The Operations and Information Services Section of DEQ’s Water Quality Division is recruiting for a six-month full-time, limited duration NRS1 position located in Portland, Oregon This position is intended to gather and analyze data pertaining to facilities operating under National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits. Incumbent will be expected to use their scientific background and training to interpret, validate, perform Quality Assurance (QA), and analyze scientific data in support of Federal Clean Water Act reporting, compliance and enforcement functions of DEQ. 

BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR DEQ

• An attractive cafeteria-style benefits package, which includes liberal employer contributions toward a variety of medical/vision/dental plans covering employees, dependents, and domestic partners.
• Employer paid $5,000 Basic Life insurance with additional coverage available.
• Long- and short-term disability plans. Accidental death and    dismemberment plans.
• Long Term Care insurance. 
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Account for day care expenses.
• Participation in the Oregon Public Service Retirement Plan (OPSRP).
• Option to participate in the Oregon Savings Growth Plan, a deferred compensation program.
• Offering a wide variety of investment options.
• Vacation leave earned at the rate of 8 hours per month with accrual rate increases at 5-year increments. (hours prorated for part-time)
• Personal leave of 24 hours each fiscal year for full-time employees. (Hours prorated for part-time).
• Sick leave earned at the rate of 8 hours per month with no maximum accumulation limitation.
• Nine paid holidays a year.

AS A CONDITION OF EMPLOYMENT

Employee is required to maintain a drug/alcohol free workplace in accordance with the 1988 Drug Free Workplace and Department Policy.

TO QUALIFY

Your PD100 application form will be reviewed to verify that you meet the qualifications stated in this section. 

• A Bachelor's degree in a scientific discipline directly related to the conservation, management, protection or utilization of natural resources; OR

AND

• Three years of technical or professional experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities of this position.

IF YOU QUALIFY

Please see the test section of this announcement. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Collection and Analysis

• Interpret and validate scientific data submitted on Discharge Monitoring Reports (DMRs) against permitted limits.
• Perform QA on data entered into Discharge Monitoring System (DMS) database.
• Develop working knowledge of Water Quality compliance and enforcement process to:
      a. Analyze and extract compliance schedule milestones from NPDES
            permits.
      b. Locate, extract and organize/collate compliance schedule milestone
          completion data from DEQ regional files.
• Develop working knowledge of EPA Permit Compliance System (PCS) data requirements and data entry needs to:
      a. Coordinate with EPA-PCS and DEQ contractors on populating data
          from DEQ system to EPA-PCS.
      b. Construct data crosswalk tables linking DEQ data elements with
          EPA-PCS data element equivalents.
• Assist in collecting and performing QA on primary outfall location data and metadata for primary outfalls of all individual NPDES permitted facilities in Oregon, using Laboratory Analytical Storage and Retrieval database (LASAR), global positioning systems (gps), and geographic information systems (gis) as needed.
• Use EPA PCS Customized Query capability to collect and analyze data types and reporting frequency of other states. 

Data Entry

• Enter data into PCS.
• Enter data into DMS.

Other

• Prepare requests to regional staff for clarification on data/permits that are ambiguous or misunderstood.
• Support non-technical staff in scientific data and permit interpretation.
•  Coordinate and interact with Business Systems Development staff as necessary to gain access to pertinent DEQ databases such as DMS, ENF, NON, and SIS.
• Document processes developed during PCS update project so that DEQ can become self sufficient in its ability to report NPDES data to EPA.
• Prepare periodic reports on status of ongoing projects.
• Attend team, Section and Division meetings. 
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Section Manager.
• Regular, consistent and punctual attendance is an essential function of all positions at DEQ.

WORKING CONDITIONS

Most of the employee’s duties will take place in a professional office setting. However, the employee may be requested to travel to the field to work directly with DEQ regional offices and EPA personnel.

TEST QUESTIONS

You must answer the following test questions. Use a separate piece of paper. Limit your answer to no more than one (1) page per question. 

Describe work experience (paid or unpaid) and training that you have related to each question. Be sure that the jobs where you gained experience are listed in the Work History action of your PD100 application form. 

Your grade will be based upon your answers. If there are several parts to a question, answer each part separately. Number your answers to agree with the questions. Attach the answer sheet(s) to your application. Your application will not be accepted if it is incomplete. 

1. Describe a data collection and analysis project that you successfully completed, describe the methods you used and issues that you had to overcome to be successful.

2. Describe your experience in interpreting, evaluating and reporting on written technical/scientific information associated with data collection and analysis.

3. In performing a quality assurance review of collected data and you found data that did not appear reasonable, how would you go about validating the data?

4. Describe a situation when you had to explain scientific data to a non-technical audience. 

APPLICATIONS

OBTAIN a State of Oregon Employment Application (form PD100) and submit to the Department of Environmental Quality, Human Resources, 811 SW Sixth Ave., Portland, OR 97204. If you have a disability and need assistance completing the application form (PD100), you may call DEQ Human Resources at (503) 229-5382 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. You may FAX application materials to (503) 229-5787 or email them to jobs@deq.state.or.us and be sure to put the announcement number in your subject line. Application materials must be complete, legible and received no later that 5:00 p.m. on the close date.

NOTICE of results will be sent by mail. Although agencies are not required to delay their selection process, you may request a review of the results. Your request must be received within 10 days from the date of the notice. Additional information cannot be accepted. However, if the recruitment is still open, you may submit a new application which must be received in our office by the close date.

SUBMIT only the required materials. Reference letters or work examples should be kept for interviews.

KEEP a copy of your application for job interviews. COPIES ARE NOT PROVIDED. The pay on all announcements may change without notice.

CURRENT JOB openings at DEQ are available by calling the JOBLINE at (503) 229-5785, twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, or via INTERNET http://www.deq.state.or.us/ TTY access is available at (503) 229-6993 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

APPLICATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED BY CLOSE DATE
AN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY AND AFFIRMATIVE ACTION EMPLOYER