Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for more than 2 million people in the Denver Metro area.
At Metro, we help you be your best so we can do our best. You will join a team that offers stability, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a difference. We take pride in being part of an industry-leading team who serves the community by protecting the region’s health and environment.
Description
Responsible for managing the Environmental Compliance Division. Manages all engineering and regulatory activities related to the implementation of Metro’s environmental compliance programs across all Metro facilities, operations and projects. Ensures consistent and defensible application of engineering and regulatory principles across all environmental programs Works under the general direction of the Director of Environmental Services. Supervises Environmental Compliance Engineers, Environmental Compliance Specialists and other staff as assigned.
Examples of Duties
- Lead the implementation of Metro’s environmental compliance programs in accordance with approved compliance strategies, policies, and directives. Ensure that compliance activities meet current permit and regulatory requirements. Recommend changes as needed to the Director of Environmental Services and incorporate approved changes into Metro’s compliance programs.
- Manage Metro’s environmental release response, reporting and management system, including maintenance of all spill records and coordination with Operations and Maintenance. Oversee evaluation and response to environmental releases, including coordination of field response, performance of engineering and regulatory analyses, fate and transport assessments, and identification of appropriate mitigation, cleanup, and reporting requirements.
- Ensure that all environmental regulatory deadlines, permit conditions, and compliance obligations are tracked and met.
- Oversee, and perform as needed, engineering and regulatory evaluations supporting capital project (PAR) development and execution to ensure that applicable environmental compliance requirements are identified early, thoroughly evaluated, and integrated into project design, construction, and operation. Provide technical review and input on project design reports and memos to identify potential compliance issues, impacts, or benefits associated with process modifications, new facilities, or changes in treatment, chemical usage, or discharge parameters.
- Provide regulatory updates, stakeholders, and rulemaking support to the Director of Environmental Services. Track, review, and summarize proposed or pending environmental regulations and policies affecting, or potentially affecting Metro’s operations. As assigned, coordinate preparation of technical analyses and supporting documentation to inform Metro’s regulatory and policy positions.
- Ensure that regulatory and technical information is accurate and defensible, and consistent with Metro’s approved compliance and regulatory interpretations.
- Evaluate proposed changes to existing and new chemicals, maintenance products, or other agents used in Metro’s treatment processes and or at Metro’s facilities to determine potential impacts to process performance, biosolids, or receiving waters and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
- Develop, implement and track environmental compliance training programs for Metro, coordinating with HR to ensure required training is assigned, completed, and documented in accordance with permit and regulatory requirements.
- Prepare and manage the Regulatory Compliance Division’s portion of the Environmental Services Department budget.
- Supervise and develop engineering and specialist staff, including assigning and tracking work, providing technical and professional guidance, evaluating performance, and addressing performance issues. Mentor staff to build technical, regulatory, and professional capabilities consistent with Metro’s compliance objectives and values. Support recruiting, onboarding, and succession planning activities.
- Coordinate and collaborate with Operations, Engineering, and other departments to ensure consistent and defensible regulatory and technical evaluations across Metro’s environmental programs. Ensures Director of Environmental Services is informed of regulatory issues.
- Represent the Environmental Services Department in internal and external meetings, including regulatory stakeholder workgroups and in formal regulatory hearings as assigned.
- May be required to work outside of normal business hours/standard workdays, including reporting to a Metro facility or to a field location, to support environmental release response or other emergencies, or to meet other Metro business needs.
- Ensure Division staff are trained, equipped, and available to respond to environmental releases or emergencies as needed, including outside normal business hours.
- Responsible for maintaining and promoting a safe working environment. Ensure employees complete all required training on time, maintain compliance with organizational requirements, and follow all safety protocols.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
Knowledge of:
- Advanced principles and practices of environmental and process engineering applicable to wastewater treatment, solids handling, and conveyance systems
- Federal, state, and local environmental regulations and permit programs applicable to Metro facilities and operations including CWA, CAA, RCRA, EPCRA, TSCA, SPCC, UST, and Colorado WQCC Regulation 22
- Engineering methodologies for evaluating treatment process modifications, hydraulic and organic capacity changes, and their implications for regulatory compliance and facility design approval
- Methods for fate and transport evaluations and environmental release response, including assessment of pollutant migration, transformation, and mitigation strategies
- Concepts of compliance management systems, risk-based compliance evaluation, and continuous process improvement
- Federal and Colorado environmental rulemaking and policy development processes and their relationship to Metro’s environmental compliance programs
- Effective methods for coordinating multidisciplinary technical review of proposed regulations, policies, and guidance
- Public sector budgeting, forecasting, and fiscal accountability
Skilled at:- Performing, directing, and reviewing complex technical and regulatory analyses
- Applying advanced engineering judgment to evaluate facility modifications, process designs, and compliance implications under Colorado WQCC Regulation 22 and related regulations, policies and requirements
- Reviewing and providing input on engineering design memoranda, hydraulic modeling, and process optimization evaluations to identify potential compliance impacts or benefits
- Integrating regulatory requirements into project design, construction, and operational decisions
- Coordinating, reviewing, and synthesizing technical and regulatory input from staff to support the organization’s participation in rulemaking and policy development
- Leading multidisciplinary teams and coordinating cross-departmental work to ensure consistent, technically sound compliance approaches.
- Communicating complex engineering and regulatory concepts clearly to diverse audiences
- Technical writing
- Using Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel and Power Point
- Active and empathic listening skills
- Team building and team management
- Managing disagreements, de-escalating conflicts and negotiating win-win solutions
- Direct supervisory responsibilities including candidate selection, coaching, performance management and enforcing procedures
Ability to:- Exercise professional judgment, openness, and accountability in collaborative review environments
- Perform and oversee complex engineering and regulatory evaluations ensuring technical accuracy and regulatory defensibility
- Evaluate engineering designs, specifications, and operational changes for compliance implications
- Review and interpret technical submittals and ensure that engineering information supports defensible regulatory decisions
- Identify when design or process changes intersect with compliance risk/impact
- Maintain comprehensive awareness of Metro’s environmental compliance obligations and ensure timely fulfillment of regulatory deadlines
- Maintain awareness of ongoing and emerging regulatory and policy initiatives and evaluate their potential impacts to Metro’s compliance programs
- Facilitate effective staff training and development to support work related to preparation of technical positions and recommendations for regulatory and policy engagement
- Prepare and manage divisional budgets and ensure sound fiscal management
- Represent Metro effectively in technical and regulatory discussions with external agencies
- Operate Metro vehicles legally, travel to all facilities, and work outside normal business hours as required
- Establish and maintain effective working relationships
- Learn and use common data analytics and visualization software tools (e.g. Alteryx, Microsoft Power BI, etc.)
- At all times physically access and navigate all areas of Metro’s facilities and properties while wearing applicable personal protective equipment
- Align group goals to Metro's values and mission
- Effectively supervise staff
Education, Certification and LicensesBachelor’s degree in chemical, environmental, mechanical, civil or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university. A combination of education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree. A valid driver’s license.
Working Conditions
Typical Work Environment
Variety of floor surfaces including concrete, gravel, asphalt, dirt, tile, loose stones, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, and wet surfaces; Inside environment; Outside environment all year in all weather conditions and temperatures; Residential and Commercial Wastewater/Biosolids; Chemicals; Lighting conditions including natural light, fluorescent, head lamps, incandescent, and low light; and low light; Vibration; Moving equipment; Work in confined spaces
Body Position Demands
Standing; Walking; Climbing stairs; Climbing ladders; Reaching forward and overhead; Balancing; Object handling; Simple hand/ Firm hand grasping; Operating controls; Sitting; Stooping; Kneeling; Crouching; Crawling; Typing; Fine hand coordination
Physical Demands (max forces are expected to be infrequent)
Max Weight Lifted: 50 lbs
Max Weight Carried: 50 lbs
Max Force Pushed: 94 lbs
Max Force Pulled: 100 lbs
Sensory Requirements
Wide field of view; Perception - Spatial; Olfactory (Smelling); Vision - Near; Depth perception; Color discrimination; Perception - Form; Feeling without seeing; Speaking; Vision - near and far; Hearing
Metro Water Recovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
