Environmental Specialist 1 - 20080041

Who We Are:

Did you know Ohio operates 76 state parks, manages over 750,000 acres of diverse wildlife land and more than 2 million acres of water? That’s just the tip of the iceberg of what we do at the Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR) as we seek to ensure a balance between wise use and protection of our natural resources for the benefit of all!

Across our 12 divisions and support services, we employ office staff, law enforcement officers, geologists, biologists, engineers, attorneys, communicators, managers, and so much more. Whatever your passion, we likely have a position to fit it and pathways for advancement!

Working at ODNR is a special experience. Our employees are afforded opportunities to participate in public events at parks, nature preserves, wildlife areas, and annually at the Natural Resources Park at the Ohio State Fair! We routinely have Lunch and Learn events at our Assembly Center which are streamed on Teams Live as are monthly updates with our Director.

What We Need:

We are seeking energetic, passionate people who enjoy the outdoors and want to play a key role for the position of Environmental Specialist 1 within the Division of Water Resources, headquartered at Fountain Square main campus in Franklin County. To learn more about the Division of Water Resources click here Division of Water Resources | Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

What you will do…

• Supports floodplain management activities and coordination of the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) in the State of Ohio by conducting site visits and conference calls with communities. 
• Provides technical assistance and support to local floodplain administrators, the public, and other state agencies.  Tracks the status and completion of NFIP related activities including specific follow-up actions. 
• Assists and coordinates with community officials in preparing, adopting, & implementing local floodplain management regulations.
• Participates in the development, planning, and presentation of statewide workshops for floodplain management training and other water resource issues. 
• Participates in post-disaster activities including damage assessment assistance, community outreach, and staffing Emergency Operations Center & Disaster Field Offices.
• Participates in post-disaster activities including damage assessment assistance, community outreach, and staffing Emergency Operations Center & Disaster Field Offices.
• May be expected to work some evenings, weekends, and holidays. 
• Starting hourly pay of $27.92/hr with multiple pay increases over your first 5.5 years of service, with an end salary of $36.90/hr.
• There may also be cost of living adjustments (COLA) applied. Longevity pay supplements begin after five (5) years of state service.  For more details, refer to the OCSEA pay range schedule & longevity rates OCSEA Employees | Department of Administrative Services.  

At the State of Ohio, we take care of the team that cares for Ohioans. We provide a variety of quality, competitive benefits to eligible full-time and part-time employees*. For a list of all the State of Ohio Benefits, visit our Total Rewards website! Our benefits package includes:

• Medical Coverage
• Free Dental, Vision and Basic Life Insurance premiums after completion of eligibility period
• Paid time off, including vacation, personal, sick leave and 11 paid holidays per year
• Childbirth, Adoption, and Foster Care leave
• Education and Development Opportunities (Employee Development Funds, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, and more)
• Public Retirement Systems (such as OPERS, STRS, SERS, and HPRS) & Optional Deferred Compensation (Ohio Deferred Compensation)

*Benefits eligibility is dependent on a number of factors. The Agency Contact listed above will be able to provide specific benefits information for this position.

3 yrs. trg. or 3 yrs. exp. in position involving engineering or chemistry, physics, biology, environmental science, geology, hydrogeology, earth science &/or urban & regional planning &/or other comparable physical or health science field &/or mathematics &/or history &/or archaeology (i.e., latter two subject areas pertain to positions only in Department of Transportation) which included responsibility for determining environmental & economic effects of environmental pollution or inspecting proposed & existing industrial water pollution pre-treatment &/or abandoned industrial facilities to determine existence of public health &/or pollution problems &/or other facility or site inspections & investigations to determine compliance with state &/or federal environmental control regulations. Training &/or experience must be commensurate with duties to be assigned. 

-Or completion of undergraduate core program in engineering, chemistry, physics, biology, environmental science, earth science &/or urban & regional planning, geology or other comparable physical or health science field or mathematics, history or archaeology with education commensurate with duties to be assigned. Note: For all positions engaged in field work, applicants must be able to provide own transportation. New employees in EPA's solid waste program, excluding those in the solid waste planning unit, must obtain a sanitarian-in-training certificate during their probationary period. 

-Or equivalent of Minimum Class Qualifications For Employment noted above. 

Job Skills: Environmental Services, Technical Skills: Public Relations, Professional Skills: Public Speaking, Responsiveness, Situational Awareness

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS: Please ensure your online application clearly indicates how you meet minimum qualifications (MQs).  Transcripts are required for all coursework, degrees or educational accomplishments claimed on the application.  Applicants must submit a transcript (can be unofficial until point of selection) by the posting deadline (attach in the Additional Attachments section of the application submission Step 6).  Should you have issues attaching, please email to: hr@dnr.ohio.gov.  “See resume” is not a substitution for completing supplemental questions. Answers to the supplemental questions must be supported by the work experience/education sections of the application.  Applications that fail to demonstrate how they meet minimum qualifications will not be considered.

To request a reasonable accommodation due to a disability please contact Mohammad Yakubu, EEO Regional/Program Administrator at 614-265-6992 or mohammad.yakubu@dnr.ohio.gov.

Effective July 1, 2015 applicants must apply online for positions at all state agencies except the Department of Developmental Disabilities (DODD).
The final candidate selected for the position will be required to undergo a criminal background check. Criminal convictions do not necessarily preclude an applicant from consideration for a position. An individual assessment of an applicant's prior criminal convictions will be made before excluding an applicant from consideration.

STATUS OF POSTED POSITIONS: Applicants can view the status of this position by logging into their user profile on the Ohio Hiring Management System [OHMS] Home page at the following link careers.ohio.gov and selecting "My Profile".

NOTES: Bargaining unit applicants will be given consideration for applicable positions, pursuant to collective bargaining agreement. Selection devices, proficiency testing and/or assessments may be used to determine if an applicant meets and is proficient in the minimum qualifications for this position.  If you are applying for the same classification within a six-month period, your previous score from the selection instrument (interview, proficiency test and/or assessment) may be carried forward for consideration.

Ohio is a Disability Inclusion State and strives to be a model employer of individuals with disabilities. The State of Ohio is committed to providing access and inclusion and reasonable accommodation in its services, activities, programs and employment opportunities in accordance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and other applicable laws.

The State of Ohio is a drug-free workplace which prohibits the use of marijuana (recreational marijuana/non-medical cannabis). Please note, this position may be subject to additional restrictions pursuant to the State of Ohio Drug-Free Workplace Policy (HR-39), and as outlined in the posting.