Environmental Protection Assistant Division Director

At the State of Connecticut, Department of Energy & Environmental Protection (DEEP), we are dedicated to conserving, improving and protecting our natural resources and the environment and increasing the availability of cheaper, cleaner and more reliable energy.  

DEEP's Bureau of Material Management and Compliance Assurance (MMCA) mission is to protect human health and safety and the environment from releases of hazardous materials, preventing releases through inspection, permitting and enforcement and ensuring corrective actions are taken to cleanup and minimize direct exposure to hazardous materials.

The MMCA's Emergency Response and Spill Prevention (ERSP) Division has diverse responsibilities including:

1. A 24-hour statewide emergency response program that responds to hazardous materials incidents including petroleum releases, chemical releases, and weapons of mass destruction (WMD) incidents, threats, and hoaxes;

2. A unit that supports emergency response operations and conducts soil and groundwater investigations to identify parties responsible for spills and enforces cleanups from underground storage tanks (UST's);

3. A unit that manages post closure activities at state owned landfills;

4. A Storage Tank and PCB Enforcement Unit that regulates Marine Terminals, registers and inspects gas stations, and enforces PCB regulations; and

5. A unit that ensures corrective action measures are taken to mitigate cleanups releases.

The ERSP is seeking to hire an Environmental Protection Assistant Division Director to oversee the enforcement and corrective action section. This position will lead the core regulatory programs: inspections, enforcement and corrective action and to provide direct management of the inspection and enforcement of storage tanks and PCBs to prevent releases as well as the oversight of long term soil and groundwater cleanup actions when such releases do occur. This position is responsible for overseeing a staff of 18 environmental analysts, engineers and compliance specialists working on inspection, enforcement, permitting and cleanup.

This full time position is based in Hartford, CT.    

Applicants must include a resume within the "Resume Tab" of their application.

Questions about this position should be directed to the hiring agency's human resources office:  DEEP Human Resources. DEEP.HumanResources@ct.gov, (860)424-3006.

This position is competitive. Open to the public.

In the Department of Energy and Environmental Protection, this class is accountable for assisting in the direction of the staff and programs of a scientific, regulatory or technical division.

Assists in direction of staff and operations of division; determines priorities, coordinates plans and manages activities; assists in formulating program goals and objectives and ensures implementation of same; assists in development of related policy, goals and objectives; interprets and administers pertinent laws and regulations; evaluates staff performance; provides or directs staff training and development; assists in preparation of division budget; prepares and/or oversees preparation of reports and correspondence; performs public relations tasks; oversees special projects; serves as director in his/her absence; establishes and maintains contacts with individuals both within and outside of division who might impact on program activities; performs related duties as required.

This position manages:

·       The licensing and inspection of marine terminals where petroleum liquids are stored, the inspection and enforcement of federally and state regulated commercial underground storage tanks, and the regulation and proper management of PCBs. 

 ·       The oversight and enforcement of cleanup actions to remediate releases that have impacted soil, groundwater and surface water. 

·       The cleanup of PCB contaminated buildings and associated materials.

·       Management of federal grants.

Considerable knowledge of and ability to apply management principles and techniques; considerable knowledge of environmental protection principles, techniques, practices and issues; considerable knowledge of relevant state and federal laws, statutes and regulations; considerable ability to apply relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable interpersonal skills; oral and written communication skills; analytical, organizational and negotiating skills.

Nine (9) years of professional experience in natural resource management, environmental conservation, energy research, energy planning, energy policy development, public outdoor recreation, pollution prevention, reduction and management, environmental regulatory programs or other related environmental protection field.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in a supervisory capacity responsible for the supervision of professional and technical support staff performing environmental protection work. Notes:
1. Supervisory capacity is interpreted as scheduling, assigning and overseeing work, establishing performance standards for employees and taking corrective measures to implement those standards.
2. For State Employees, the Special Experience is interpreted at the level of Environmental Protection Supervising Sanitary Engineer (Environmental Protection), Environmental Protection Supervising Air Pollution Control Engineer, Environmental Protection Supervising Civil Engineer, Environmental Protection Supervising Environmental Analyst, Environmental Protection Supervising Forester, Environmental Protection Supervising Fisheries Biologist, Environmental Protection Supervising Wildlife Biologist or other comparable supervisory title responsible for the supervision of professional and technical support staff performing environmental protection work.

1. College training in a scientific or technical discipline related to the environmental field, including but not limited to the biological, earth, or physical sciences; environmental planning; environmental law; economics; leisure services; geographic information systems; geography with a concentration in geographic information systems; natural sciences; natural resources may be substituted for the General Experience on the basis of fifteen (15) semester hours equalling one-half (1/2) year of experience to a maximum of four (4) years for a Bachelor's degree.
2. A Master's degree in a scientific or technical discipline related to the environmental field as listed above including but not limited to the biological, earth, or physical sciences; environmental planning; environmental law; economics; leisure services; geographic information systems; geography with a concentration in geographic information systems; natural sciences; natural resources may be substituted for five (5) years of the General Experience.
3. A law degree with a concentration in environmental protection or doctorate degree in a field related to environmental protection may be substituted for six (6) years of the General Experience.
*Note: Education may only be substituted for a total of six (6) years.

·       Demonstrated leadership and experience leading a highly skilled technical workforce. 

·       Experience in the field of investigation and remediation of chemical and oil spills to soil, surface water and groundwater.

·       Demonstrated working knowledge of Federal, State and Local environmental regulations/laws and working with U.S. EPA, U.S. Coast Guard, response departments, and other local, state and federal agencies. 

·       Experience in grants management.

·       Demonstrated experience in enforcing and drafting state statutes and regulations.

·       Excellent written and oral communication skills including ability to effectively communicate technical information in clear and common language terms with regulated community, state and federal agencies, the media and the general public. 

 ·       Demonstrated experience managing multiple competing priorities and projects.

·       Considerable experience developing and implementing innovative approaches or process improvements to address environmental problems and/or manage productivity.  

AN AFFIRMATIVE ACTION/EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

The State of Connecticut is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer and strongly encourages the applications of women, minorities, and persons with disabilities.