Environmental Engineer - Solid Waste

Environmental Engineer - Solid Waste

FT / PT Status – Full-Time
Benefits Eligibility – This position is eligible for a full benefits package.
Salary – $26.61 - $55.36 Hourly Wage
Remote Work / In-Office – Hybrid

Recruiter – Coral Ortega | caortega@utah.gov
Application Deadline – 11/20/2026*

*This job posting may close at any time after the minimum advertising period of three (3) business days has passed, should a sufficient applicant pool be received. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

The Solid Waste Section of Utah’s Division of Waste Management and Radiation Control is seeking an engineer with a background in soil mechanics and hydrogeology, an aptitude for applying a wide array of environmental regulations, and strong customer service skills.

This position serves as the State’s permitting lead for coal combustion residuals (CCR) facilities and conducts construction engineering and groundwater protection reviews for other solid waste facilities statewide. In addition to technical evaluations, this individual acts as an initial point of contact for facility owners and operators—guiding them through the rules, application checklists, and online permitting processes to achieve complete applications for efficient regulatory review.

This position may be filled at any of the advertised levels listed below. Salary depends on the job level offered within the series.

Key Responsibilities

• Engineering and Containment Review: Evaluate engineering calculations, plans, and technical specifications for landfill cell liners, cover systems, and groundwater monitoring networks, including evaluations of alternative designs and exemption demonstrations.
• Hydrogeology and Modeling Review: Review groundwater monitoring network designs, statistical monitoring reports, contaminant fate and transport modeling, and hydrogeologic evaluations used to justify exemptions or alternative standards.
• Corrective Action and Remediation: Evaluate contaminant release characterization reports, assessment monitoring data, and proposed corrective action remedies to protect soil and groundwater resources.
• CCR Permitting Lead: Serve as the primary regulatory lead for application review, drafting, and administration of permits for coal combustion residuals (CCR) facilities across Utah.
• Regulatory Guidance & Outreach: Lead pre-permitting completeness meetings with facility owners, consulting engineers, and operators. Assist applicants with regulatory requirements, and draft defensible formal correspondence and director approvals.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Education: Bachelor of Science degree in Geological Engineering, Civil/Geotechnical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related accredited engineering discipline.
• Licensure / Certification: Current Engineer-in-Training (EIT) certification, passing score on the Fundamentals of Engineering (FE) exam, or the demonstrated ability to obtain certification within 12 months of hire.
• Technical Foundation: Working knowledge of soil mechanics (permeability, compaction, slope stability), hydrogeology (groundwater flow, aquifer hydraulics, well design), and basic environmental chemistry.
• Document Evaluation: Ability to review and evaluate technical reports, engineering drawings, calculations, and specifications to determine compliance with environmental standards and design criteria.
• Regulatory Aptitude: Ability to read, interpret, and apply federal and state environmental laws and administrative rules (e.g., Utah Solid and Hazardous Waste Act, Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Subtitle D, and Coal Combustion Residuals rules).
• Communication & Public Contact: Strong written and oral communication skills, including the ability to draft defensible permit conditions, review letters, and regulatory decisions, and explain technical requirements to facility owners, consulting engineers, and the public.
• Driver’s License: Valid driver’s license to conduct occasional site inspections and facility visits statewide.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Professional Licensure: Active licensure as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Utah (or ability to obtain within 12 months), or a current certification as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT).
• Waste Containment Experience: Two or more years of professional experience designing, reviewing, or constructing waste containment systems, including compacted clay liners, geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners, leachate collection systems, or final cover systems.
• Fate and Transport Modeling: Experience evaluating outputs or applying hydrogeologic modeling and analytical tools (e.g., HELP model for landfill water balance, MODFLOW, MT3D, or analytical solute transport models) to evaluate contaminant migration or justify alternative design standards.
• Groundwater and Corrective Action: Experience reviewing groundwater monitoring network designs, statistical groundwater quality data, contaminant release characterization reports, and corrective action remedy evaluations.
• Permit Administration: Experience preparing, reviewing, or administering solid waste permits, industrial discharge permits, CCR compliance documents, or similar environmental regulatory approvals.

Supplemental Information:

• Most of the work is performed in a professional office setting. Occasional field investigations (less than 10%) may require walking on uneven terrain at landfills or outdoor sites, enduring outdoor weather conditions, and wearing standard personal protective equipment (PPE).

Job Series

The selected candidate for this position may be hired as an Environmental Engineer I with a salary range of $26.61 - $42.22 per hour, an Environmental Engineer II with a salary range of $31.33 - 49.69 per hour, or an Environmental Engineer III with a salary range of $34.91 - $55.36 per hour.

About the Role

Location –
195 North 1950 West
Salt Lake City, Utah, 84116
United States
Background Check Required – You must successfully pass a criminal history check.
Drug Test Required – No
Schedule Code – B - Competitive Career Service

Why You Should Join Our Team
In Utah, we believe hard work is important, but balance is essential. Finding work/life balance is a vital element to our culture. To find out more about WHY Utah, click here. Other benefits may include:

• Job Stability: Enjoy the security and reliability of employment within a well-established organization.
• Career Growth: Develop valuable skills and gain opportunities for leadership within a large organization.
• Meaningful Work: Contribute to an important service that benefits the community and supports organizational goals.
• Supportive Work Environment: Be part of a team that values cooperation, strong work ethics, and mutual support.

The Agency
For more information about the Department of Environmental Quality and the Division of Waste Management & Radiation Control, click here.

EEO Statement
The State of Utah is committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status. We also consider qualified applicants regardless of criminal histories, consistent with legal requirements. For accommodations, please contact (801) 957-9390.