The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, sexual orientation, religion, age, or physical or mental disability.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for an Underground Storage Tank Inspector (Natural Resource Specialist 3) in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality.

About DEQ!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources. Here is a video about DEQ: https://youtu.be/E-Cs6M9AAlU

The Land Quality programs support this mission by assessing and managing environmental cleanups, promoting manufacturing and recycling of non-toxic commercial products, safely managing the disposal of solid and hazardous wastes, administering the state’s underground storage tank and heating oil tank programs, and responding to spills of oil and hazardous materials.

The Underground Storage Tank (UST) Compliance Program is within the Land Quality Division at Headquarters. DEQ’s UST Compliance Program, which is authorized by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), is a comprehensive regulatory program for UST systems storing petroleum or certain hazardous substances to protect the environment and human health from UST releases. DEQ’s UST Compliance Program works to prevent petroleum contamination of Oregon’s soil and groundwater by inspecting all regulated underground storage tanks and ensuring that tank permit holders perform the equipment testing and maintenance required to keep underground storage tank systems operating safely. The UST Compliance Program is a statewide program that combines headquarters and regional staff to complete our inspections.

Click here to view a map of all of the DEQ offices.

What you will do!

You will conduct Underground Storage Tank (UST) compliance inspections at regulated facilities. You will also conduct installation, decommissioning, and modification inspections at active construction sites. Inspections will include a mixture of in office file review, site visits across the state, and maintenance of various databases. Some field locations may be remote with limited cell phone coverage. Inspectors are expected to spend at least 25% of the month on overnight travel, away from home, doing field visits and meeting with the regulated community. You will provide technical and regulatory assistance, assist with the identification of non-permitted tanks, maintain and update the UST database, review tank designs, monitor tank tests, investigate leaking tank complaints, and initiate follow-up actions, including enforcement, as necessary. In addition, you will coordinate guidance policy development projects; work closely with management to determine program needs and to train staff; develop and implement trainings for agency staff, other staff, and federal UST inspectors; represent the agency in informal meetings to resolve or settle enforcement actions; provide testimony and/or serve as an expert witness in civil penalty contested case enforcement hearings; and function as a technical liaison to other DEQ programs, state agencies, and national organizations.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! DEQ cares deeply about employee wellness and benefits. We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon's environment, apply today!
 

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications: 6 years of experience in a natural resource or environmental field, with at least 1 year of experience at a technical or professional level performing activities in a natural resource program such as researching and analyzing data, conducting investigations, applying pertinent laws and regulations, or coordinating and monitoring project activities.

Substitutions:

• Bachelor’s degree in physical science, environmental science, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 3 of the required years of experience. 
• Master’s degree in physical science, environmental science, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 4 of the required years of experience. 
• Doctorate degree in physical science, environmental science, natural resources, or a closely related field may substitute for 5 of the required years of experience. 

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following desired attributes:

• Demonstrated understanding of environmental justice and the historical impacts for marginalized and underrepresented communities; ability to take personal responsibility for increasing their knowledge of environmental justice and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to provide clear, concise, and compelling communication of policy and technical information tailored to the needs of diverse audiences; skill in writing and presenting clear and concise reports that include qualitative and quantitative analyses, recommendations, and conclusions to diverse audiences.
• Experience conducting fieldwork and making regulatory determinations for compliance and enforcement with local, state, or federal environmental or other regulatory requirements, including environmental inspections or other regulatory inspections of industry and commercial businesses.
• Skill in engagement, collaboration, negotiation, and coalition-building; strong interpersonal skills; demonstrated experience building and fostering relationships with a diverse group of partners including colleagues, interested parties, communities, organizations, and businesses.
• Experience with USTs including inspection of new installations, audits of service providers, compliance inspections, and investigation of leaks and petroleum discharges.
• Experience with UST equipment operation and inspection procedures.
• Experience working with various contractors: construction, equipment sales/installation, equipment repair, and engineering services.
• Mechanical aptitude and ability to understand complex petroleum industry equipment specifications.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Headquarters office in Portland; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

This position requires regular statewide travel by car for extended periods of time for site visits, meetings, conferences, trainings, and workshops, which will involve overnight stays and extended working hours. During site visits, inspectors will be exposed to adverse weather conditions, pollutants, contaminated soil and water, fumes, airborne contaminants, and potential fall or tripping hazards. The work frequently requires climbing stairs, extensive standing and walking, and repeated kneeling and standing. Inspectors must be able to safely perform these physical activities in a variety of field environments.

Inspections will be conducted at hospitals, communication centers, local and state correctional facilities, marinas, retail gas stations, truck stops, and construction sites. Many of these facilities remain open to the public and may have high levels of foot and automobile traffic, moving vehicles, and other on-site hazards. During inspections with the regulated community, inspectors may encounter members of the public who have environmental concerns and are expressing them directly to the inspector. This position requires inspectors to remain alert, exercise sound judgment, and work safely and independently in a variety of field environments and communities across Oregon.

Underground Storage Tank Inspectors must travel overnight at least 25% of each month across Oregon to conduct field visits and meet with the regulated community.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. Click this link for the External Candidate job aid, and view this video for additional information.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account.  View this knowledge article for assistance.

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Help Your Application Rise to the Top!

Your application materials are the perfect opportunity to highlight your interest in the position and showcase your amazing skills and experience. In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials.

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Veterans Information:

DEQ provides veterans’ preference points to all eligible veterans. For more information on veterans’ preference, please visit Veterans Resources, or call the Oregon Department of Veterans' Affairs at: 1-800-692-9666. For privacy reasons, please do not attach veterans’ preference documents when initially applying. Instead, you will be asked to submit those at a later time as part of a future task in Workday.

Equal Pay Analysis:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. Please visit http://www.oregon.gov/das/hr/pages/equity.aspx for more information. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at jobs@deq.oregon.gov or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.