|
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania |
|
|
POSITION DESCRIPTION FOR JOB POSTING |
|
|
Position Number: 00128217 |
Description Activated On: 1/20/2026 11:38:37 AM |
Position Purpose: Describe the primary purpose of this position and how it contributes to the organization’s objectives. Example: Provides clerical and office support within the Division to ensure its operations are conducted efficiently and effectively. This position functions as a Water Pollution Biologist 2 in the Northeast Region. The position is responsible for initiating, developing, and implementing environmental program procedures; conducting environmental reviews of applications for dams, water obstructions, or encroachment permits in an assigned geographical area; and making determinations and decisions in accordance with the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act and Chapter 105 of the Department's Rules and Regulations based on interpretations, assessments, and analysis of data included in permitting information, field documentation, reference sources, and comments from other concerned agencies. Conducts and/or coordinates field investigations and ecological studies of aquatic habitat (both plant and animal) and surrounding environmental conditions, participates in biological surveys and investigations, and analyzes community structures as related to the Act and Chapter 105 for documentation to files and permitting decisions and determinations. Performs enforcement work including field investigations of illegal activities, environmental assessment of a site and the completion of the required enforcement and compliance to resolve a violation in accordance with policy and procedures. Work is received in the form of general guidelines from a technical supervisor who reviews completed work for attainment of objectives in conformance with applicable rules, regulations, and Departmental policy. |
|
Description of Duties: Describe in detail the duties and responsibilities assigned to this position. Descriptions should include the major end result of the task. Example: Types correspondence, reports, and other various documents from handwritten drafts for review and signature of the supervisor. Specific duties and major functions include: Conducts technical environmental analysis of specific aquatic site characteristics for dams, water obstruction, and encroachment applications as required by the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act and Chapter 105 Rules and Regulations. Directs technical environmental analysis of individual site characteristics for a record of decision for application files. Reviews, analyzes, applies, and interprets environmental criteria as required within the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act and the Rules and Regulations for dams, water obstructions, and encroachment permit applications. This review includes site specific analysis, application of results from research projects, written reports of recommendations from other State and Federal agencies; and technical, professional investigations of documentation by the employee. Uses published, technical research and other available documentation to validate permit application analysis and determinations. Consults, coordinates and advises as required by the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act, local and regional officials and members of State and Federal agencies concerning environmental evaluation and review. Conducts field investigations to determine if an activity is within the jurisdiction of the applicable Act and Rules and Regulations and to assure that permitted activities meet the conditions, plans and specifications of a permit. Prepares the required reports to document the inspections. Provides technical expertise and direction in relation to mitigation and restoration of illegal activities within the jurisdiction of the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act. Conducts field investigations and ecological studies of aquatic habitat (both plant and animal) and surrounding environmental conditions, participates in biological surveys and investigations and analyzes community structures as related the applicable Act and Regulations. Conducts environmental reviews of dams, water obstructions, and encroachment activities. Utilizes environmental criteria to make determinations and decisions in accordance with the applicable Act and Rules and Regulations based on interpretations, field documentation, reference sources and comments from other agencies. Conducts technical environmental analysis of specific site aquatic characteristics for delineation of wetlands as required by the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act and the Rules and Regulations. Prepares violation letters, summary citations, consent order/agreements, settlement letters, Department Orders or other required legal correspondence for enforcement action to assure compliance. Meets with violators and negotiates settlements of Enforcement cases in terms of corrective action or devices required, and time frames for their accomplishment. Schedules and conducts enforcement conferences and administrative hearings, provides background data on the case, explains Departmental Orders or Consent Orders/Agreements and answers questions. Serves as a witness at district courts, County Courts, the Environmental Hearing Board and Commonwealth Court in legal actions initiated to effect compliance with applicable statutes. Consult, coordinate and advise local and regional officials and State and Federal agencies concerning environmental evaluations and reviews as required by the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act. Provides technical aquatic ecological expertise and assistance to engineers, planners, conservation agencies, municipal officials, civic groups, and the general public. Develops expertise in and use of the Bureau's computer to procure data from the Pennsylvania Natural Diversity Index (PNDI) and the Pennsylvania Fish and Wildlife Data Base to facilitate environmental review of permit application. Represents the Department by providing program expertise at meetings of environmental and planning groups. Participates in educational and public information programs. Plans and conducts meetings and seminars with State, Federal and local agencies concerning the duties, responsibilities and requirements of the Dam Safety and Encroachments Act and the Rules and Regulations in relation to environmental concerns and planning. Meets with and provides technical expertise and assistance regarding aquatic and ecological information to engineers, planners, conservation agencies, municipal officials, civic groups and the general public. Prepares correspondence and answer inquiries regarding environmental policies as related to the Dam Safety Encroachments Act and the Rules and Regulations. Follows Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Reviews permit applications and draft Record of Decision (ROD). Enters appropriate data into eFacts. Drafts deficiency letters with regulatory citations. Identifies issues encountered and recommends solutions to Section Chief. Promotes the Department’s mission. Inputs appropriate data in a prescribed format to meet data quality standards set forth by guidance, training, and policy across all of DEP’s electronic data systems; to include ensuring accuracy and completeness of entries, and where available, the use of system specific tools to ensure duplicative entries and data quality issues are minimized. this replaces the input data blurb that we inserted last year Promotes the Department’s mission. Inputs appropriate data in a prescribed format to meet data quality standards set forth by guidance, training, and policy across all of DEP’s electronic data systems; to include ensuring accuracy and completeness of entries, and where available, the use of system specific tools to ensure duplicative entries and data quality issues are minimized. This job description in no way states or implies that these are the only duties to be performed by the employee occupying this position. Employee will be required to follow any other job-related instructions and to perform any other job-related duties required by their supervisor. |
Decision Making: Describe the types of decisions made by the incumbent of this position and the types of decisions referred to others. Identify the problems or issues that can be resolved at the level of this position, versus those that must be referred to the supervisor. Example: In response to a customer inquiry, this work involves researching the status of an activity and preparing a formal response for the supervisor’s signature. Supervision is provided by the Section Chief who provides assistance and/or guidance on difficult individual problems. Work is assigned by areas of expertise with instructions. The employee is responsible for establishing completion schedules, priorities, and final resolutions within established program guidelines. Work is reviewed upon completion by a professional supervisor for completeness, technical accuracy and quality. General supervision of all work for compliance with program guidelines and policy. Specific instructions are given for new policies, procedures or programs and a review is performed on all completed work for completeness, technical accuracy and quality. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Requirements Profile: Identify any specific experience or requirements, such as a licensure, registration, or certification, which may be necessary to perform the functions of the position. Position-specific requirements should be consistent with a Special Requirement or other criteria identified in the classification specification covering this position. Example: Experience using Java; Professional Engineer License Experience: Licenses, registrations, or certifications: 1. Class C Driver's License 2. N/A 3. N/A 4. 5. 6. |
||||||||||||||||||||
Essential Functions: Provide a list of essential functions for this position. Example: Transports boxes weighing up to 60 pounds.
|