Environmental Specialists perform a variety of duties related to the interaction of the environment and the State’s transportation network and transportation projects, including data gathering, analysis, report writing, reviewing consultant work products, making recommendations to higher levels of management, contributing to the drafting or revision of guidance and procedures, negotiating solutions to environmental problems acceptable to both the Department of Transportation and environmental regulatory agencies, and advising construction, design, highway maintenance, and other program areas concerning environmental rules and regulations and the preparation of environmental documents.
This position is in the Environmental Science Bureau within the Office of Environment. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will support NYSDOT’s Wetlands/Waters Program as a subject matter specialist on stream and wetland systems. This includes work related to avoidance and minimization of impacts to streams and wetlands, design to eliminate or reduce barriers to aquatic organism passage, wetland and stream mitigation (creation, enhancement, restoration), and waters/wetlands environmental permits and approvals.
Under the direction of an Environmental Specialist 2, the Environmental Specialist Trainee 1/Trainee 2/ Environmental Specialist 1, typical duties would include:
• Providing advice and guidance on stream and wetland topics for regional staff and other program areas within the Department
• Reviewing project documentation prepared by regional staff or consultants
• Contributing to the preparation of reports, policies, procedures, and guidance documents
• Assistance with preparation and delivery of statewide training, both office and field-based.
• Assignments on other environmental topics and duties
This is primarily an office position using a computer. The candidate should be able to perform field work for the purposes of regional support and/or in-field training, but that type of work is infrequent.
In addition to the minimum qualifications, extra consideration will be given to applicants with a strong background and experience with:
• Wetland delineation in accordance with the 1987 Corps wetland delineation manual and NCNE Regional Supplement
• Design, permitting, construction, and adaptive management of wetland and/or stream compensatory mitigation, enhancement, and restoration projects
• Fluvial geomorphology, stream dynamics, Rosgen method, natural stream channel design, stream intervention, stream simulation methodology and/or bioengineering practices; and
• Improvement or re-establishment of aquatic organism passage and barrier resolution in transportation infrastructure contexts
If selected for an interview, applicants will be asked to provide a writing sample.
