ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST III - 37020769 Date: Jan 21, 2025 The State Personnel System is an E-Verify employer. For more information click on our E-Verify Website (http://www.dms.myflorida.com/workforce\_operations/human\_resource\_management/for\_job\_applicants/e\_verify) . Requisition No: 844767 Agency: Environmental Protection Working Title: ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST III - 37020769 Pay Plan: Career Service Position Number: 37020769 Salary: $58,000 Posting Closing Date: 01/24/2025 Total Compensation Estimator Tool (https://compcalculator.myflorida.com/) ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST III State of Florida Department of Environmental Protection Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection Coral Reef Conservation Program INTERNAL POSTING FOR CURRENT DEP EMPLOYEES ONLY The candidate pool is limited to current employees of DEP (including OPS employees) and employees who have requests on file for promotion in accordance with a collective bargaining agreement. Applications will not be considered from outside of the agency. A CAP is pending to update headquarters and job duties. Our Organization and Mission: The Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the state’s lead agency for environmental management and stewardship - protecting our air, water and land. The vision of DEP is to create strong community partnerships, safeguard Florida’s natural resources and enhance its ecosystem. The Work You Will Do: + Incumbent is responsible for projects that address Reef Injury Prevention and Response. + The position will directly supervise two OPS positions. The Difference You Will Make: This position indirectly impacts the lives of Florida citizens by + Protecting and enhancing the ecological integrity of the Kristin Jacobs Coral Reef Ecosystem Conservation Area. + Encouraging sustainable use and foster active stewardship by engaging local communities in the protection of the natural reef. + Improving management effectiveness through a process based on sound science, consistent evaluation and continual reassessment. How You Will Grow: DEP encourages its leaders to constantly innovate and seek efficiencies. We believe in supporting and encouraging you as you take on important and often complex projects while offering you the opportunity to gain valuable experience quickly. Where You Will Work: Miami is a vibrant city in the Southeast corner of the state of Florida, situated directly on Biscayne Bay and close to beautiful white sand beaches. It is considered a major business center while also known for its museums and cultural offerings as well as its many restaurants and nightlife. It is a sports enthusiast haven as many outdoor activities are enjoyed by people in the area. Also, with no state income tax, Florida is a great place to work regardless of where you find yourself on the career ladder. The ORCP Southeast Region covers 5 counties (Martin, Palm Beach, Broward, Miami-Dade, and Monroe). The DEP’s office in Miami is called the Biscayne Bay Environmental Center and is located in the middle of the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves within the Pelican Harbor Park and Marina in Miami-Dade County. The Benefits of Working for the State of Florida: Working for the State of Florida is more than a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits including: + Annual and Sick Leave benefits; + Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year; + State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options; + Retirement plan options, including employer contributions (For more information, please click www.myfrs.com ); + Flexible Spending Accounts; + Tuition waivers; + And more! For a more complete list of benefits, visit www.mybenefits.myflorida.com . Pay : $ 58,000 annually Your Specific Responsibilities: The Reef Injury Prevention and Response (RIPR) Coordinator, with guidance from the ORCP Southeast Regional Administrator and the Coral Reef Conservation Program (CRCP) Manager, utilizes knowledge of environmental policies, procedures, and practices to provide technical assistance to the CRCP Manager. Reports to the CRCP Manager . Supervises OPS staff within the RIPR Program and may oversee other OPS staff by assigning work, reviewing progress, assisting in assessing performance, and training CRCP personnel. With guidance from the DEP Southeast Regional Administrator and CRCP Manager, provides technical assistance and leads the planning and implementation the CRCP Reef Injury Prevention and Response (RIPR) Program, and RIPR-related local action strategy projects as identified in the CRCP Strategic Plan and the Maritime Industry and Coastal Construction Impacts (MICCI) focus area of the Southeast Florida Coral Reef Initiative (SEFCRI), as needed. Responsible for the development and management of budgets, contracts, grants, and general program administration support in compliance with state and federal laws, policies, and procedures. Develops and manages grants, contracts, oversees contractors, and associated progress reporting and financial tracking for all assigned projects. Prepares proposals, budgets, and contracts for assigned projects. Maintains program and project files and records. Analyzes data, develops, and maintains databases, prepares progress and financial reports, and facilitates annual review (and revision, if needed) of assigned core programs and projects. Organizes, facilitates, and participates in CRCP and SEFCRI-related workshops and meetings. Ensures meeting minutes are recorded for all assigned program/project meetings and prepares meeting summaries. Assists with CRCP and SEFCRI programmatic and strategic planning. Assists with the implementation of other SEFCRI projects and CRCP activities, as directed. Collaborates with numerous partners in both the public and private sectors to further the state's efforts in protecting coral reef resources in Southeast Florida. Works collaboratively, fosters and maintains effective communication and exchanges information with intra- and interagency staff, SEFCRI Team members, stakeholders, and the general public. Maintains and establishes new partnerships with a variety of stakeholder groups including resource users, NGO’s, educational institutions, and government agencies. Responsible for leading coordination and implementation of management options and activities to prevent damage to reef resources from anchoring and groundings, including implementation of the recommendations for reef injury response preparation and coordination priorities identified in the SEFCRI “Rapid Response & Restoration for Coral Reef Injuries in Southeast Florida” document. Coordinates and ensures appropriate representation of the Board of Trustees of the Internal Improvement Fund of the State of Florida, as landowner on behalf of the People of the State of Florida, in all legal actions, settlements and other projects intended to restore and compensate the State for coral reef related injuries caused to state-owned submerged lands and the natural resources within Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, and Martin counties. Serves as a State trustee representative for resource damage incidents and leads coordination with other inter- and intra- resource agency representatives, as necessary and appropriate, to prevent, respond to, and manage resource damage incidents. Organizes and participates in injury site assessments, restoration, and monitoring planning and implementation, including providing administrative and field support, as required/assigned. Understands and applies state statutes and rules, and federal and local laws, associated with MICCI and reef injury related issues. Assists with the development of policies and drafts legislative concepts to improve resource protection. Provides logistical coordination and technical assistance to support documentation and assessment of reef resource injury incidents. Participates in resource trustee meetings and site visits, as directed. Reviews and provides comments on environmental and marine event permit applications, as assigned. Responsible for tracking all time and budget expenditures associated with the RIPR Program. Provides coral protection guidance for vessel salvage. Records trustee activities and costs, and facilitates Habitat Equivalency Analyses associated with reef injury cases. Periodic weekend and evening work may be required to respond to resource injury incidents and support CRCP activities. Where appropriate, represents the DEP, Office of Resilience and Coastal Protection (ORCP), CRCP, the Kristin Jacobs Coral Aquatic Preserve, and the SEFCRI Team. Attends all necessary DEP/ORCP/CRCP/SEFCRI meetings and functions. Attends training programs (where funds allow). Assists with education and outreach activities, as needed. Periodic weekend and evening work may be required to support CRCP outreach activities, meetings, and field work. Regular local travel throughout Southeast Florida and occasional long-distance travel may be required to perform these duties. May aid in the event of an emergency at the DEP field offices, including pre-storm preparation, post-storm clean-up and replacement of stored goods to ready field office for operation after a storm; or other services assigned. Understands federal laws, state laws and policies, American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS) and DEP standards governing commercial, scientific, and recreational SCUBA diving practices, certifications and operations and ensures diving activities are conducted in compliance with current laws and policies. Suspends diving operations considered to be unsafe or unwise. Communicates with UDSO to address concerns and resolve any questions related to diving operations. Safely operates and maintains DEP vessels, vehicles, sampling, photographic, and scuba equipment, as assigned. Provides assistance to the DEP Miami Unit Diving Safety Officer (UDSO), as directed. Snorkels or SCUBA dives as required to assist with field work. Other duties as assigned. Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: + Knowledge of coral reef ecosystems and general marine science or coastal resource management. + Knowledge of ecological and resource management terminology, principles, and methods. + Knowledge of and experience with regulatory permitting + Experience with incident reporting and response programs, natural resource injury assessment and restoration, with emphasis on coral reef ecosystems. + Knowledge of and experience with citizen science and incident reporting and response programs. + Skill with math and analysis. + Skill with organization, writing, and editing (both technical and colloquial). + Skill with public speaking, meeting facilitation, and conflict resolution. + Skill with PC computers, Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, Access, and ArcGIS. + Skill with SCUBA diving, scientific diving, and experience as a diver for marine science leading field work. + Skill with small boat handling and trailering, or the ability to acquire these skills. + Ability to identify the hard coral and reef fish species of Southeast Florida. + Ability to understand and apply applicable rules, regulations, policies, and procedures relating to environmental programs. + Ability to formulate policies and procedures. + Ability to effectively communicate complex scientific concepts to a diverse range of stakeholders. + Ability to be flexible, multitask, and meet tight deadlines. + Ability to manage multiple, multi-year, concurrent projects. + Ability to work in a team setting and independently and complete tasks (with attention to detail) under minimal supervision. + Ability to determine work priorities, ensure proper completion of work assignments. + Ability to communicate courteously and effectively with a diverse range of people. + Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with others. + Ability to lift a minimum of 35 lbs. Preferred KSA’s + Knowledge of and experience with Habitat Equivalency Analysis + Knowledge of and experience with Coral Reef Protection Act + Knowledge of and experience with PortVision360 + Experience managing and processing civil enforcement cases and maintaining case tracking databases Minimum Qualifications: A bachelor’s degree in one of the marine environmental or biological sciences from an accredited college or university, and two years of verifiable related experience; or any combination of post-secondary education or verifiable related experience, as described above, for a total of six years. Valid Driver License. Regular local travel and occasional long-distance travel. Must be a Rescue level certified scuba diver who can provide documentation of at least 100 logged dives. Must have prior approval and meet the diving and/or snorkeling validation requirements in the DEP Underwater Operations Manual. This position is medically monitored. Nitrox certifications to be obtained within 1 year. Preferred Qualifications: Master of Science degree in the marine environmental or biological sciences or a related field Additional screening questions may be required. BACKGROUND SCREENING REQUIREMENT : This position is a Position of Trust. Any applicant being considered for employment must successfully complete a Level 2 State and National criminal history check as a condition of employment before beginning employment, and also be screened in accordance with the requirements of Chapter 435, F.S. No applicant may begin employment until the background screening results are received, reviewed for any disqualifying offenses, and approved by the Agency. DEP is committed to successfully recruiting and onboarding talented and skilled individuals into its workforce. We recognize the extensive training, experience, and transferrable skills that veterans and individuals with disabilities bring to the workforce. Veterans and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to contact our recruiter for guidance and answers to questions through the following email addresses: HR_VeteransPreference@dep.state.fl.us HR_ER@dep.state.fl.us The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace. Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation. The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act. VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clickinghere (http://www.dms.myflorida.com/content/download/97612/566545) . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement. Location: MIAMI, FL, US, 33138 Nearest Major Market:Miami