Regulatory Compliance Specialist - Irvine, United States - Irvine Ranch Water District

Description

Salary : $81, $115,835.20 Annually

Location : Irvine, CA

Job Type: Full-Time Regular

Job Number: 00792

Department: Regulatory Compliance

Opening Date: 05/01/2024

Closing Date: 5/26/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

General Description

Irvine Ranch Water District is currently accepting applications for a Regulatory Compliance Specialist in our Regulatory Compliance Department.

The District
Irvine Ranch Water District (IRWD) is a progressive, values-driven agency, with an international reputation for its leading-edge financial management practices, water recycling program, water use efficiency practices, water banking, urban runoff treatment, and energy generation and storage. Established in 1961 as a California Water District under the provisions of the California Water Code, IRWD is an independent special district serving central Orange County. IRWD provides high-quality drinking water, reliable sewage collection and treatment, ground-breaking recycled water programs, and environmentally sound urban runoff treatment to its customers. As an independent, not-for-profit public agency, IRWD is governed by a publicly elected five-member Board of Directors. The Board is responsible for the District's policies and decision-making. Day-to-day operations are supervised by the General Manager. Additional information can be found at the District's website:

The Position
Under general supervision, perform various routine and special sampling and analyses of potable water treatment, storage and distribution systems, wastewater treatment systems, and reclaimed water storage and distribution systems according to approved methodologies. Access complex facilities including water, wastewater, biosolids, and recycled water treatment and distribution processes; interface with the Water Quality Team to determine sampling needs and drop off collected samples; use and maintain sampling and monitoring equipment including composite samplers, pH, and other similar handheld devices; respond to customer service calls via electronic communications and in person regarding water quality within the service area; provide compliance support including collecting reviewing and reporting data and information and communicating compliance status.

DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERISTICS

This is an advanced entry-level to mid-journey level professional classification in the Regulatory Compliance Specialist series. Positions at this level are responsible for performing routine field monitoring of a diverse set of facilities throughout the service area including boating on open reservoirs. Most of the fieldwork is conducted independently with the exception of the boating, which is done in pairs. All work is used for compliance or process control purposes, so incumbents must strictly adhere to standard operating procedures and ethical work practices.
Summary of Duties

Perform daily field monitoring of potable, recycled and wastewater systems throughout the service area.

Coordinate daily with the Regulatory Compliance field team to schedule monitoring routes and ensure all samples are collected.

Follow proper sampling methods including the use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), proper sample collection containers, sample location and identification, the use of preservatives (when required), proper labeling and sealing, and proper storage and transport.

Adhere to standard operating procedures, safe work practices, and internal policies during daily activities.

Work independently while using an assigned work vehicle and other equipment for a majority of daily activities.

Tow, launch, drive and recover a small watercraft for sampling some open reservoir locations.

Coordinate with the Water Quality Team (laboratory) for proper sample collection including timing, containers, and drop-off (chain of custody procedures).

Aid Regulatory Compliance Administrative staff by assisting in the drafting of regulatory reports.

Collaborate on a variety of Regulatory Compliance Programs including Drinking Water, Discharge permits (NPDES/WDR), and South Coast AQMD.

Coordinate with other agencies on monitoring and compliance (including Orange County Sanitation District (OCSAN), South Orange County Wastewater Authority (SOCWA), and the Orange County Water District (OCWD).

Assist with the implementation of IRWD's pretreatment and Fat, Oils, and Grease (FOG) programs including inspection, monitoring and report writing.

Use the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) program to schedule, track and review samples.

Assist with development, review, and revise Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) on a periodic basis.

Attend relevant seminars, training, to remain current with new technologies or advances in the environmental monitoring and potable/non-potable water fields.

Exercise safe handling and preparation procedures for chemicals and reagents used in the analysis and preservation of samples.

Adhere and comply with the Laboratory and District's Safety Policies and Procedures and complete/attend mandatory safety trainings.

Maintain appropriate inventory levels of chemicals, reagents, media, sample containers and operating supplies used in assigned analyses. Notify supervisor in a timely manner of restock needs to avoid out of stock conditions. Minimize excess inventory of chemicals and reagents that have a limited shelf life to reduce waste and disposal costs.

Assist with special projects when assigned.

Perform other related duties as assigned.
Qualifications

Education

• A combination of education and experience equivalent to a bachelor's degree in a scientific field is required including Environmental Science, Biology, Chemistry, or a closely related scientific field. For degrees obtained outside of the U.S., an official equivalency evaluation is required.

Experience

• Two (2) years of experience and technical knowledge of the general principles of sample collection, field monitoring, and monitoring equipment usage and maintenance.
• Professional internship experience at a water, wastewater or related agency may be considered.

License

• A valid California Class C driver's license is required.

Additional Information

IRWD Corporate Values
Irvine Ranch Water District believes that its values drive the character, culture, and capacity of our organization. IRWD was built on values, and we weave them into the fabric of everything we do. Values are the ingredients in our recipe for both institutional and individual success. They are a code of conduct to promote positive outcomes for others and ourselves. They are more than words on a wall or a website. We live by them every day. We pledge to keep them relevant in an ever-changing world.

IRWD's employees enjoy working in a safe, supportive, and nurturing environment where they form strong bonds with fellow employees. To ensure effective communication and promote a collaborative team environment, employees report to work each day in the office or in the field, depending on their positions.

The physical and mental demands described below are representative of those that must be met by employees to successfully perform the essential functions of this class. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Language Ability and Interpersonal Communication
Ability to explain, demonstrate and clarify to others within well-established policies, procedures, and standards, as well as the ability to follow specific instructions and respond to simple and difficult requests from others. Work efficiently and independently from oral and written instructions with a minimum of supervision. Independently perform a variety of operational tasks and activities.

Demonstrate effective verbal and written communication between laboratory, management, operations, and field staff daily. Ability to read, understand and interpret Safety Data Sheets and other safety documents. Strong attention to detail and documentation skills. Represent District in a professional manner when dealing with customers.

Judgment and Situational Reasoning Ability
Ability to use good personal judgment and discretion in performing all job functions. Ability to manage time, organize, plan, and prioritize assignments.

Technology Ability
Computer literacy in Microsoft Office Software such as Word and Excel, or equivalent spreadsheets and Word Processing Programs. Ability to navigate database programs and/or Laboratory Information Management Systems (LIMS/WIMS).

Mathematical Ability
Knowledge of units of measurement and concentration used in a water quality laboratory and field monitoring including pH, mg/L, temperature, and mL. Must be able to make mathematical calculations up to algebraic equations including standard statistical calculations (mean, mode and median).

Physical Requirements
Regularly required to sit, walk, bend, stoop and stand for extended periods of time. Ability to correctly differentiate and interpret colors. Ability to tolerate repetitive motion tasks. Regulatory Compliance Specialists must be able to lift 35 lbs. on a routine basis.

Environmental Adaptability
Ability to work in an environment with exposure to malodorous chemicals or other materials in the laboratory or field. Noise level may be greater than typical office conditions.

IRWD offers a comprehensive benefits package for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. These benefits include the following: retirement benefits; medical, dental, vision, and life insurance; and a variety of other benefits. Benefits may vary based on employment status. This benefits overview is intended to be a summary, is not intended to be all-inclusive, and may not be applicable to all employees.

Retirement
Employees hired on or after January 1, 2013:
The District, in compliance with the California Public Employees' Pension Reform Act of 2012 (PEPRA), implemented a third tier for new employees hired on or after January 1, 2013. New employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 who have not been in PERS membership or in membership with a reciprocal retirement system within 6 months of hire date will receive benefits under the California Public Employees Retirement System at a 2 percent at age 62 formula. This formula gradually increases to a maximum benefits of 2.5 percent at age 67. Final compensation calculations will be based on the highest three-year average of regular recurring pay. The District pays the employer's share of these costs. The employee share of the pension cost of 7.50% is paid in full by the employees hired under this formula.

Employees hired on or after September 29, 2012 or "Classic" PERS members hired on or after January 1, 2013:
On September 24, 2012, the IRWD Board of Directors approved the addition of a second tier to the CalPERS retirement benefits. New employees hired on or after September 29th through December 31, 2012, and employees hired on or after January 1, 2013 who have been in PERS membership or in membership with a reciprocal retirement system, will receive benefits under the California Public Employees Retirement System at 2 percent at age 60 formula. This formula gradually increases to a maximum benefit of 2.418% at age 63. The District pays the employer share of these costs and the employee share of the pension cost of 7% is paid in full by the employees hired under this formula. Final retirement compensation calculations are based on the highest three-year average of regular, recurring pay.

IRWD does not participate or pay into Social Security except for the Medicare portion.

Medical Insurance
IRWD contracts with CalPERS for medical insurance coverage. Employees may elect coverage from a variety of PPO and HMO plans. The employee and District contribution for health insurance varies by plan. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following the date of hire.

Dental Insurance
IRWD contracts with Delta Dental for dental coverage. IRWD pays 100% of the premium for dental coverage for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following the date of hire.

Vision Insurance
IRWD contracts with the EyeMed for vision coverage. IRWD pays 100% of the premium for vision coverage for eligible employees and their eligible dependents. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following the date of hire.

Life Insurance
Elgible employees are provided with life insurance coverage equal to three or four times their annual salary, depending on their level of compensation. Eligible dependents are also covered for a flat benefit amount. Coverage is effective the first day of the month following the date of hire.

Deferred Compensation
Participation in a deferred compensation plan is available through Empower Retirement. Enrollment is voluntary and contributions are employee-paid and subject to IRS limits. The District matches employee contributions up to 3% of base pay after 1 year of employment.

Paid Vacation
Eligible employees begin accruing vacation benefits at the rate of 80 hours per year for the first 5 years of employment and are eligible to use paid vacation time after 6 months of employment. Employees accrue 120 hours per year after 5 years of employment and 160 hours per year after 10 years of employment.

Paid Holidays
The District offers 11 scheduled paid holidays plus one personal holiday per year.

Sick Leave
Eligible employees accrue 96 hours of sick leave annually.

Flexible Spending Accounts
Eligible employees may elect to participate in the District's Flex Advantage program. This program allows employees to deposit pre-tax dollars into special accounts to be used for a variety of purposes, including paying for qualified miscellaneous health care expenses and dependent care expenses. IRWD contracts with a third party administer to process payments from employee accounts using claim forms or a Flex Spending debit card.

Educational Assistance
The District will share in the pre-approved educational costs of tuition and books for employees who wish to attend college or take certification classes.

01

What is your highest level of education?

• Did not graduate from high school or receive GED
• High school graduation or equivalent
• Some college
• Associates Degree
• Bachelor's Degree
• Master's Degree
• PhD

02

Please select the area of study for your degree:

• No degree
• Environmental Science
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Closely related scientific field

03

If you selected you possess a degree in a closely related scientific field, please indicate what field your degree is in below.

04

How many years of experience and technical knowledge of the general principles of sample collection, field monitoring, and monitoring equipment usage and maintenance do you possess?

• No experience
• Less than one year
• 1 to less than 2 years
• 2 to less than 3 years
• 3 to less than 4 years
• 4 to less than 5 years
• 5 to less than 6 years
• 6+ years

05

Aside from benchtop analysis, briefly describe what field monitoring experience you have, including any water, wastewater or air quality samples you've collected. If you do not have any experience, write N/A.

06

Do you have a valid California Class C Drivers' License?

• Yes
• No

07

Can you perform the essential duties of the position with or without a reasonable accommodation?

• Yes
• No

Required Question