Planning Specialist

The State of Connecticut, Department of Public Health (DPH) is hiring!  We are seeking a qualified individual for the position of Planning Specialist. The Connecticut Department of Public Health’s (DPH) Environmental Health and Drinking Water Branch houses the Drinking Water Section (DWS), which provides technical assistance, education, and regulatory enforcement to approximately 2,400 public drinking water systems in Connecticut that utilize 150 reservoirs and 4,000 groundwater sources to provide public drinking water to approximately 2.9 million people on a daily basis. The DWS is entrusted to protect and promote healthy people in healthy Connecticut communities by assuring the use and distribution of high-quality public drinking water for human consumption. 

The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) provides funding for infrastructure improvements for public water systems in Connecticut including drinking water lead service line removal and treatment of emerging contaminants. This Planning Specialist position will work within the DWS’ Source Assessment and Protection Unit and is critical to the successful implementation of these infrastructure improvement projects. The Source Assessment and Protection Unit is responsible for statewide water supply planning, water company land permitting, water resource planning, determining well site suitability, and conducting source protection investigations. 

This position will be responsible for duties that will include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Oversee a program that will compile, analyze, process, and publish water quality, environmental, and water system infrastructure data to protect water quality from source to tap and ensure maximized public health protection
• Lead staff in the collection of environmental data (raw water quality data, contamination data, climate data) and water system infrastructure data (lead service line data, interconnection data, water system planning/expansion data)
• Analyze data, make planning recommendations, make regulatory compliance determinations, trend water quality data and conduct risk assessments
• Publish data, maps and dashboards, publish and maintain data in a public facing data/GIS hub
• Work with IT staff and external contractors in the storage, maintenance, and sharing of data in a highly dynamic cloud-based database
• Coordinate data sharing with public water systems, public officials, state and federal agencies; Present findings to stakeholders
• Develop and maintain extraction, transfer and loading modules for water utility submission of lead service line and other data from different sources
• Develop and maintain a hub for the public to share and view lead service line data
• Maintain GIS models to process and analyze dynamic data sources, use Spatial Analyst and ArcGIS Pro to analyze data and develop and publish mapping applications, dashboards, data hubs and story maps
• Develop and maintain custom apps using Microsoft O365 and ESRI software to allow submission of data to the department from water utilities and other external entities
• Compile PFAS and emerging contaminant data, develop and maintain a database of PFAS and emerging contaminant data, analyze PFAS and emerging contaminant water quality data and make policy determinations

The Mission of the Department of Public Health (DPH) is to protect and improve the health and safety of the people of Connecticut by assuring the conditions in which people can be healthy, preventing disease, injury, and disability, and promoting the equal enjoyment of the highest attainable standard of health, which is a human right and a priority of the state.

DPH accomplishes this through the implementation of its Strategic Plan which outlines the actions that DPH is taking to accomplish its Mission.

This Planning Specialist is a permanent, full-time, 40 hours per week position based out of Hartford, CT. A flex schedule may be permitted following the successful completion of a working test period, including opportunities for an alternate work schedule and/or teleworking in accordance with State policies.

We offer a competitive benefits package, excellent health care, generous leave policies, retirement plan, and more! We also encourage a healthy work-life balance to all employees!

**This salary range may increase effective July 1, 2022.

The minimum experience and training requirements must be met by the close date on the job opening, unless otherwise specified. This position will be filled in accordance with contractual language, reemployment, SEBAC, transfer, promotion and merit employment rules. In order to be considered for this job opening, you must meet the Minimum Qualifications as listed on the job opening. You must specify your qualifications on your application.  

Due to the volume of applications anticipated, we are unable to provide confirmation of receipt or status during the recruitment process. Updates will be provided through your JobAps portal account. 

Interviews will be limited to candidates whose experience most closely meet the preferred requirements of the position. At any point during the recruitment process, applicants may be required to submit additional documentation which support their qualification(s) for this position. These documents may include:  a cover letter, resume, transcripts, diplomas, performance reviews, attendance records, supervisory references, licensure, etc., at the discretion of the hiring agency. Applicants must meet the minimum qualifications as indicated to apply for this position.

In order to comply with Public Act 21-69, the State of Connecticut is no longer asking for resumes during the initial application process.  

Please Note: You will be unable to make revisions once you submit your application for this posting to the JobAps system.

This posting may require completion of additional referral questions (RQs). You can access these RQs via an email that will be sent to you after the posting's closing date or by visiting your JobAps Personal Status Board (Certification Questionnaires section). Your responses to these RQs must be submitted by the question's expiration date. Please regularly check your email and JobAps Personal Status Board for notifications. Please check your SPAM and/or Junk folders on a daily basis in the event an email provider places auto-notification emails in a user's spam. 

Although applicants will receive correspondence via email, as a backup they are also encouraged to sign on to their Personal Status Board on a daily basis to monitor their status, view all emailed notices and complete tasks required in the recruitment process. 

The immediate vacancy is listed above, however, applications to this recruitment may be used for future vacancies in this job class. 

All application materials must be received by the recruiting agency by the time specified on the job opening for the position for which you are applying. Late applications may not be submitted and will not be considered. Exceptions are rare and limited to documented events that incapacitate a candidate during the entire duration of the job posting time period. It is the candidate’s obligation and responsibility to request an exception and provide a legally recognized justification to accommodate such exception.  Requests should be made to DAS.SHRM@ct.gov.

This position may be subject to Federal requirements for COVID 19 Vaccination Immunization. 

Should you have questions pertaining to this recruitment, please contact Joseph Fried at Joseph.Fried@ct.gov

In a State agency, this class is accountable for performing as a specialist in a planning area in support of program and policies.

Performs highly specialized complex duties in a planning and program area; supervises planning, development, coordination and administration of program operations; formulates, recommends, implements policies and guidelines for program; acts as liaison with operating units, agencies and outside officials regarding program policies and procedures; provides technical and consultative services regarding program; prepares reports and correspondence; speaks before groups regarding program; may testify before legislative committees; performs related duties as required.

Considerable knowledge of relevant agency policies and procedures; considerable knowledge of relevant State and Federal laws, statutes and regulations; considerable knowledge of principles and practices of state and regional planning; considerable knowledge of research methods and techniques; knowledge of relevant programs in private agencies, other states and at national level; considerable interpersonal skills; considerable oral and written communication skills; ability to interpret and evaluate research data; ability to utilize computer software.

Eight (8) years of experience in planning including developing written long term plans broad in scope and having impact on a number of operations.

One (1) year of the General Experience must have been in planning at or above the level of Lead Planning Analyst.
Note: Planning is defined as collecting and analyzing technical data (social, environmental, economic, governmental), determining problems and concerns and developing long-term plans accordingly. These are formal, written plans, i.e., statements of goals and objectives, recommended alternatives for action and policies and programs to achieve the goals and objectives. Generally, these plans will impact statewide activities or a large-scale corporation which has branch or satellite facilities. Candidates must often perform these types of duties the majority of time and the planning function must be the major thrust of the job.

1. College training 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 planning, public administration or a closely related field may be substituted for one (1) additional year of the General Experience.

• Experience analyzing spatial data and producing maps using ArcGIS
• Experience working with water quality, water system infrastructure, climate and/ or environmental data
• Experience developing standard operating procedures
• Experience performing risk analyses of potential impacts to public drinking water supplies and systems
• Experience with outreach to public water systems, other state agencies, and/or local land use officials
• Experience in the development of source water assessment reports, environmental impact reviews, source-based management plans and/or climate-related and resiliency planning
• Experience leading or supervising professional staff

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.