SENIOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ENGINEER

State of California; California (MO); Hybrid; USD 107,738 - 159,643; Full time

Job summary

State of California's Department of Toxic Substances Control seeks a Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer to lead complex site cleanups and advise on climate-change impacts. You will provide expert engineering input, review plans, and guide remediation projects addressing sea-level rise, wildfires, and flooding.

The role offers collaboration with project managers and senior staff. The position requires civil engineering credentials, strong regulatory knowledge, and leadership of

Qualifications

• Registration as Civil Engineer with the California State Board is preferred.
• Experience in civil engineering work across complex projects.
• Knowledge of federal and state environmental site cleanup regulations.
• Experience designing and operating remediation systems.
• GIS skills demonstrated in project delivery.
• Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and facilitating decisions.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert engineering consultative services on complex sites.
• Independently evaluate technology screening, feasibility studies, and design documents.
• Assess climate-change impacts on hazardous waste sites.
• Develop adaptation plans for climate hazards on cleanup sites.
• Oversee technical specifications for contracts and assist contractor selection.
• Support DTSC staff in planning and implementing cleanup on sensitive sites.
• Conduct regulatory research to address specific cleanup practices.

Skills

GIS skills

Team leadership

Regulatory knowledge

Education

Civil Engineer registration (Cal State Board)

Job description

Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer

Department of Toxic Substances Control.

Salary: $9,654.00 - $14,305.00 per Month.

Final Filing Date: 7/27/2026

Job Description and Duties

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is looking for a dynamic Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer (HSE) to join the Site Mitigation and Restoration Program’s Climate Change Unit, which addresses climate vulnerabilities on contaminated site cleanup projects. Working under the direction of the Climate Change Unit Supervising HSE I, this role will provide expert engineering input, review, and guidance for cleanup sites and remediation projects that are subject to climate hazards such as sea level rise, wildfire, and flooding. As Senior HSE, you will work on DTSC’s most complex cleanup sites and provide technical support to DTSC project managers and executive staff.

As a Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer you will have the opportunity to:

• Provide expert engineering consultative services to DTSC staff on the most complex and controversial sites to ensure technical and regulatory requirements are met.
• Independently investigate and evaluate technology screening or selection, feasibility studies, lab or field treatability testing, design/construction of remedial actions, and operation and maintenance of treatment facilities, reviewing workplans, reports, or design documents prepared by others and providing written or verbal recommendations on the scope, procedures, equipment, conclusions, and changes or additional work needed.
• Assess climate‑change impacts, vulnerabilities, and adaptation plans for hazardous waste sites.
• Develop assessments and adaptation plans of climate‑change impacts on toxic waste sites, where necessary, based on prioritization of climate change risks and potential to affect vulnerable communities.
• Oversee the preparation of technical specifications for contracts and assist in contractor selection for various projects.
• Provide technical assistance to DTSC staff in planning, coordinating, and implementing cleanup at the most complex/sensitive sites to ensure technical and regulatory requirements are met.
• Independently conduct in‑depth industry and regulatory research to develop strategies that address specific cleanup practices that may be sensitive to public health and/or the environment.

Desirable Qualifications We Look For

• Valid certification of registration as a Civil Engineer issued by the California State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers preferred.
• Experience in progressively responsible civil engineering work.
• Knowledge and experience with federal and state environmental site cleanup regulations, laws, policies, and guidance as they relate to the investigation and cleanup of contaminated soil, groundwater, and soil vapor sites and the design, construction, operation, and closure of engineered remediation and mitigation systems.
• Knowledge and experience in the design, construction, operation, and monitoring of remediation systems for the cleanup of contaminated soils, groundwater, soil vapor, and sediment.
• Knowledge and experience in design, construction, operation, and closure of engineered landfill systems.
• Geographic Information System (GIS) skills.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams, leading teams, managing group discussions, and integrating multiple different ideas and views to make a recommendation or to facilitate a decision.

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 per month. 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 schedule may be available for this position.

Minimum Requirements

Minimum requirements are detailed in the Classification Specification.

Benefits

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

Equal Opportunity Employer

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.