodation, please contact the Human Resources Department at [phone] or email [e-mail] at least five business days before the test.

Equal Employment Opportunity

VTA is an equal employment opportunity employer. VTA does not and will not tolerate discrimination against applicants or employees on the basis of age, ancestry, color, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, national, origin, immigration status, political affiliation, race, religion, creed, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, pregnancy, medical condition, disabled veteran or veteran status, etc.