Environmental Technician II

Full Job Description

Job Appointment: Full-Time
Work Schedule: Mon-Fri. 8 am - 5 pm. An alternate schedule may be available.
Work Location: See below
Benefits: Please check our benefits tab for an overview of benefits for this position
Union Representation: PROTEC17. To view labor agreements, current and future, please click here.

Application Material: Please click APPLY to submit your application via the City of Portland’s online portal. You will need to attach a resume and answer the supplemental questions.

Applicants from this recruitment will be considered for openings in the Portland Water Bureau (PWB) AND the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES).

The City of Portland Bureau of Environmental Services (BES) is seeking an Environmental Technician II to join the Industrial Permitting Program.

The Industrial Permitting Program is responsible for protecting the City’s publicly owned treatment works, ensuring compliance with the City’s National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) waste discharge permit, protecting the health and safety of the public, city personnel, and the environment, and ensuring industrial users maintain compliance with their Industrial Waste Discharge Permits (IWDPs).

The Industrial Permitting Program issues and manages over 120 IWDPs and an additional 300 industry Alternative Discharge Control Mechanisms (ADCM).

The Environmental Technician II’s primary responsibility is managing the compliance of local industries that discharge industrial wastewater to the City’s sanitary sewer system through IWDPs and other control mechanisms.

The management of IWDPs entails conducting inspections, reviewing industry analytical and compliance reports, evaluating permit compliance, data entry, and leading enforcement actions as needed.

On an annual basis, incumbents in this position spend approximately 25-30% of their time in the field.

This position will work as a member of the Industrial Permitting Program team and collaborate with other programs, including field operations, laboratory, industrial stormwater, FOG, and spill response programs.

What you’ll get to do:

• Manage approximately 25 Industrial Waste Discharge Permits
• Analyze and review IWDP application materials for permit issuance
• Conduct thorough inspections of industries, ensuring all areas with waste streams or potential waste streams are evaluated for compliance with permit requirements and City code and rules.
• Draft, issue, and follow up on all enforcement actions to ensure permit compliance
• Perform data entry and management using the City’s LINKO database
• Assist with sanitary sewer system incident investigations as assigned.
• Apply basic biological, chemical, and physical principles and your knowledge of industrial processes and wastewater pollutants throughout your work.
• Evaluate wastewater pollutant treatment systems
• Manage difficult situations with industry representatives in a positive manner
• Effectively communicate with internal and external customers professionally, including the City’s Enforcement, FOG, Laboratory, and Field Operations staff.

An ideal candidate will demonstrate through direct or transferable experience:

• Strong working knowledge of Industrial Pretreatment, Industrial Operations, and interpretation of analytical data.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships.
• Ability to explain and present technical information clearly and effectively.
• Ability to support the implementation of a strict regulatory program.
• Ability to maintain working relationships with industries while ensuring compliance with City regulations.
• Knowledge of treatment plant operations and biosolids

About the Bureau of Environmental Services

This is an exciting time to join the Bureau of Environmental Services (BES). Together, we are re-imagining the work we do to ensure it aligns with Our Values:

• We implement equity in our workplace, business practices, and service delivery.
• We value our customers and partners.
• We carefully manage our watersheds, wastewater, and stormwater infrastructure, and financial resources.
• We encourage leadership among our employees in our City and community.
• We support a diverse, collaborative, healthy, and engaged workforce.
• We urge respectful communication and transparency.
• We advance innovative, sustainable, and resilient solutions.

At BES, we value our customers and partners; Portlanders’ sense of connection to their waterways; conscientious stewardship of our watersheds, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure, and financial resources; a diverse, collaborative, healthy, and engaged workforce; leadership among our employees and in our City and community; equity in our workplace, business practices, and service delivery; clear communication and transparency; innovative, sustainable, and resilient solutions.

BES is seeking talented individuals from diverse racial, ethnic, and socio-economic backgrounds with knowledge, ability, and experience working with a broad range of individuals and communities, and who desire to work collaboratively and creatively to broaden the variety of innovative ways to partner with and serve all Portland communities.

To learn more about the work we do at BES, click on the link: About Environmental Services | Portland.gov

Our BES 10-Year Strategic Plan can be found here: download (portland.gov)

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Portland Water Bureau (Water Quality)

Work location: 664 N Tillamook St, Portland, OR 97227

Work schedule: M-F (8 or 9-hour, flex schedules are possible)

The Environmental Technician II position will serve as a member of the Water Quality Division, whose core function is to provide safe drinking water and meet all federal and state drinking water regulations.

The Water Quality Division oversees and coordinates monitoring across workgroups throughout the water system and analyzes and reports data to the State, the public, and internal stakeholders, ensuring regulatory compliance and public health protection.

The Environmental Technician II will work within the Water Quality Monitoring team and will primarily be responsible for collecting water samples and performing field measurements throughout Portland's drinking water distribution system and source waters.

This position will operate and maintain field sampling equipment, follow standard operating procedures, manage data, assist in water quality investigations and inspections, and collaborate across groups, including the Water Quality Lab.

This position will also manage data, perform data analysis, and report findings using charts, graphs, reports, and presentations as needed.

Incumbents in this position spend approximately 50-75% of their time in the field. This position will require a valid state driver's license and an acceptable driving record at the time of appointment.

What you’ll get to do:

• Collect regulatory samples for coliform bacteria and test for chlorine, pH, turbidity, temperature, and conductivity in the water distribution system
• Test for indicators of nitrification to help optimize tank operations.
• Conduct limnological monitoring from a boat in the Bull Run Reservoirs to support operations and seasonal trend analysis.
• Hike to tributary monitoring stations in the Bull Run Watershed to collect storm event samples.
• Assist with groundwater monitoring in the Columbia South Shore Well Field
• Calibrate, maintain, and troubleshoot a variety of water quality field instruments.
• Respond to water quality incidents, customer complaints, and conduct special investigations.
• Perform data entry and review within the Laboratory Information Management System.
• Review and improve Standard Operating Procedures, and field sampling Quality Management System documents.

An ideal candidate will demonstrate through direct or transferable experience:

• Strong working knowledge of biological, physical, and chemical principles as applied to water quality
• Ability to work within a regulatory compliance setting.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships.
• Ability to explain and present technical information clearly and effectively.
• Ability to work independently and make sound decisions in the field
• Ability to uphold a culture of workforce safety
• A desire and ability to work outdoors, year-round
• A passion for water quality and public health

About the Water Bureau

The Portland Water Bureau (PWB) serves almost a million people in the Portland area, about a quarter of Oregon's population.

PWB employs over 600 people providing responsive service to build and maintain a water system that enhances public health and safety and contributes to the economic vitality and livability of the Portland metropolitan region.

To learn more about us, visit our websitehttps://www.portland.gov/water/about-us

Questions?:
Terrol Johnson
Senior Recruiter
terrol.johnson@portlandoregon.gov

Requirements

Applicants must describe in their supplemental question responses and résumé how their education, training, work experience, and/or lived experience meet each of the following minimum qualifications:

1. Knowledge and experience in one or more of the following areas: environmental science, stormwater management, wastewater, drinking water, hydrology, water quality, general biology, microbiology, wildlife biology, fisheries, botany, chemistry, engineering, or statistics.

2. Ability to evaluate, analyze, and interpret environmental data and clearly present technical information in oral, written, or other forms

3. Ability to coordinate and/or perform field inspections and/or monitoring using a variety of technical equipment, and interpret and/or record field conditions/data clearly and accurately as they apply to natural resources, drinking water, stormwater, and/or sanitary sewer discharge programs.
4. Knowledge and ability to interpret federal, state, and local regulations relating to environmental programs such as wastewater, pretreatment, stormwater, groundwater, drinking water, natural resources, or hazardous waste, and explain the regulations to the public or internal stakeholders.
5. Ability to read, interpret, and evaluate various technical documents such as watershed management plans, monitoring plans, standard operating procedures, equipment instruction manuals, scientific publications, environmental testing reports, lab reports, GIS maps, process flow diagrams, and/or site assessments.
6. Ability to work with a multicultural workforce, promote an equitable workplace environment, and apply equitable program practices to diverse and complex City services.

Qualifications

STEP 1: Apply online between January 12, 2026, and January 26, 2026

Required Application Materials:

• Resume
• Answers to Supplemental Questions

Optional Application Materials:

• Veteran’s Preference documents (e.g., DD214-Member 4, VA Benefit Letter) must be submitted by the closing date.
• Update: As of March 3, 2025, if you have already submitted veteran documents and qualified for preference, you do not need to resubmit them for future recruitments.
• To update or remove veteran preference for this recruitment or from your profile, contact the recruiter listed in the job announcement.

Application Tips:

• Your answers to the Supplemental Questions should include details describing your education, training, and/or experience, and where obtained, which clearly reflect your qualifications for each of the numbered items in the "To Qualify" section of this announcement.
• Your résumé should support the details described in your answers to the supplemental questions..

Salary Range/Equity Pay Analysis: Please note per the Oregon State Pay Equity Law, your salary is determined based on the experience and education listed in your resume/application.

It is strongly encouraged to include any transferable experience (paid or unpaid, regardless of how recent) to ensure your offer is reflective of all directly related and equivalent experience.

• Do not attach any additional documents.
• Please note that all completed applications for this position must be submitted no later than the closing date and time of this recruitment.

Step 2: Minimum Qualification Evaluation: Week of January 26, 2026

• An evaluation of each applicant's training, paid and unpaid experience, as demonstrated in their answers to supplemental questions and resume, weighted 100%.
• Your answers to the supplemental questions and résumé will be the basis for our evaluation of your qualifications for this position. Incomplete or inappropriate information may result in disqualification.
• You have 14 days from the notice of the minimum qualification evaluation results to let us know if you would like to review and discuss your evaluation results. Please read the City of Portland Administrative Rule 3.01for complete information.
• Additional evaluation may be required before establishment of the eligible list and/or final selection.

Step 3: Establishment of Eligible List: February 3, 2026

• Candidates who meet the minimum qualifications will be placed on the equally ranked eligible list.
• Please note that the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

Step 4: Selection (Interview): TBD

• Hiring bureau will review and select candidates for an interview.
• Please note, the selection process may take up to 90 days from the notification of being placed on the eligible list.

Step 5: Offer of Employment: TBD

Step 6: Start Date:

• A start date will be determined after all conditions of employment have been met.

Additional Information

Click here for additional information regarding the following:

• City of Portland Core Values
• Recruitment Process - Work Status
• Equal Employment Opportunity
• Veteran Preference
• ADA, Pregnancy, and Religious Accommodations

Did you know? The City of Portland has How to Apply Videos and offers How to Apply Classes once per month. If you have questions after watching the videos you are invited to contact the recruiter listed on the announcement.