Job Description
The Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) is the state agency responsible for ensuring clean air and water, the safe management of toxics and hazards, the recycling of solid and hazardous wastes, the timely cleanup of hazardous waste sites and spills, and the preservation of wetlands and coastal resources.
Watershed Planning Program, Total Maximum Daily Load Section
This program runs from June 2024 - October 2024
TMDL Streamlining & Automation Initiative: Development of a Massachusetts Municipal Ordinances & Bylaws Database. The Watershed Planning Program in the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP) develops Total Maximum Daily Loads (TMDLs) to restore polluted waters in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. A TMDL or "pollution budget" is a calculation of the highest amount of a pollutant that a waterbody can receive and still meet water quality standards that protect water resources. Under the federal Clean Water Act, states are required to identify waterbodies that do not meet water quality standards and develop TMDLs for these waterbodies. The TMDL Section in MassDEP's Watershed Planning Program is currently undergoing an effort to streamline TMDL development and automate the production of reporting requirements. The automation of these tasks relies upon a repository of information related to water quality, watershed characteristics, infrastructure, regulated areas, and political/administrative boundaries. The project objective is to organize and summarize all available information and data related to municipal ordinances and bylaws that protect water quality within the Commonwealth. The final project deliverable will be a spatial database of the collated information that can be overlayed with watersheds to identify administrative rules or laws relevant to TMDLs and water quality restoration projects.
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Additional duties will include the following:
- Gather available information on Massachusetts city and town ordinances and bylaws.
- Conduct outreach to determine availability of information.
- Review previous studies or reports.
- Maintain a comprehensive list of sources of information.
- Review, collate and summarize information into a tabular database structure.
- Join tabulated database with spatial municipality information.
- Prepare graphical and tabular data summaries for inclusion in reports and presentations.
- Create a summary report that displays municipal ordinances and bylaws.
The preferred candidate will have excellent organizational skills, the ability to meet deadlines, and work well both independently and as a member of a team. The position will be subject to a hybrid work environment (i.e., partly telework and partly on-site), with a minimum of 7.5 hours per week at WPP's office in Worcester.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Effective communication skills, in writing, in person, and on the telephone.
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite software.
- Proficiency in the ESRI suite of ArcGIS software, or similar GIS application.
- Proficiency with R or other modern computer programming languages.
Qualifications
First consideration will be given to those applicants that apply within the first 14 days.
Knowledge Requested:
- Basic knowledge of watershed and environmental science
- Experience gathering and formatting information from a variety of sources
- Experience with the preparation and writing of technical reports
- Ability to work independently, and in an organized manner with strong attention to detail
- Ability to communicate confidently and effectively on the phone
Prerequisites
Associate or bachelor's degree (must be enrolled or within one year of graduation)
Required
- Cover letter
- Resume
Comprehensive Benefits
When you embark on a career with the Commonwealth, you are offered an outstanding suite of employee benefits that add to the overall value of your compensation package. We take pride in providing a work experience that supports you, your loved ones, and your future.
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An Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action Employer. Females, minorities, veterans, and persons with disabilities are strongly encouraged to apply.
The Commonwealth is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, disability, national origin, veteran status, or any other basis covered by appropriate law. Research suggests that qualified women, Black, Indigenous, and Persons of Color (BIPOC) may self-select out of opportunities if they don't meet 100% of the job requirements. We encourage individuals who believe they have the skills necessary to thrive to apply for this role.