Senior Environmental Scientist (Specialist)

About the Organization

Are you looking for a different type of state government job? Something with a little more excitement and a more fast-paced and fluid environment? How about an opportunity to be part of one of the most remarkable transportation projects in California's history? The California High-Speed Rail Authority is a small and dynamic state agency that is looking for employees who are interested in a challenging and rewarding job opportunity.

About the Role

Under the general direction of the Environmental Program Manager I, the incumbent serves as the Central Valley Region’s California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Compliance Specialist in the Environmental Services Branch of the High-Speed Rail Authority (Authority). The incumbent formulates measures to mitigate impacts by preparing, reviewing, and processing environmental clearance documents for transportation systems, plans, and projects. The incumbent also ensures compliance with all applicable local, state, and federal laws and regulations, and reviews environmental documents of local, state and federal agencies. The incumbent is responsible at a programmatic level for ensuring the Authority is fulfilling its mitigation commitments contained in Final Environmental Impact Reports/Environmental Impact Statements (EIR/EIS) and permitting documents (i.e., environmental permits), throughout the different phases of project delivery. The incumbent is also responsible for managing consultant staff who develop, implement, and deliver permit, mitigation, and compliance strategies and activities for approved project sections of the High-Speed Rail (HSR) system.

Desirable Skills

• One year or more of broad, extensive, and increasingly responsible experience as a scientist in environmental analysis, management, research, planning, regulation, investigation, or enforcement.
• Experience in management, research, planning, or consultation in environmental programs, and demonstrated environmental management skills.
• Experience applying NEPA, CEQA, state and federal environmental laws and regulations, and environmental permitting.
• Experience working with Federal and State agencies and stakeholders.
• Strong interagency collaboration skills demonstrated through interactive relationships with multiple state and federal resource and regulatory agencies.
• Experience with multi-species habitat mitigation.
• Experience with design-build contracting and alternative delivery construction processes and methods.
• Experience in the development or implementation of policies, programs, plans or research projects.
• Experience delivering complex environmental permits, authorizations, and approvals.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience in leading and working within integrated multi-disciplinary teams.
• Ability to exercise a high degree of initiative, flexibility, judgment, and confidentiality.
• Ability to operate independently, but with the judgment to know when to ask for assistance and guidance from a supervisor or colleague.
• Ability to represent the Authority in dealings with other government agencies and private entities in a way that reflects well on the Authority.

Minimum Qualifications

To learn more about the minimum qualifications, please click here.

Benefits

Benefit information can be found on the CalHR website and the CalPERS website.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of California is an equal opportunity employer to all, regardless of age, ancestry, color, disability (mental and physical), exercising the right to family care and medical leave, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, military or veteran status, national origin, political affiliation, race, religious creed, sex (includes pregnancy, childbirth, breastfeeding and related medical conditions), and sexual orientation.