Environmental Scientist

Job Posting Extended to increase applicant pool.

Job Location: Bismarck

Hiring Salary: $6,500-$7,000 per month depending on experience

Benefits: The North Dakota Public Service Commission offers challenging work opportunities, a full range of employee benefits including a comprehensive employer fully paid family health plan, paid leave, retirement plan, flexible work hours, a stable work-life environment and more. For more information, go to our website at www.psc.nd.gov.

Summary of Work

The North Dakota Public Service Commission seeks to hire a highly skilled Environmental Scientist for its Reclamation Division. This position involves working with the mining industry, state and federal agencies, landowners, and the general public with respect to surface coal mining, mined land reclamation, and associated environmental impacts. A team of scientists on staff collectively process mining permits and oversee mining and reclamation operations by conducting frequent mine inspections. The scientists have areas of specialization such as hydrology, agronomy, wildlife and range science, engineering, and soils. The primary responsibility of this position would focus on soils.

The skills required for this position include the ability to comprehend and apply technical and regulatory standards, gather, and evaluate information, and prepare and present findings.

Individual must have excellent written and verbal communication skills, have the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary team setting, and effectively use GIS.

This position works in our Bismarck office and mine settings in all types of weather on a variety of uneven or slippery surfaces.

Duties and Tasks

• Perform timely reviews of applications for mining permits, permit revisions, permit renewals, bond releases to ensure regulatory requirements are met. This includes reviewing and evaluating premine soil surveys prepared by registered professional soil scientists and coordinating prime farmland identification review with the U.S. Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS).

• Conduct detailed reviews of annual soils handling plans, maintain an accurate inventory of soil balances for the active mines, and evaluate the proposed soil respread thicknesses in grade approval requests.

• Conduct soil probing on reclaimed lands to verify the thicknesses of the replaced topsoil and subsoil prior to bond release.

• Evaluate baseline natural resource information and mining, reclamation, and monitoring plans associated with permit applications. Conduct field inspections of surface coal mines to determine if mining and reclamation operations comply with current laws, rules, and policies.

• Prepare clearly written inspection reports, deficiencies, and technical issues noted in applications.

• Provide written and verbal testimony on soil related issues in formal hearing proceedings.

• Develop and maintain the ability to effectively utilize software applications used in the technical review of mining permit and revision applications.

• Use and add data to the Reclamation Division's Geographic Information System (GIS) for storing and managing mining and reclamation information on file within the division.

• Suggest and comment on proposed rules and policies related to the soils and prime farmland aspects of the mining and reclamation regulatory program.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a bachelor's degree in soil science or a related field such as environmental, agricultural, or natural resource science with an emphasis on soils.

• Two years of professional level work experience related to the soil aspects of the position.

• Experience using GIS software such as ArcMap, ArcPro, and/or Autodesk Civil 3D.

• Must have, or obtain within 30 days of employment, a valid North Dakota driver's license.

A Master's Degree in a related field may substitute for one year of professional-level work experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of surface mining and reclamation procedures.

• Knowledge or experience in soil classification, morphology, and chemistry.

• Experience in soil related fieldwork, such as soil probing and sampling.

• Working knowledge of GIS to evaluate and manage environmental resource information.

• Coursework or experience in technical writing.

• Experience testifying in a court-like setting or public speaking.

About Team ND

"Far and away the best prize life offers is the chance to work hard at work worth doing." - Theodore Roosevelt

More than 7,500 talented, hard-working people across sixty-three agencies have come together as Team North Dakota. At Team ND, we are driven to succeed through gratitude, humility, curiosity and courage. Our purpose is to empower people, improve lives, and inspire success. Join us in being legendary.

Total Rewards: The State of North Dakota is committed to providing team members with a strong and competitive rewards package that support you, your health and your family.

Considering a new position on Team ND? How does your current position stack up? Use our Total Rewards Calculator to estimate.

Application Procedures

Applications will ONLY be accepted online through the ND PeopleSoft System.

• In addition to the online application, applicants must upload the following documents:

• Resume;

• Cover letter which includes a summary of how the applicant's education and work experience are related to t he minimum and preferred qualifications;

• College transcripts; and,

• The name, address, and phone number of three (3) professional references (no letters of reference please).

• Candidates will be scored on a 100-point candidate questionnaire to be considered for interviews. Application materials, including resumes and attachments, are not considered in the 100-point candidate questionnaire. Applicants must provide detail in their responses to the questionnaire.

• Application materials must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. on the closing date.

• Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States. Sponsorships will not be considered.

• Applicants who are residents of North Dakota and eligible to claim veteran's preference must upload Form DD214 or certification from the applicant's unit command that the individual is expected to be discharged or released from active duty in the uniformed services under other than dishonorable conditions not later than one hundred twenty days after the date of the submission of the certification.

• For more information about the position or if you need accommodation or assistance in the application or interview process, contact Sheila Zacher at (701) 328-4083, TTY 1-800-366-6888, or 711.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The State of North Dakota and this hiring agency do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), genetics, religion, age or disability in employment or the provisions of services and complies with the provisions of the North Dakota Human Rights Act.

As an employer, the State of North Dakota prohibits smoking in all places of state employment in accordance with N.D.C.C. § 23-12-10.