Environmental Specialist (Waste Diversion and Sustainability)

Travis County’s Operational Sustainability team focuses on waste diversion, climate action planning, and sustainability initiatives aimed at lowering greenhouse gas emissions for the organization.

About the role

A self-motivated Environmental Specialist will assist with organization-wide waste-diversion initiatives, education and outreach, and event planning. The role coordinates responsible disposal of waste materials generated by County operations—either hands-on or in collaboration with other departments or third-party vendors. Waste streams include single-stream recycling, universal and household hazardous waste, metal & brush recycling, hazardous waste, and other materials as requested.

The position works closely with the program’s contract administrator to coordinate vendors, conducts on-the-ground site assessments to build relationships and assess department recycling needs, assists with illegal dumping and spill response, completes annual TCEQ Tier II reporting, manages program inventory purchases and tracking, and supports internal education and outreach, including creation of social media content. The Environmental Specialist also plans events tied to the program’s waste-diversion goals and is critical to moving the County toward greener, more sustainable business practices.

Responsibilities

• Develop, implement, administer, and perform duties of countywide natural-resource and environmental-quality programs, including planning, processing, and evaluating projects and activities.
• Manage multiple projects and activities within authorized scope, schedule, and budget.
• Coordinate efforts with contractors, department staff, other departments and agencies, the regulated community, stakeholders, and the general public.
• Serve as departmental liaison for the designated program.
• Analyze and interpret federal, state, and local environmental regulations; recommend and implement procedures and projects consistent with those regulations.
• Prepare cost estimates, plans, and specifications for outside goods or services; prepare requests for proposals, assist in contract negotiations, and manage approved contracts.
• Develop purchase requests for required supplies and services.
• Analyze, evaluate, and present data; maintain databases and prepare written reports for department staff, management, other agencies, the Commissioners Court, and the public.
• Conduct education and outreach through information meetings, trainings, and conferences to explain program goals.
• Represent the department by working closely with community groups, members, and organization representatives.
• Assist in preparing and submitting grant applications for new and continued program funding through federal, state, local, and county sources.
• Perform other job-related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Technical Writing, or a directly related field and two years of experience in the program specialization areas listed above; or any equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Valid Texas Driver’s License.
• Depending on program specialization, may require certification in one of the following: International Society of Arboriculture (ISA) Arborist Certification, International Erosion Control Association (IECA) certification (e.g., Certified Erosion, Sediment and Storm Water Inspector, CESSWI), Pest Control Applicator License, or Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER).

Preferred Qualifications

• Fluent in Spanish.
• HAZWOPER Certified.
• Understanding of climate action and sustainability initiatives.
• Experience in education and outreach and event planning.

Skills

• Knowledge of:
  • Standard theory, principles, practices, and techniques of designated program and area of specialization.
  • Scientific principles and techniques related to the assigned area of environmental specialization.
  • Federal, state, local, and county applicable environmental laws, rules, regulations, and guidelines.
  • Principles and practices of project management.
  • Research and data-analysis techniques.
  • Principles of data, document, and records management.
  • Computer equipment, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and a variety of software packages including geographic information systems.
  • Technical writing, report writing and preparation, business letter writing, grammar, and punctuation.
  • Legislative, economic, technological, and industry trends applicable to the designated areas of program specialization.
• Skill in:
  • Use of biological monitoring, environmental assessment, and wildlife control equipment and instruments.
  • Use of field techniques, equipment, and instruments appropriate to the area of specialization.
  • Data analysis and geographic information systems, including creating maps and graphs, compiling geographic data from various sources, retrieving stored maps, managing shape files, and other GIS data.
  • Data management techniques.
  • Explaining complicated technical problems in simple, non-technical language.
  • Problem-solving and decision-making.
  • Verbal and written communication.
• Ability to:
  • Manage time well, perform and prioritize multiple tasks, and organize diverse activities.
  • Develop and implement environmental research and projects.
  • Meet deadlines and produce projects in a timely manner while working on several projects at once.
  • Work as a team member within a diverse organization.
  • Research, compile, analyze, interpret, and prepare a variety of memorandums or reports.
  • Establish and maintain effective working relationships with County employees and officials, representatives of outside agencies, and the general public.

Work Environment & Other Information

• Physical requirements include the ability to lift/carry up to 20–50 pounds occasionally, visual acuity, speech and hearing, hand and eye coordination, and manual dexterity necessary to operate a computer and office equipment.
• Subject to driving a 4-wheel-drive vehicle, standing, walking/hiking (some rough terrain), carrying, sitting, repetitive motion, reaching, climbing stairs, bending, stooping, kneeling, crouching, crawling, pushing, pulling, balancing, client/customer contact, and squatting to perform essential functions.
• May work in extreme temperature/weather conditions, smoke on prescribed or wild fires, and be subject to contact with dangerous machinery, fumes, communicable/infectious disease, and hazardous chemicals.
• Travis County employees may be assigned to business continuity efforts outside of normal job functions.

Schedule

8 am – 5 pm, Monday–Friday.

Location

700 Lavaca St., Austin, TX 78701