Environmental Specialist II - Public Information Office

The State of Nebraska is hiring an Environmental Specialist II for the Public Information Office in Lincoln, NE. The role involves providing environmental assistance to businesses and the public, coordinating outreach efforts, conducting compliance visits, and developing educational materials. The position supports the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy's mission to protect the state's water and environment. The hiring rate is $25.120, and applications are open until March 25, 2025.
The work we do matters!

Hiring Agency:
Environment and Energy - Agency 84

Location:
Lincoln, NE

Hiring Rate:
$25.120

Job Posting:
JR2025-00014013 Environmental Specialist II - Public Information Office (Open)

Applications No Longer Accepted On (If no date is displayed, job is posted as open until closed):
03-25-2025

Job Description:
Under general supervision, coordinate, facilitate and provide the delivery of proactive environmental assistance to the regulated community and the public. The assistance activities include, but are not limited to, the following: small community assistance, assistance to any business or industry that is subject to Department regulations, assistance to the public and assistance to those involved with releases into the environment. This involves coordination with numerous entities including, but not limited to: federal agencies, other state agencies, local governments, trade associations, the public and non-governmental organizations.

Job Duties:
Lead agency efforts to proactively provide environmental assistance to Nebraska businesses, regulated community and the public.
Design and develop assistance for small communities, business and the public related to pollution prevention, energy conservation and waste reduction in addition to assistance with permit compliance.
Coordinate and/or conduct compliance assistance/permit assistance visits to business/industry and the regulated community. Provide onsite regulatory training as requested.
Organize and support the activities of internal and external state agency teams collaborating to provide environmental permitting information to business interests.
Attend and make presentations at various meetings and conferences to explain NDEE assistance programs.
Coordinate and support environmental partnership efforts with local, state, federal and private organizations.
Coordinate agency environmental assistance outreach training opportunities to the regulated community and public. Provide marketing and technical support for online training planned.
Develop educational and informational materials; maintain and update assistance website content.
Prepare guidance documents, news items and reports.
Provide support to the Nebraska Small Business Compliance Assistance Panel activities.
Research technical and programmatic questions from teammates, the regulated community and the public to provide accurate information on matters related to environmental and public health requirements.
Provide support to agency's public information/communications team;
Complete special duties/projects as directed.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Nebraska's environment? Protection of Nebraska's water is more important than ever, and this position will be an integral part of its defense. If you want to work to help our state's water, please consider a career with the State of Nebraska at the Department of Environment and Energy (NDEE). At NDEE, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Nebraska's air, land, water, and energy resources.

It is a very exciting time at our agency! Some of the things you can look forward to as an employee with the Nebraska Department of Environment and Energy:

A new office building at Fallbrook with free parking.
Flexible work schedules.
You will be doing work knowing you are making a difference for current and future generations.

What you will do!
You will serve as an Environmental Specialist II to support NDEE's efforts to provide small business assistance, advocacy, and outreach. You will be responsible for providing environmental permitting information to new and expanding businesses in Nebraska and work closely with sister agencies recruiting new business to Nebraska. This position will also coordinate department outreach activities to offer and conduct regulatory assistance to small businesses through compliance assistance visits and be responsible to support the activities of the Small Business Compliance Advisory Panel. Additionally, this position will provide communications support the the public information team.

What's in it for you!
The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! We offer a competitive benefits package.
12 days of vacation during first year of service (accruals increase with years of service), 12 days of sick leave during first year of service (accruals increase with years of service), and 13 paid holidays per year. Permanent Teammate Benefits: Health Insurance Dental Insurance Vision Insurance WellNebraska Health Plan Direct Primary Care (DPC) Mail order Rx (3 month supply) and Specialty Pharmacy program Virtual Visits and FREE Nurse line 24 hours a day 7 days a week Employee Assistance Program Retirement/Investment Plan Early Retirement Insurance Program (55 and older) Short-Term and Long-Term Disability Health Savings Account Flexible Spending Accounts Life and AD&D Insurance Tuition Assistance LinkedIn Learning Access to 16,000+ On-Demand Courses Direct Deposit of Payroll Nebraska State Employees Credit Union Deferred Compensation Plan Paid Holidays Vacation, Sick, Civil, and Injury Leave Military Training or Emergency Duty Leave Teammate Discount Program Charitable Giving through Payroll Deduction Coverage is effective the first of the month following 30 days of employment.

For a complete listing of job duties, requirements and to apply go to statejobs.nebraska.gov

Location: 245 Fallbrook Blvd - Suite #100 - Lincoln, NE

Work schedule: Monday - Friday - 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Flexible schedule and 10-hour workdays maybe allowed with management approval.

Dress Code: Business Casual

Requirements / Qualifications:

Minimum Qualifications: Bachelor's Degree in the physical sciences, natural sciences, environmental science, geology, biology, agronomy, civil engineering, environmental engineering, mechanical engineering, chemical engineering, hydrology, community and regional planning, or a related field. Experience may substitute for education on a year-for-year basis.

Other:
Valid driver's license or the ability to provide independent transportation
Ability to lift 30 pounds
Ability to climb a 10 ft ladder
Ability to climb, bend, stoop
Ability to work in outdoor temperature extremes
Ability to walk on uneven terrains and steep slopes to accomplish tasks
Ability to maintain regular and reliable attendance
Submit a resume or list on the application specific detailed experience relevant to the position in years and months
Submit a current list of at least professional references (previous employers) with valid telephone numbers

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:
Knowledge of: local, state and federal environmental laws, regulations, and standards; biological, physical and chemical sciences as they apply to ecosystems and facilities; best management practices as they effect environmental quality. Knowledge of the practices of communications, marketing or journalism additionally useful.

Skill in: building teams; interpersonal communication; communicating ideas and requirements to a variety of customers; proficiency in Word, PowerPoint, Excel; Adobe Creative Suite, and conducting virtual meetings.

Ability to: Effectively present and communicate state and federal laws to individuals and groups with varying technical backgrounds; understand agency policy and procedures; prepare technical papers and reports; design educational materials or campaigns; work independently and use the abilities of others to achieve objectives; use computers and other tools for data storage and analysis. Must be able to pursue projects in various department programs and manage changing priorities.

Benefits

We offer a comprehensive package of pay, benefits, paid time off, retirement and professional development opportunities to help you get the most out of your career and life. Your paycheck is just part of your total compensation.

Check out all that the State of Nebraska has to offer! Benefit eligibility may vary by position, agency and employment status. For more information on benefits, please visit: https://statejobs.nebraska.gov/index.html#benefits

Equal Opportunity Statement

The State of Nebraska values our teammates as well as a supportive environment that strives to promote diversity, inclusion, and belonging. We recruit, hire, train, and promote in all job classifications and at all levels without regard to race, color, religion, sex. age, national origin, disability, marital status or genetics.

Current employees of the State of Nebraska should NOT apply on this external career. Instead go to Workday and access the Jobs Hub - Internal Apply app from your home landing page.