Job Details

Open Until FilledThis is a supervisory position subordinate to the Groundwater Section Manager, responsible for assisting in planning, coordinating, and directing work within the Underground Injection Control (UIC) Program. The successful candidate serves as a senior geological expert, providing advanced technical support to current staff.This position will manage day‑to‑day programmatic duties of the UIC Program, including grant work plan development and reporting, rulemaking, policy development, and other tasks required under the section's primacy agreement. The ideal candidate brings a deep understanding of state and federal regulations, specialized expertise in Class I and Class V injection wells, and a highly collaborative approach to working alongside other geology supervisors and agency managers.BenefitsComprehensive health, dental, and vision insurancePaid vacation, sick leave, FMLA, and holidaysRetirement - Pension and 457B plansMeaningful work that makes a difference for Wyoming communitiesContactHuman Resource Contact: deq.hr@wyo.govEssential FunctionsRegulatory Authoring & Enforcement: Writes, revises, and interprets state rules and regulations. Conducts detailed inspections and technical reviews of federal and state reports to make definitive compliance determinations and enforce environmental statutes.Primacy Agreement & Grant Administration: Directs the day‑to‑day operations of the Underground Injection Control program, including authoring, tracking, and executing grant work plans and mandatory reporting required to maintain the state's federal primacy agreement.Autonomous Decision‑Making: Reviews proposed permitting actions and exercises high‑level independent judgment to make critical, legally binding program decisions with little to no oversight.Advanced Data Analysis & Hazard Evaluation: Analyzes complex, multi‑disciplinary environmental data to formulate sound technical conclusions and evaluates regional geologic hazards to safeguard groundwater resources.Comprehensive Permit Evaluation: Conducts complex, high‑level technical reviews of permit applications, proposals, and engineering plans submitted by the public, consultants, and industry, ensuring all proposed subsurface activities protect Wyoming's groundwater from impairment and align with state and federal water quality restoration standards.Technical Guidance & Documentation: Formulates and issues timely, legally defensible, formal written directions and recommendations in response to complex project proposals, plans, and technical applications.Quality Assurance & Staff Mentorship: Reviews, evaluates, and signs off on the technical permit reviews, work plans, and reports drafted by junior staff to ensure scientific accuracy, regulatory compliance, and program consistency.Personnel Development & Performance Management: Directs, trains, and mentors professional staff to foster technical growth and program consistency. Conducts formal performance evaluations and exercises administrative authority to recommend hiring, termination, and disciplinary actions in accordance with agency policies.Workforce Planning & Deliverable Tracking: Oversees project scheduling, manages overlapping program timelines, and optimizes resource allocation to ensure the team consistently meets statutory deadlines and federal grant deliverables.Inter‑Agency & Liaison Coordination: Coordinates seamlessly with internal agency personnel as well as local, state, federal, and private entities to facilitate geological surveys, cross‑agency services, and complex permitting workflows.Dispute Resolution & Stakeholder Consultation: Consults directly with public officials, corporate executives, and technical consultants to navigate and resolve highly complex or contentious permitting issues.Public Representation & Community Engagement: Serves as the primary program representative at public meetings, interest group forums, and technical design reviews, actively engaging with concerned citizens and environmental groups to address community questions regarding the environmental impacts of energy and resource development.Public Records Response & Technical Advocacy: Investigates historical records to resolve public inquiries swiftly and authoritatively, providing accurate, data‑driven technical information, policy interpretations, and statutory guidance to colleagues, the media, and the general public.PreferencesEducation & Experience: A bachelor's degree (or higher) in Geology, Hydrogeology, or a closely related environmental science discipline, paired with a proven background in environmental regulatory compliance, permitting, or groundwater protection.Supervisory Leadership: Demonstrated experience or a strong aptitude for training, mentoring, scheduling, and evaluating the performance of a professional technical team.Regulatory Expertise: A robust understanding of environmental principles, geological theories, and the practical application of state and federal environmental regulations.Communication & Technical Literacy: Advanced proficiency in environmental technical writing, public speaking, and utilizing standard office applications to convey complex data clearly.KnowledgeWyoming Geology & Hydrogeology: Deep technical knowledge of Wyoming's unique geological formations, structural geology, stratigraphy, and regional aquifer systems, particularly as they relate to subsurface injection and groundwater protection.Underground Injection Control (UIC) Expertise: Specialized knowledge of Class I and Class V injection wells within the context of Wyoming's subsurface environment, along with direct, advanced experience working within a formal UIC program.Primacy Agreement Administration: Comprehensive knowledge of federal and state primacy agreements, including the ability to manage Wyoming‑specific grant work plans and execute mandatory federal reporting.Advanced Regulatory Writing & Interpretation: Mastery of environmental policy writing, with a proven ability to write, interpret, revise, and enforce complex rules, regulations, and Wyoming state statutes.High‑Level Autonomy & Data Analysis: Specialized knowledge required to analyze multi‑disciplinary environmental data and perform complex technical permit reviews with little to no supervision.Geotechnical Hazard Resolution: Technical proficiency in evaluating, managing, and resolving active geologic hazards unique to Wyoming to protect or restore groundwater quality.Public Diplomacy & Stakeholder Collaboration: Advanced skill in navigating public meetings and contentious forums, representing the agency professionally while collaborating with Wyoming industry representatives, consultants, and environmental groups on local energy and resource development issues.Minimum QualificationsEducation: Bachelor's Degree in Geology or Geotechnical Engineering.Experience: 2–4 years of progressive work experience in Geology with knowledge at the level of a Senior Project Geologist.Certificates, Licenses, Registrations: Professional Geologist License (PG) or Professional Engineering License (PE) required at time of hire; Wyoming PG or PE required within one year of hire date.Physical Working ConditionsAbility to lift 25 pounds.Traverse uneven terrain.Work in various temperature conditions.Possess a state‑issued DMV license.Participation in the various groups as Wyoming's representative may require extensive travel at times.NotesFLSA: Exempt.The Wyoming Department of Environmental Quality may use a video interview as a mandatory first step of our process. If chosen for a video interview you will receive all necessary information.The State of Wyoming is an Equal Opportunity Employer and actively supports the ADA and reasonably accommodates qualified applicants with disabilities.#J-18808-Ljbffr