TDEC Environmental Protection Specialist 1

The State of Tennessee is hiring an Environmental Protection Specialist 1 in Nashville, TN. This full-time position involves performing environmental inspections, investigations, and monitoring under supervision. Candidates must have a bachelor's degree in engineering or a related field. The role includes ensuring compliance with environmental laws and regulations, with opportunities for advancement after a mandatory training period.
Job Information
• Opening Date/Time: 03/23/2026 12:00AM Central Time
• Closing Date/Time: 04/12/2026 11:59PM Central Time
• Salary (Monthly): $4,057.00
• Salary (Annually): $48,684.00
• Job Type: Full-Time
• City, State Location: Nashville, TN
• Department: Environment and Conservation

Location

Department of Environment & Conservation, Air Pollution Control Division, Davidson County

For more information, visit the link below:
https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/environment/job-announcements-/preferred-service/00107258_env_prot_spc_1_apc_tdec-job-opp_ps_ua.pdf

Qualifications

Education and Experience: Graduation from an ABET accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher in engineering or engineering technology program.

Necessary Special Qualifications:
• Possess a valid motor vehicle operator's license at the time of appointment in some positions

Overview

Under immediate supervision, is responsible for professional environmental work of routine difficulty; and performs related work as required. This is the entry level class in the TDEC Environmental Protection Specialist sub-series. An employee in this class is assigned to learn a variety of environmental engineering duties. An employee may perform environmental program and/or regulatory duties in a specific program specialty area such as air pollution, water resources, remediation, solid waste management, toxics, or underground storage tanks. This class differs from TDEC Environmental Protection Specialist 2* in that an incumbent of the latter performs environmental duties at the working level under general supervision.
• An applicant appointed to this flexibly staffed class will be reclassified to TDEC Environmental Protection Specialist 2* after successful completion of a mandatory one-year training period; inadequate or marginal performance during the training period will result in automatic termination.

Responsibilities
• Under direct supervision, performs environmental inspections, complaint investigations, remediation, monitoring work (e.g. sampling and evaluation of environmental media and/or other materials), environmental surveys, etc.; and/or inspections of equipment, structures, materials, and/or sites/facilities of routine difficulty to evaluate levels of pollutants and/or to ensure proper installation, maintenance, and/or operation and determine compliance with environmental laws, regulations, or other standards. Develops or assists with corrective action recommendations for identified problems, and if necessary, initiates enforcement action to effect compliance of established standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies.
• Under direct supervision, obtains/receives, reviews, and analyzes engineering designs, reports, plans and specifications, applications, verifies calculations, and other environmental and technical information (e.g. records, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, environmental surveys, inspections, inventories, monitoring data, etc.) of routine difficulty for adequacy and completeness and interprets findings and results to ensure compliance with established design criteria; operations of facilities and systems; and standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies and procedures. Assists with development and/or review of corrective action for identified problems, and if necessary, initiates enforcement action to effect compliance of established standards, laws, rules, regulations, or policies and procedures.
• Under direct supervision, performs or assists with performance of research on regulatory information and studies of environmental pollution and its effects to develop or revise environmental and engineering regulations, technical policies, standard operating procedures (SOPs), etc. in order to stay current with local, state, and federal standards and/or procedures. Assists with communication and/or presentation of interpretations of revisions to regulations, policies, etc. to stakeholders.
• Under direct supervision, prepares technical information (e.g. records, drawings, reports, data, operational plans, enforcement action requests, etc.) and technical documents (e.g. permits, Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDL), correspondence, designs, layouts, soil evaluations, etc.) of routine difficulty in a concise and legally defensible manner to ensure Agency's missions are met through interpretation of regulations, published guidelines, mathematical calculations, and/or engineering experience or judgement and communicates the interpretation of findings and results to stakeholders. Prepares and/or maintains data and documentation (e.g. records and reports of work activities, contacts, meetings, etc.) in accordance with division and agency requirements.
• Under direct supervision, operates, maintains, troubleshoots, and calibrates field equipment (e.g. flow meters, water samplers, backpack shocker, etc.) and electronic equipment (e.g. photoionization detector, pH meter, Global Positioning System (GPS), etc.) to ensure equipment is operating in accordance with manufacturer's specifications so as to meet the requirements found in state and/or federal regulations. Ensures the malfunctioning equipment is repaired, replaced, or surplused according to state guidelines.
• Under direct supervision, assists management with the adherence to the budget by ensuring contractors' proposed work activities comply with established rates; providing technical oversight, review, and/or project management of ongoing state and/or federal grant loan programs; and any other means necessary.
• Fosters and encourages a mutual trust, respect, and cooperation among staff and stakeholders through education of system operations, equipment, and programs designed to reduce environmental damage caused by unacceptable practices.
• Under direct supervision, provides technical assistance to regulated operations, stakeholders, internal staff, and other necessary personnel in response to environmental incidents and/or environmental requests/inquiries of routine difficulty.

Competencies (KSA's)
• Business Insight
• Communicates Effectively
• Decision Quality
• Manages Complexity
• Tech Savvy

Knowledges
• Engineering and Technology
• Chemistry
• Law and Government
• Physics
• Geology

Skills
• Reading Comprehension
• Judgement and Decision Making
• Active Learning and Listening
• Complex Problem Solving
• Critical Thinking

Abilities
• Written Comprehension
• Deductive Reasoning
• Inductive Reasoning
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Limb and/or Full Body Flexibility

Tools & Equipment
• Computer/Printer/Scanner/Copyor/Fax
• Telephone/Cell Phone/Pager/Two-way Radios
• Watercraft/Motor Vehicles/Tractors/All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs)
• Sampling, Monitoring Equipment and Supplies/ Tools
• Radiation Detection Equipment/GPS/PPE/Power Equipment and Hand Tools