A Day in the Life:

The essential functions of this role are as follows: 

• Serves as an environmental expert and provides guidance to regulated communities, government officials, attorneys and staff responsible for a variety of programs and program elements.
• Project Management: Performs project management duties to ensure effective and timely management of program area needs, attends meetings, and responds to telephone calls, e-mails, etc., as required.  Acts as a technical point-of-contact for assigned programs administering environmental programs which may include, but not limited to, environmental media sampling, data analysis, technical writing, work plan and report preparation, technical reviews, etc.  
• Permits: Researches state and federal guidance, laws, and regulations related to permits.  Contacts applicants to request additional information to process applications, when necessary.  Responds to comments from applicants, defends permit terms and conditions, and interacts with permittees to resolve permitting issues.  Attends and participates in public meetings and hearings regarding permit actions throughout Indiana and/or appears in legal appeals of permit actions.  
• Inspection: Conducts surveys, inspections and investigations of facilities and sites, review projects/situations, reads plans, interprets findings, and cites appropriate violations of state and federal regulations.  Provides technical and regulatory guidance to the regulated community in their assigned geographic area.     
• Enforcement & Compliance: Uses all compliance, enforcement tools, and resources available to ensure that regulated sources return to compliance with state and federal laws, regulations, and standards in a timely manner.  
• Support Services: Works to support the various programs in assigned agency in multiple capacities. 
• Sampling: Assists with the preparation of sampling and analysis work plans. Conducts field work as necessary following agency/section Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for assigned sites.
• Technical Analysis & Testing: Conducts technical analysis and/or provides technical insights to assess environmental impacts with goals to meet state and national regulations. 
• Outreach Coordination: Communicates effectively with responsible parties, consultants, and/or their representatives, affected stakeholders, and interested parties such as citizens, public officials, and interest groups in a courteous and professional manner regarding permits, laws, questions, and program-related inquiries.
• Essential functions of this position require travel on most workdays to inspect, audit, examine, survey, or investigate clients, customers, or other regulated entities and write reports at those sites or employee’s home. Employee reports to the agency’s office for occasional meetings or events. Number and timing of work hours may vary daily or weekly to accommodate operational needs and staffing concerns at the client’s or customer’s worksite, minimize expenditures for repeated visits to complete the work, and allocate resources to complete assigned work effectively.

The job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Other duties, responsibilities and activities may change or be assigned at any time with or without notice.

This position is exempt from overtime compensation for additional work hours which may be required to complete essential functions or other assigned work. Exempt employees may work more than 75 hours in a pay period without additional compensation and must report a minimum of 75 hours per pay period of work hours and/or paid leave taken to receive their base biweekly salary.

Waterway Permit Applications

Waterway Permit Applications (40%)

• Assists participants (project managers, design engineers, and environmental consultants) in the project development process with impact avoidance and minimization to achieve an approvable permit application.
• Reviews waterway permit applications prior to submission to the regulatory agencies for accuracy and adequacy.
• Solicits pertinent information from project designer and provides designer and project manager a preliminary permit determination based on that information.
• POC for construction staff regarding changes that may require permit modifications. These may be received from project design, construction contractor designers, internal INDOT construction oversight staff, and project managers.
• POC between participants in the project develop process and regulatory agencies for permit modifications and extensions.
• Evaluates permit compliance through construction site visits. Advises construction staff on corrective actions. Coordinates responses to regulatory agency non-compliance letters and violations.
• Communicates permit requirements to the Project Manager for construction contracts.
• Post-construction verification for permit and project commitment compliance.

Waters Reports and Mitigation

Waters Reports (25%)

• Reviews waters of the US determinations related to INDOT projects for accuracy and adequacy.
• Conducts investigations of water resources for INDOT project sites and documents findings.

Mitigation (15%)

• Review mitigation and monitoring plans for likelihood of site success and coordinate with regulatory agencies.
• Management of mitigation site monitoring and maintenance through coordination with Team Lead, on-call consultants, and the regulatory agency until release from monitoring.
• Reviews mitigation monitoring reports for INDOT mitigation sites for accuracy and adequacy.
• Prepares mitigation monitoring reports for INDOT mitigation sites to include site data collection.
• Reviews or prepares mitigation site conservation easements and deed restrictions prior to legal review against the associated permit requirements.
• Mitigation site long-term property management including site visits, coordinating corrective action, and maintaining relationships with easement holders and adjacent property owners.
• Under special circumstances prepares and reviews mitigation and monitoring plans to include site selection, plan development and coordination with regulatory agencies and property owners.

Ecology and Project Development

Ecology (10%)

• Reviews investigations of protected species, wildlife use, karst, and other ecological resources for accuracy and adequacy.
• Investigates INDOT project sites for presence of protected animal and plant species and wildlife use.
• Reviews karst, salmonid streams, special designated waters and wetlands, flowage easements, levees, and other ecological resource reports for accuracy and adequacy.
• Technical expert for the Division as subject matter expert (SME) in one or more of the following fields: wildlife ecology, aquatic habitat, botany, soils, Section 7 consultation, karst features, surface and groundwater hydrology, and mitigation site development.

Project Development (10%)

• Involvement in complex projects including participating in project development by providing timely and accurate guidance and reviewing documentation according to project schedule.
• Point of contact for regulatory agencies throughout the project development process and construction to resolve questions and concerns.
• Advise internal INDOT stakeholders throughout the project development process and construction about project risk (compliance and schedule), avoidance, minimization, and mitigation strategies, and cost reduction strategies with respect to regulated resources.

What You'll Need for Success:

You must meet the following requirements to be considered for employment:  

• Education – Bachelor’s degree or higher in a related environmental sciences discipline such as ecology, biology, natural resources management, forestry, fisheries, geology, geography, or other related field.  
• Experience – Two years of applicable experience; graduate level education may substitute for up to two years of experience.
• Background knowledge of natural resources and environmental management topics such as waterways, wetlands, endangered, threatened, and rare species and habitats, migratory birds, and karst topography.
• Exhibit attention to detail, writing, communication, editing, problem solving, organizational and analytical skills.
• Ability to form appropriate recommendations with consideration of potential impact on INDOT project budgets and schedules.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective professional relationships with stakeholders.
• Ability to work independently, anticipate problems and initiate corrective actions.

Highly qualified candidates will have:

• Experience with the methods used to determine the quality and extent of the regulated resources through wetland delineations, waters of the US determinations, habitat surveys, and water quality and floristic assessment tools.
• Knowledge of environmental regulatory agencies and related federal and state laws and regulations.

Supervisory Responsibilities/Direct Reports: