Environmental Scientist

Description: Are you interested in a fulfilling career addressing some of California’s most pressing challenges related to watershed management and wildfire response? Are you also interested in spending time outdoors while protecting California’s waters for the benefit of current and future generations? If so, apply today and join our elite team! 

The California Central Valley Regional Water Quality Control Board’s Redding Office is looking for a motivated candidate to fill an Environmental Scientist position in the Forest Activities Program. The position is located at 364 Knollcrest Dr. Ste 205, Redding, CA 96002. The Central Valley Water Board is currently implementing a Hybrid Workplace, as such this position is a hybrid position involving limited telework based on operational needs.

The Environmental Scientist will play a key role in supporting the goals of the State and Regional Board’s Strategic Plan by evaluating, inspecting, monitoring, and regulating timberland management activities on non-federal lands. The incumbent will work under the direction of a Senior Environmental Scientist and will be required to travel to remote areas, conduct field work in difficult terrain, and in difficult weather conditions, and safely operate four-wheel-drive and all-terrain vehicles.

Responsibilities: Under the general direction of the Senior Environmental Scientist (Supervisory), the incumbent will coordinate with other State Agencies to review timber harvest plans (THPs) and timber harvesting plan exemptions, conduct field inspections and develop recommendations to prevent, minimize and mitigate impacts to water quality from forest management, post-fire recovery, ecosystem restorations and fuel reduction projects. 

Other duties include maintaining knowledge of water quality statutes and regulations, forestland and vegetation management practices, rural road and watercourse crossing design, planning and ecological effects, erosion control design and maintenance and watershed analysis of multiple land use projects and their impacts on fisheries, water supply, and other beneficial uses of water.

Qualifications: This class is the entry, intermediate working, and journey level of the series. Range A is the entry and first working level of the class. Under close supervision, incumbents perform a variety of the less difficult and responsible professional scientific office and field work. In accordance with detailed instructions and specific standards, incumbents gather data on public health, environmental, agricultural productivity, and natural resource management issues; perform preliminary environmental analysis, research, surveys, investigations, and studies of less difficulty; prepare preliminary drafts of reports; prepare drafts of routine correspondence; answer questions of a routine and minor nature from the public; prepare regulatory and compliance documents; and do other related work. Work at this level is characterized by a reliance on detailed instructions and assistance from lead persons and supervisors in the application of proven techniques and methodologies to assigned work.

Range B is the intermediate working level of the class. Under general supervision, incumbents perform a variety of responsible scientific professional office and field work. Incumbents gather data on public health, environmental, agricultural productivity, and natural resources management issues; perform environmental analysis, research, surveys, investigations, and studies of average difficulty; write preliminary reports; prepare routine correspondence and answer questions of a routine nature from the public and other governmental entities and agencies; prepare regulatory and compliance documents; enforce environmental laws and regulations; and do other related work. Work at this level is characterized by a reliance on proven techniques and methodologies.

Range C is the journey level. Under direction, incumbents perform a variety of responsible professional scientific office and field work. Incumbents independently perform assigned public health, environmental, agricultural productivity, and natural resource management analysis, research, surveys, investigations, and studies; write final reports; prepare regulatory and compliance documents; enforce environmental law and regulations; prepare non-routine correspondence and answer non-routine questions from the public; and do other related work. Incumbents allocated to this level perform a variety of tasks including the more responsible, varied, and complex assignments; incumbents may provide consultative advice to various governmental entities and agencies. Work at this level is often characterized by independent development and use of techniques and methodologies. Incumbents may be assigned lead responsibility for a specific project.

Learn more and apply here.