Stormwater Compliance Spec

About the Role

Join WMATA as a Stormwater Compliance Specialist and play a critical role in protecting the environment while supporting one of the nation’s busiest transit systems. In this position, you’ll lead efforts to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local environmental regulations, driving real impact across facilities and operations. You’ll apply your expertise to conduct inspections, solve complex environmental challenges, and implement sustainable solutions that enhance system performance. This is a high-visibility role where you’ll collaborate with regulatory agencies, influence engineering design, and shape environmental policy and procedures. Help us advance environmental stewardship while keeping Metro safe, reliable, and resilient.

The Stormwater Compliance Specialist develops and implements programs that ensure and document the Authority’s compliance with Federal, state, and local stormwater requirements and environmental regulations.

Responsibilities

• Conducts investigations and engineering design evaluations: verifies stormwater design calculations, audits records, oversees environmental systems, coordinates with environmental contractors, and makes recommendations for ensuring proper system performance and environmental compliance.
• Performs complex independent audits and inspections of equipment, facilities, and/or operations to demonstrate and document compliance with design specifications and with federal, state, and local stormwater regulations, requirements, and permits.
• Coordinates inspection findings with environmental and facility staff and makes recommendations on corrective action requirements for implementation by maintenance offices and contractors.
• Performs follow-up audits/inspections to ensure that recommended corrective action has been taken to resolve identified deficiencies and produces final reports.
• Tracks and documents corrective actions to closure.
• Prepares, reviews, and submits applications for system and facility environmental permits required by federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
• Oversees the design (including stormwater design calculations), construction, and maintenance of new and retrofit stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs).
• Develops procedures in support of the Authority’s Environmental Management Policy, including Environmental Standard Operating Procedures (ESOPs) to establish Authority-wide operating procedures that comply with environmental requirements and to implement corrective actions for operations.
• Interacts with facility personnel to monitor and ensure implementation of stormwater Best Management Practices (BMPs) and compliance with Stormwater Pollution Prevention Plan and permit requirements.
• Tracks stormwater data and sampling results to identify trends and prepares written reports to document compliance with permits and regulatory directives.
• Reviews engineering designs for compliance with stormwater requirements.
• Participates in the analysis and review of stormwater engineering studies and designs prepared by contractors.
• Conducts engineering studies to design solutions to complex stormwater management or compliance problems.
• Operates independently on special projects as an expert on stormwater management systems.
• Maintains thorough knowledge of current state-of-the-art practices in stormwater management principles and pollution prevention, as well as trade and industry environmental standards and codes.
• Develops and maintains strong and meaningful working relationships with representatives of federal, state, and local environmental enforcement agencies.
• Serves as the Authority’s representative when interfacing with inspectors, case managers, environmental planners, permitting authorities, and auditors from regulatory agencies.
• Supports curriculum development and implementation for required environmental training. Identifies training updates when required by changes in environmental regulations and interpretations.
• Represents the Authority at conferences, meetings, presentations, and other events and researches best management practices to stay current with state-of-the-art technology in the stormwater management field.
• Conducts major accident/incident investigations of a serious nature that may involve significant environmental contamination and events that may have political or media interest. Audits applicable records and makes determinations as to the cause(s) of accidents/incidents.
• Participates in responses to emergency spills, as needed, and serves as the official environmental representative on the incident scene.
• Maintains and promotes awareness and accountability with safety policies and procedures while performing job functions. Promotes a positive safety culture and encourages reporting of safety concerns consistent with our Agency Safety Plan, other regulatory requirements within the Safety Management System, and just culture principles.

Requirements

Knowledge

• Comprehensive knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations and their impact on the Authority’s facilities and operations.
• Comprehensive knowledge to interpret and understand environmental laws and regulations and to develop policies and procedures to ensure Authority compliance with the requirements, including developing and implementing engineering solutions to ensure compliance.
• Understanding of plans and standard specifications for environmental systems, including knowledge of environmental pollution control technologies, and the ability to evaluate technical proposals for mitigation of environmental issues.
• Knowledge of methods and techniques for environmental testing, sampling, and analysis. Ability to relate test results to standards required by enforcement agencies.
• Knowledge of National Pollution Detection and Elimination System (NPDES) stormwater permit requirements as well as Municipal Separate Storm Sewer System (MS4) permit regulations.
• Knowledge of applicable federal, state, and local laws, regulations, codes, and ordinances related to water quality and stormwater management.
• General knowledge of stormwater best management practices.
• General knowledge of stormwater specifications and maintenance guidelines.

Skills

• Interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relationships within and outside the Authority and to deal with others in a customer-oriented, business-like manner.
• Analytical and other mathematical skills to perform computations on compliance data, assess system performance, analyze trends, and measure successful operation.
• Proficiency in mainframe and PC technology, including databases, spreadsheets, graphics, and project management software, specifically Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, and Outlook).

Abilities

• Ability to draft scopes of work for environmental engineering professional services and for construction (installation, removal, or operation) of environmental systems.
• Ability to coordinate, oversee, and monitor contractor performance for contracts of significant complexity.
• Ability to work flexible hours in office, shop, and field locations including aerial and underground structures, as required.
• Ability to communicate effectively at all levels of the organization, both orally and in writing.
• Ability to work independently as well as within a team.
• Ability to utilize electronic data management and computer software (including ArcGIS) to accurately collect and analyze data using appropriate methodology.

Qualifications

• Minimum Education: Bachelor’s Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related field.
• Minimum Experience: Six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in environmental management, stormwater management, environmental compliance, or engineering design, including experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and experience in reviewing engineering and construction/site plans related to stormwater management.
• Minimum Certification/Licensure:
  • Valid Driver’s License.
  • Roadway Worker Protection (RWP) Certification, Level 2, within 12 months and maintain RWP Qualification as a condition to perform core job duties.
• Preferred Qualifications: Master’s Degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Management, Engineering, Chemistry, or a closely related field.

About Us

The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA), known as Metro, is the region’s leading public transportation provider. Serving a 2,054-square-mile jurisdiction, Metro operates six rail lines, 98 stations, 126 bus routes, and Metro Access, a shared-ride paratransit service. As one of the nation’s busiest transit systems, Metro connects communities, supports economic growth, and provides safe, reliable transportation.

Evaluation Criteria

Consideration will be given to applicants whose resumes demonstrate the required education and experience. Applicants should include all relevant education and work experience. Evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following:

• Skills and/or behavioral assessment.
• Personal interview.
• Verification of education and experience (including certifications and licenses).
• Criminal Background Check (a criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to employment).
• Medical examination including a drug and alcohol screening (for safety-sensitive positions).
• Review of a current motor vehicle report.