Water Quality Specialist II (Grade 22)
Montgomery County Government
Department of Environmental Protection
Rockville, Maryland

Salary Range: $56,280 – $93,140

The mission of the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is to enhance the quality of life in our community by protecting and improving Montgomery County’s air, water and land in a sustainable way while fostering smart growth, a thriving economy and healthy communities.

DEP is seeking to fill a Water Quality Specialist II position within the Planning and Monitoring Section of the Watershed Management Operations Division. The position will be part of the Stream Monitoring group and will work under the supervision of the Senior Water Quality Specialist who is responsible for managing the Stream Monitoring program.

The successful candidate will be a team member of the stream monitoring crew and will be responsible for providing moderate to advanced level technical field, office, and laboratory work in aquatic ecology, water resources monitoring, BMP effectiveness monitoring, environmental data analysis, water quality reporting, including collective work to prepare the Annual Special Protection Area (SPA) Report and support National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) Discharge Permit Annual Report.

Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Participating in all field sampling and assessment activities including monitoring surface water quality, hydrology, channel morphology, biology, habitat assessment and all activities in support of monitoring.
• Analyzing collected field data by designing and automating complex SQL 2000 database queries for the purpose of extracting specific data and linking this data to GIS layers for the production of GIS products and using GIS for further analysis of land use and monitoring information.
• Assisting with preparation of reporting material for use in MS4 Annual Reports, SPA Annual Reports, Web Maps, websites, blogs and outreach/education material.
• Maintaining, calibrating, and operating specialized sampling equipment.
• Responding to water quality incidents, fish kills, watermain breaks, and sewer overflows.
• Participating in outreach, fish and herpetofauna relocation, maintaining equipment, and scheduling field work.

The ideal candidate must have the scientific and technical skills listed above to organize, prioritize, and accomplish assignments/tasks on schedule; must have a positive attitude; be team oriented, work well under pressure, and have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

The work is primarily performed out-of-doors, along stream banks and in streams and ponds, during all weather conditions, and may involve deep or swiftly moving water or human or animal wastes from sanitary sewer leaks. There is occasionally some risk in the work involving slipping in deep or swiftly moving water, snakes and other harmful animals, exposure to chemicals used in fixing collected samples, and electric shock from a fish shocking device. Proper precautions must be taken including proper attire, boots, hand protection and proper grounding for the fish-shocking device. The work requires light physical effort such as walking over rough, uneven, slippery or rocky surfaces; bending, crouching, stooping, stretching or reaching; or occasional lifting of objects up to 50 pounds.

The incumbent for this position must attend the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Maryland Biological Stream Survey (MBSS) spring and summer training and must earn certification for benthic macroinvertebrate sampling and fish crew leader. The incumbent to the position must maintain the certification. Possession of the MBSS fish taxonomy certification and/or the Society of Freshwater Sciences General Arthropod and EPT genus level certification is preferred, but not required.

In addition, experience working in a laboratory setting or managing an aquatic biology lab, including maintaining equipment, OSHA standards, safety procedures, establishing and maintaining protocols and policies, and possessing a MBSS Benthic Macroinvertebrate Laboratory Processing and Subsampling certification is a plus.

This position requires possession of a valid driver’s license and the ability to drive a County vehicle to attend meetings, transport biological, geomorphic, water quality, and stream hydrology monitoring equipment, conduct monitoring site visits, conduct inspections and investigations of water quality incidents, and observe and inspect construction activities at locations outside of the office.

Occasional weekend and/or evening work may be required.

To ensure a positive workplace and to comply with federal, state and County laws, the incumbent is responsible for completing mandatory trainings within the first three to six months or within the specified timeframe.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Experience: Three (3) years of professional experience in stream water sampling and data analysis, bioassessment protocols for streams and rivers (particularly fish and macroinvertebrates), and assessment of stream habitat conditions.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in biology, aquatic ecology, limnology, natural resource management, environmental science or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education or experience may be substituted.

License: Possession and maintenance at all times of a valid Class “C” (or equivalent) driver’s license from the applicant’s state of residence when required for job-related duties.

Medical Exam: Core Exam

Montgomery County Government offers competitive salaries and excellent benefits.

To view the complete job announcement and to apply, please visit our website at https://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/HR/Recruitment/MCGCareers.html
click on the “Search Jobs” tab, and then on the Job Search link Available Jobs.  Read the full job description under the “General Professional” Job Category.  Interested candidates must create an online account in order to apply.

The requisition number is IRC39688

This Recruitment Closes October 22, 2019

All resume submissions must address the preferred criteria for the position, which are listed in the full advertisement, preferably in a separate section of the resume.  Applicants are strongly encouraged to review the Resume Preparation Tips listed under the “How to Apply” tab on the Office of Human Resource’s MCG Careers webpage.

EOE. M/F/H.