Environmental Program Consultant

About the role

The primary mission of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is to provide science-based environmental stewardship for the health and prosperity of all North Carolinians. The North Carolina Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is the lead stewardship agency for the protection of North Carolina's environmental resources. The organization, which has offices from the mountains to the coast, administers regulatory programs designed to protect air quality, water quality, and the public's health, and works to advance in all-of-the-above energy strategy that fits North Carolina's needs. DEQ also offers technical assistance to businesses, farmers, local governments, and the public and encourages responsible behavior with respect to the environment through education programs provided at DEQ facilities and through the state's school system. DEQ touches the lives of all North Carolinians in many ways to enhance and ensure our quality of life. Description of Work *This position is Exempt from the Human Resources Act (EHRA) with the exception of Articles 6 and 7. This is a full-time position (40 hours per week) with applicable State Benefits.* This position reviews funding applications, engineering reports for a wide array of project types, engineering drawings and specifications, alternative analyses, asset inventory and assessments, and management of funded projects. This position will participate in training and outreach activities to promote the funding programs and long-term solutions for local government wastewater/stormwater infrastructure. This position manages construction for funded projects and serves as a liaison for the program to municipalities, consulting engineers, the public, interest groups, organizations, and the Division. Other Key Responsibilities: Review change orders for eligibility. Perform regular inspection monitoring, checklists and reports to ensure projects are constructed per plans and specifications. Prepares approval letters and comment letters for engineering reports, plans and specifications. Establish and maintain proficiency with the rules, regulations and standards of practice. Completes reviews of study grant scopes of work; provides timely review of study grant reports and deliverables for compliance with Federal and State laws, rules, and policies, and good engineering practices. Knowledge Skills and Abilities/Management Preferences Recruitment Range: $63,927 - $98,741 Important: This posting closes at 11:59:59 PM the night BEFORE the End Date above. The Office of Continuous Improvement: The Office of Continuous Improvement (OCI) enhances the performance of the DEQ by fostering compliance and efficiency across diverse projects. OCI leverages business processes, data analysis, compliance, and engineering expertise to drive improvement. Embedded within DEQ d ivisions, OCI works to develop and strengthen processes and workflows that support DEQ's mandate to deliver federal funding effectively and equitably for infrastructure, energy, and resilience projects. OCI is charged with helping DEQ teams solve challenges, provides data strategy, technical support, and policy expertise. The Division of Water Infrastructure: The Division of Water Infrastructure (DWI) administers water, wastewater, and stormwater funding programs in the Department of Environmental Quality according to Federal and State laws, including the Water Infrastructure Fund as described in NCGS 159G and the Community Development Block Grants for water and wastewater infrastructure. Water Infrastructure Fund programs include the federal Clean Water State Revolving Fund, the federal Drinking Water State Revolving Fund, the state Viable Utility Reserve, the state Wastewater Reserve, and the state Drinking Water Reserve. DWI supports the State Water Infrastructure Authority which awards federal and state funding for water and wastewater infrastructure projects. DWI assists eligible applicants in meeting drinking water, stormwater, and wastewater needs to protect public health and the state's water resources. Click here to learn more about the Division of Water Infrastructure . The Wastewater/Stormwater Engineering Unit: The Wastewater/Stormwater Engineering Unit oversees wastewater and stormwater projects funded by the Division (except for CDBG-I). Projects may include the full range of water infrastructure construction and planning projects, including distribution or collection systems, wastewater treatment facilities, and stormwater collection systems and/or control measures, that require a variety of technical disciplines to review. The Unit also supports other units within DWI and may assist with planning and study projects such as Asset Inventory and Assessment (AIA) studies and Merger Regionaliza