NYC Department of Environmental Protection (NYC DEP)

Scientist of Water Ecology

IMPORTANT NOTE: Candidates selected to fill a Scientist of Water Ecology position from this posting will be appointed on a provisional basis. As a provisional employee, you will be required to take and pass the next Scientist of Water Ecology civil service examination and be given a list number by the NYC Dept. of Citywide Administrative Services in order to be considered for probable permanent employment in this title. Anyone who does not take and pass this examination, or who is not reached on the established list, will be terminated as a provisional Scientist of Water Ecology.

The NYC Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) protects public health and the environment by supplying clean drinking water, collecting and treating wastewater, and reducing air, noise, and hazardous materials pollution. DEP is the largest combined municipal water and wastewater utility in the country, with nearly 6,000 employees. DEP delivers more than 1.1 billion gallons per day of the highest quality drinking water to 8.5 million NYC residents and more than 1 million people in Upstate New York, and has a wastewater conveyance and treatment system capable of processing over 1.3 billion gallons of wastewater per day to protect the environment and the city’s surrounding waterways.

The Bureau of Wastewater Treatment (BWT) is responsible for the operation and maintenance of all facilities related to the treatment of sewage within the five boroughs of the City. This includes 14 wastewater treatment plants, sludge dewatering facilities, collections facilities (pumping stations, combined sewer overflow retention facilities, regulators, tide gates, etc.), wastewater laboratories and harbor vessels.

Job Purpose

The Marine Science Section is tasked with performing the NY Harbor Survey Program. The Survey is an ambient water quality monitoring effort performed year-round within New York Harbor. Stations are sampled by boat or by vehicle. The MSS is responsible for generating an annual report and administrating several water quality related contracts.

In addition to field sampling, the selected candidate assigned to the Scientist of Water Ecology III position will act as assistant to the data manager of the section and will support the maintenance and reporting of data produced by the section. This candidate will oversee the QAQC of Harbor Survey data, ensuring that all values are entered correctly and are consistent across all forms of data recording (field sheets, main HS spreadsheet, and tablet database).

Job Tasks/Duties

The selected candidate will assist in the following tasks: provide support in the development of the Harbor Survey report by utilizing ArcGIS online tools including StoryMaps and interactive web maps, calculate annual summer/ harbor wide/ regional statistics, update harbor wide/ regional/ and parameter specific trend graphs, assist in the reporting and distribution of data both internally and externally, fill in for upper management when needed for crew scheduling and coordination for all MSS trips, assist in the development of alternative technologies for data reporting, update the Quality Assurance Project Plan for the EPA, oversee field personnel and ensure SOPs are being followed correctly, supervise and train interns and trainees in sampling methods and laboratory procedures, and act as a representative for MSS in educational projects for the agency.

Minimum Qualifications

  • A masters degree from an accredited college or university in one of the following areas of study: environmental or chemical engineering, limnology, environmental science, marine science, geology, biology, earth science, chemistry, physics, or health science; or
  • A baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university with 24 semester credits in one or a combination of the areas of study described in ""1"" above, at least 12 of which must have been in one of these areas of study; and at least one year of satisfactory full time experience, which may not have been part of graduate or undergraduate course work, working in the field of water quality planning, management or

research or performing environmental laboratory analyses, and/or environmental field sampling of water; or

  • An associate degree from an accredited college or university including or supplemented by 24 semester credits in one or a combination of the areas of study described in "1" above, at least 12 of which must have been in one of these areas of study; and at least three years of satisfactory full time experience as described in "2" above.

Additional Requirements

To be assigned to Assignment Levels II or III, all candidates must have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university as described in "2" above and must have one additional year of the experience described in "2" above for a total of two years of experience.

Special Note

A master's degree from an accredited college in one of the areas described in "1" above may be substituted for up to two years of the required experience.

Preferred Skills

  • Experience with daily/weekly QAQC of data, with high attention to detail 2. Experience in ArcGIS online, including StoryMaps 3. Experience in generating annual reports encompassing results on an annually, monthly, or weekly basis (as needed) 4. Driver’s license valid in the State of New York

55a Program

This position is also open to qualified persons with a disability who are eligible for the 55-a Program. Please indicate at the top of your resume and cover letter that you would like to be considered for the position through the 55-a Program.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness

As a prospective employee of the City of New York, you may be eligible for federal loan forgiveness programs and state repayment assistance programs. For more information, please visit the U.S. Department of Education’s website at https://studentaid.gov/pslf/

Residency Requirement

New York City residency is generally required within 90 days of appointment. However, City Employees in certain titles who have worked for the City for 2 continuous years may also be eligible to reside in Nassau, Suffolk, Putnam, Westchester, Rockland, or Orange County. To determine if the residency requirement applies to you, please discuss with the agency representative at the time of interview.

Additional Information

The City of New York is an inclusive equal opportunity employer committed to recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce and providing a work environment that is free from discrimination and harassment based upon any legally protected status or protected characteristic, including but not limited to an individual's sex, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, religion, disability, sexual orientation, veteran status, gender identity, or pregnancy.

, $65,877.00 – $93,984.00
  • Seniority level

    Entry level
  • Employment type

    Full-time
  • Job function

    Research, Analyst, and Information Technology
  • Industries

    Environmental Services

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