SENIOR HYDROGEOLOGIST

Solid-Waste-Authority-of-Palm-Beach-County; West Palm Beach (FL); On-site; USD 83,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

The Solid Waste Authority of Palm Beach County is seeking a Senior Hydrogeologist to supervise Environmental Technicians and oversee the Authority’s water quality sampling program. You will provide technical expertise in hydrogeology, environmental monitoring, deep well injection, water use, and remediation at SWA facilities.

Responsibilities include coordinating with analytical laboratories, regulatory agencies, consultants, and contractors; reviewing data; preparing permit applications and

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Geology, Hydrogeology, or Engineering (MS preferred).
• Minimum years of supervisory experience required and extensive hydrogeology knowledge.

Responsibilities

• Direct Environmental Technicians in groundwater, surface water, soil, sediment, and wastewater sampling at SWA facilities.
• Review analytical data for accuracy and compliance; prepare reports for regulatory agencies.
• Manage Analytical Laboratory contracts; approve invoices and perform QA/QC audits.
• Provide technical support for aquifer tests, well design, drilling, and injection/monitoring wells.
• Develop permits and oversee dewatering projects; monitor outside entities’ activities near SWA facilities.
• Manage monitoring stations and data loggers; ensure data integrity.

Skills

Hydrogeology

Environmental monitoring

Groundwater modeling

Regulatory knowledge

Data analysis

Technical writing

Project coordination

Supervisory experience

Communication skills

Microsoft Office

GIS

Education

Geology / Hydrogeology / Engineering degree

Tools

GIS software

Job description

Full Salary Range: $82,996.58 - $157,693.54 Hiring Range: $82,996.58 - $120,345.06

The Senior Hydrogeologist is a supervisory position directing and assigning work to Environmental Technicians and is responsible for managing the Authority’s regulatory water quality sampling program and provides technical expertise in hydrogeology, environmental monitoring, deep well injection, water use, remediation, and other hydrogeological areas relating to solid waste management facilities. Duties include coordinating and acting as liaison between Analytical Laboratories, various Authority departments, Regulatory Agencies, Consultants, and Contractors in order to expedite the timely data collection and completion of Authority water quality regulatory reports. Further responsibilities include regulatory review and analysis of analytical data, preparing permit applications, groundwater modeling, preparing reports, and technical writing. This position reports to Managing Hydrogeologist and requires reliability, dependability, and accountability in all aspects of the defined role.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Plan,direct,andassignworkofEnvironmentalTechniciansresponsibleforgroundwater,surface water,soil,sediment,and wastewater sampling at Authority solid waste management facilities.
• Reviewanalyticalfieldandlaboratorydatafor accuracyandcompliancewithFederal,State,andLocalstandards; prepare and submit reports within required timeframes to the appropriate regulatory agencies.
• AdministertheAnalyticalLaboratorycontract(s)forwaterqualitymonitoringprogram;approveinvoicesand perform quality control/quality assurance audits on Analytical Laboratory(s); review ADaPT deliverables for regulatory submission.
• Provide technical support for aquifer performance tests, well specifications/design, drilling, rehabilitation, mechanical integrity tests and plugging/abandonment ofAuthoritydeepinjectionwells,monitoringwells,andIndustrialSupplyWellsystems.
• Develop plans, permit applications,andoverseedewateringprojects atSWAfacilitiesandmonitordewateringactivitiesconductedby outside entities near SWA facilities.
• Manageenvironmentalmonitoringstationsanddataloggercollectionprogram.
• Evaluateandinterpretdataforpreparinghydrogeologicalreports,monthly operating reports, mechanical integrity test reports,remediationplans,feasibilitystudies,review and analyze groundwater modeling results/recommendations, and work plans for various hydrogeological projects.
• Investigateexceedancesofwaterqualitystandardsandanalyzesgroundwater,surfacewater, soil, sediment,and/orwastewater trends for Authority facilities through trend analysis and groundwater modeling.
• Reviewpermitapplicationsandgroundwatermonitoringplansfor Authority facilities.
• AssistotherAuthoritystaffon variousprojectsasdirectedbytheChiefEngineer,DirectorofEnvironmental Programs, or Managing Hydrogeologist.
• Supervisory responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directingwork;appraisingperformance;rewardinganddiscipliningemployees;addressingcomplaintsand resolving problems in accordance with the organization’s policies and applicable laws.
• Performotherjob-relateddutiesasrequested.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITY

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirementslistedbelowarerepresentativeoftheknowledge,skill,and/orabilityrequired.Reasonableaccommodationsmaybeappliedtoenableindividualswithdisableditiesperformtheessentialfunctions.

• Knowledge of Florida (local) geological concepts including sedimentology, stratigraphy, karst systems, aquifer testing,geochemistry,groundwater,surfacewater,andhydrogeologicalfieldtechniques,includinggroundwater flow modeling techniques and evaluations.
• Knowledgeofthegeologic,hydrologicandsoilclassificationsystems.
• KnowledgeofFloridaspecific welldrillingtechnologyandwellconstruction;abilitytooperateandmaintainfield instruments.
• Knowledgeoftheprinciplesandstandardsofscientificstudy,fieldinvestigationandsampling,experimentation, research, and documentation and applies standards.
• Abilitytounderstandprojectobjectives,planandschedulesandmeetdeadlinesandbudgetsthroughbasicproject coordination.
• Abilitytoestablishandmaintaineffectiveworkingrelationshipwithco-workers,supervisors,andvendors.
• Abilitytoworkindependentlyandaspartofateamwithemployeesandcontractors.
• Advancedproblem-solvingskillswithabilitytodevisenewapproachesforsolvingcomplicatedhydrogeological matters.
• Advancedwrittenandoralcommunicationsskillswithtechnicalwritingexperiencetoeffectivelycommunicate with regulatory agencies, peers, and technical groups.
• StrongabilitytousePCcomputerequipment,smartphone,tablets,databases,andproficientinMicrosoftoffice(outlook, word, excel, PowerPoint); ability to use GIS tools is a plus.
• Abilitytocoach,developandsuperviseemployees.
• Abilitytoread,analyze,andinterpretcommonscientificandtechnicaljournals,financialreports,andlegal documents.
• Abilitytorespondtocommoninquiriesorcomplaintsfromcustomers, regulatoryagencies,ormembersofthe business community.
• Abilitytoeffectivelypresentinformationtotopmanagement,publicgroups,and/orboardsofdirectors.
• Abilitytoapplyadvancedmathematicalconceptssuchasexponents,logarithms,quadratequations,and permutations.
• Abilitytoapplymathematicaloperationstosuchtasksasfrequencydistribution,determinationoftestreliability and validity, analysis of variance, correlation techniques, sampling theory, and factor analysis.
• Abilitytodefineproblems,collectdata,establishfacts,anddrawvalidconclusions.
• Abilitytointerpretanextensivevarietyoftechnicalinstructionsinmathematicalordiagramformanddealwith several abstract and concrete variables.

EDUCATION AN DEXPERIENCE

• A Bachelor’s degree is required from an accredited college or university with major course work in Geology, Hydrogeology, or Engineering. Master of Science Degree with specialization in any of the aforementioned areas is preferred.
• A minimum of two years of supervisory experience required.
• Minimum of nine (9) years related experience or any equivalent combination of experience, training or education which provides the requisite knowledge, skills and abilities is required.

CERTIFICATIONS/LICENSES

• Valid Florida Driver’s licenserequired.
• Registration as a Professional Geologist (P.G.) or Professional Engineer (P.E.) in the State of Florida is required for this position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT

Thephysicaldemands and work environment describedherearerepresentativeofthosethatmustbemetbyanemployeetosuccessfullyperform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. This work is routinely performed in a typical office environment which is quiet, and climate controlled as well as frequently outdoors. The employee is frequently required to talk; hear; balance and walk; sit; stand; reach, push, pull; use hands to touch, handle, and feel; and reach with hands and arms; stoop, kneel and crouch. Ability to lift and move up to 20 lbs. without assistance and work in adverse weather and terrain conditions. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, peripheral vision, depth perception, and ability to adjust focus. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently exposed to wet and/or humid conditions; moving mechanical parts; risk of electrical shock; high, precarious places; fumes or airborne particles; toxic or caustic chemicals; outside weather and terrain conditions (i.e., landfills, wetlands, etc.); biological hazards, such as insects and plants.The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.