Environmental Chemical Specialist 1/2/3

The State of Louisiana is hiring an Environmental Chemical Specialist to support small businesses and communities in complying with environmental regulations. The role involves providing technical assistance, conducting engineering reviews, and performing detailed calculations related to air emissions. Candidates should have a degree in engineering or a related field and strong communication skills. This position is based in Lake Charles, LA, and offers various levels depending on experience.
About this Job



The Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality’s (LDEQ) mission is to provide service to the people of Louisiana through comprehensive environmental protection in order to promote and protect health, safety and welfare.

The Small Business Environmental Assistance Program of LDEQ is looking for a successful candidate that can provide engineering support to small businesses and small communities seeking compliance with various environmental regulatory programs at LDEQ. This candidate’s work will focus on providing engineering support and requires knowledge of the chemical process industry and/or varied chemical processes (e.g., assist in performing detailed engineering review of processes and emission control technology).

We are seeking a candidate who has the technical expertise to understand complex environmental regulations, and can apply scientific interpretations and perform advanced engineering calculations for compliance issues and documentation. We also need someone who is engaging and well-spoken, and someone who is a team player who works well in group settings.


Minimum Qualifications
A bachelor’s degree in an engineering field; OR

A master's degree in an engineering field or a chemical or physical science field.

Job Specification
The official job specifications for this role, as defined by the State Civil Service, can be found here.


Job Duties and Other Information
Job Duties:

Provide technical assistance and guidance to small business and small communities on understanding their rights and obligations under the environmental regulatory codes.

Assist small businesses and communities in completing permit applications/NOIs, responding to emissions inventory questionnaires, performing engineering calculations to determine air emissions, submitting NetDMRs, etc.

Support facilities in performing detailed engineering review of processes and emission control technology.

Conduct site visits with small businesses to ensure compliance, particularly those who are newly permitted entities.

Plan and participate in outreach/training activities in the regions (example: presenting a LDEQ overview to university students, exhibiting at a multimedia environmental conference, etc.)Position-Specific Details:

Appointment Type: This position may be filled as either a probational appointment, job appointment (a temporary appointment not to exceed four years), or promotion of permanent classified employee. If the position is filled as a job appointment, it could be converted to a probational appointment should funding become available.

Domicile: Calcasieu

Career Progression: This position may be filled as an Environmental Chemical Specialist 1, 2, 3 depending on the level of experience of the selected applicant.

Compensation: This position offers a Special Entrance Rate (SER) listed below. This is the minimum compensation that may be offered. The job title and salary offered will be determined based on qualifications and experience.

Environmental Chemmical Specialist 1: $26.44 per hourEnvironmental Chemmical Specialist 2: $28.29 per hourEnvironmental Chemmical Specialist 3: $30.27 per hourOverview of the five major offices within the agency: It provides information on the mission, function, and organization along with a biography for each member of management.

Office of the Secretary Office of Management and FinanceOffice of Environmental ServicesOffice of Environmental ComplianceOffice of Environmental AssessmentHow To Apply:

No Civil Service test score is required in order to be considered for this vacancy.

To apply for this vacancy, click on the “Apply” link above and complete an electronic application, which can be used for this vacancy as well as future job opportunities. Applicants are responsible for checking the status of their application to determine where they are in the recruitment process. Further status message information is located under the Information section of the Current Job Opportunities page.

*Information to support your eligibility for this job title must be included in the application (i.e., relevant, detailed experience/education). Resumes will not be accepted in lieu of completed education and experience sections on your application. Applications may be rejected if incomplete.

Please make every effort to attach a copy of your transcript to your application if possible (PDF format preferred). The selected candidate will be required to submit original documentation upon hire.

You must submit an equivalency evaluation statement for any international degree(s) by the closing of this announcement.

For recruitment purposes, applicants who are within 90 days of graduating with a qualifying degree may be eligible for this position.

Contact Information:

For further information about this vacancy, contact:

Sarah McFarland

LDEQ/Human Resources

P.O. Box 4303, Baton Rouge, LA 70821

225-219-3850

This agency participates in the E-Verify system for verification of citizenship and employment authorization.

Louisiana is a State As a Model Employer (SAME) that supports the recruitment, hiring, and retention of individuals with disabilities. Equal Opportunity Employer.