SENIOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ENGINEER

California Department of Toxic Substances Control; Los Angeles (CA); Hybrid; USD 108,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

The California Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) is seeking a Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer to support the Chiquita Canyon Landfill project in the Greater Los Angeles area. This permanent, full-time role offers hybrid telework and the chance to lead engineering, geotechnical, and regulatory oversight activities.

Responsibilities include managing investigations and cleanup, reviewing complex technical work, coordinating schedules and budgets, and maintaining DTSC’s EnviroStor

Qualifications

• Licensed in California as a geotechnical engineer preferred.
• Experience assessing, investigating, or remediating properties with releases of hazardous substances.
• Experience conducting or reviewing geotechnical analysis.
• Experience working for or under the oversight of an environmental regulatory agency.
• Project management experience.
• Experience with written and verbal science communication, including reports and work plans.
• Experience working with landfill regulations or landfills with subsurface elevated temperatures.

Responsibilities

• Serve as project manager to oversee all aspects of investigation and cleanup at hazardous waste sites.
• Manage and review complex engineering and technical aspects of investigations to determine contamination extent and remediation options.
• Plan and manage a workload with multiple projects and deadlines within budget.
• Prepare and maintain project schedules to allocate resources.
• Prepare estimates for oversight costs and secure payment from Responsible Parties.
• Update EnviroStor and upload milestone documents timely.

Skills

CA Geotechnical Engineer

Regulatory agency experience

Project management

Geotechnical analysis

Science communication

Landfill regulations experience

Job description

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.

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.

Position Details

Job Code #

JC-533350

Position #(s)

810-513-3725-002

Working Title

Senior Project Manager

Classification

SENIOR HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES ENGINEER

Salary Range

$9,654.00 - $12,004.00 A

$11,427.00 - $14,305.00 B

# of Positions

1

Work Location

Los Angeles County

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!

Department Website: http://www.dtsc.ca.gov/

Job Description And Duties

The Department of Toxic Substances Control (DTSC) 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 Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer position is primarily responsible for supporting the day-to‑day and technical oversight of the Chiquita Canyon Landfill project located in Castaic as well as 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 a Senior Hazardous Substances Engineer 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
• Manage and review the more complex engineering, scientific, and technical aspects of investigations to characterize the extent of contamination and evaluate alternatives for remediation
• 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 follows up with the Responsible Parties to ensure payment of invoices of billed activities
• Routinely update and maintain project information on existing sites in DTSC's EnviroStor database, including uploading major milestone documents to EnviroStor on a timely basis

Desirable Qualifications We Look For

• Currently licensed in California as a Geotechnical Engineer preferred
• Experience assessing, investigating, or remediating properties with releases of hazardous substances
• Experience conducting or reviewing geotechnical analysis
• Experience working for or under the oversight of an environmental regulatory agency
• Project management experience
• 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.

Special Requirements

• 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 more than 2 pages in length typed in Arial 12-point font. Your response should reference this position’s duty statement.

Your SOQ Should Address The Following

• Please describe why you are the best candidate for this position. Including information 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.

Who May Apply

Individuals who are currently in the classification, eligible for lateral transfer, eligible for reinstatement, have list or LEAP eligibility, are in the process of obtaining list eligibility, or have SROA and/or Surplus eligibility (please attach your letter, if available). SROA and Surplus candidates are given priority; therefore, individuals with other eligibility may be considered in the event no SROA or Surplus candidates apply.

Applications will be screened and only the most qualified applicants will be selected to move forward in the selection process. Applicants must meet the Minimum Qualifications stated in the Classification Specification(s).

Final Filing Date

10/9/2026