Environmental Compliance Director at Essential Utilities

Essential Utilities, Inc. delivers safe, clean, reliable services that improve quality of life for individuals, families, and entire communities.

Operating as the Aqua (water and wastewater services) and the Peoples and Delta (natural gas) brands, Essential serves approximately 5.5 million people across 10 states. We are committed to sustainable growth, operational excellence, a superior customer experience, and premier employer status - including a competitive and comprehensive benefits package as well as a commitment to career growth opportunities.

We are advocates for the communities we serve and are dedicated stewards of natural lands, protecting more than 7,600 acres of forests and other habitats throughout our footprint.

Our company is one of the most significant publicly traded water, wastewater service and natural gas providers in the U.S.

Essential Utilities employs people in a variety of roles within our nine-state footprint, ranging from field workers and customer service representatives who are on the front lines working with customers, to scientists and engineers who help ensure we are delivering reliable water, wastewater, and natural gas services to our communities.  We are committed to providing career growth opportunities for our employees and we’re excited you are interested in this career opportunity with us! 

JOB SUMMARY:

We are seeking a collaborative leader to work with corporate and state environmental compliance staff and the laboratory quality assurance team to guide and evolve Essential’s Corporate Environmental Compliance Program and Aqua’s Environmental Laboratory Quality Assurance Program.  The leader will directly supervise 3 environmental compliance staff and 4 quality assurance staff and additionally will indirectly support/oversee approximately 20 environmental compliance staff across our footprint.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES:

Environmental Compliance Program Management

• New regulations: Follow development of new regulations. Collaborate with industry partners on advocacy for developing and proposed regulations. Prepare plans/oversee projects to meet compliance with new regulations [e.g. The Lead and Copper Rule Improvements (LCRI) final regulation];

• Existing regulations:  Maintain expertise in state and federal environmental rules and regulations. Serve as resource to compliance, engineering, and operations staff. Oversee existing corporate regulatory programs: CCRs, AWIA, dam compliance, corrosion control, LCRR, PFAS MCL compliance, etc.;

• State compliance:  Build and maintain strong relationships with state compliance staff. Balance oversite and support to promote sound state programs. This includes facilitating identification of risk, defining appropriate standardization, gap filling, providing additional support during staff changes, etc..

• Compliance Assurance Program (CAP):  Direct Aqua’s CAP by setting up  meetings with each state, maintaining CAP notes and action items, and providing oversight to ensure completion of the action items. 

• Events Management/Continuous Improvement:  Oversee tracking of outstanding Consent Orders and Notices of Violation (NOVs) and work with (and sometimes lead) state compliance, engineering, and operations staff to bring about timely compliance and reduce potential for future events.   

• Industry Leader:  Actively engage in technical advisory groups for trade organizations such as AWWA, NAWC, etc.

• Staff Growth:  Support staff in career development and nurture positive behaviors to foster an effective and productive work environment.

• Audit Program:  Engage in the early development and gradual roll out of an audit program using a combination of corporate and state resources.

• Environmental Compliance Data Management

  • Software & Data Management:  Oversee implementation and management of company Water Quality, EHS and LIMS software.  Includes corporate programs to facilitate training, maintain data integrity, timely response to issues, and alignment with other company software (asset management, billing, field work orders, etc.).  Current software platforms include SAMS, Cority, Labworks and WaterSuite.

  • State Data Support:  Collaborate with state compliance staff to promote sound data practices, improve data management skills and support analysis as needed.

  • Company Compliance Metrics:  Oversee annual evaluation of company compliance goals to improve compliance, communication/training of goals and review/tracking of corresponding metrics data. 

  • Data Communication Tools:  Oversee development and design of data reporting tools to streamline access to critical compliance data (flagging at risk water quality results, targeted communications of deadlines, alerts, etc.).

  • Data Analysis:  Conduct and oversee analysis of company data to target areas of risk, identify where capital is needed for compliance, shape implementation strategies for new regulations, PFAS class action lawsuits, etc.

  • Data Reporting:  Prepare and make presentations at all levels within Essential as well as external professional organizations as needed.  Oversee maintenance of company data roll-up programs such as ESG, Short Term Incentive, etc.

• Laboratory Quality Assurance

• Quality Assurance:  Maintain effective quality assurance functionality and empowerment by having organizational separation from the laboratory functions.

• QA/Laboratory Collaboration:  Foster a collaborative work environment between the QA group and the laboratory using tools such as weekly and/or monthly meetings, initiatives status tracking, proactive corrective action processes, etc.

• Client Relations:  Support the QA Manager in promoting and achieving client satisfaction across our various states and assist in the resolution of challenges that may arise.

• Regulatory Compliance:  Promote compliance with environmental regulations to the extent possible through proactive sample management, rigorous resampling protocols, and communication with operations teams.

• Staffing:  Support the QA Manager to ensure that staff are available for sample receiving, sample logging, sample management, and regulatory reporting.

• Miscellaneous:  Assist in supporting and integrating our software including LabWorks and SAMS.  Participate in the evaluation of new LIMS software.

• Supervisory Responsibilities:  Manage team of technical staff to ensure company-wide environmental compliance and lab quality assurance

  • Two direct reports and team of 6-7 staff members plus contractors.

  • Indirectly supervise Environmental Compliance Managers across Aqua footprint.

• Budget:  Assist with budget preparation and management.  Responsible to manage corporate and/or state projects and associated budgets.

• Performs other assignments as required.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education: 

• BS Degree in Engineering or Environmental Science or related field Required,

• MS Degree Preferred

• Experience Level:  Minimum of 10-15 Years of Related Experience

• Professional Certification and Licenses:  P.E. License Preferred

• Valid Driver's License:   Required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES:

• Regulatory:  Knowledge of water and wastewater environmental laws and regulations (Safe Drinking Water Act, Clean Water Act, etc.).

• Software/Data experience:

  • Software implementation and software project management experience required.

  • Oversite of software data programs strongly preferred.

  • Database query/report development and integrations preferred.

  • Experience with SAMS and/or Cority preferred.

• Microsoft Office suite: Word‚ PowerPoint‚ Excel.

• Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, listening, and public speaking including the ability to develop and conduct effective presentations to executive management).  Requires effective negotiation and communication skills to gain acceptance of ideas and proposed actions. 

WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Perform sedentary work- exerting up to 20 pounds of force occasionally, and/or a negligible amount of force frequently or constantly to lift, carry, push, pull, or otherwise move objects, including the human body. Sedentary work involves sitting most of the time.

• See, hear, talk, and perform tasks requiring manual dexterity.         

• Working conditions include travel to work sites of Essential Utilities. 

• Time spent in the field involves exposure to the elements, noise, and potentially hazardous substances and conditions.

• Available for company travel up to 10% of time.

• Privileges to work from home twice a week pending successful start.

Essential Utilities is an Equal Opportunity / Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.

Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  

To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship.

• Family members cannot work in the same department. 

Essential Utilities, Inc., is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action employer. Equal employment opportunity is provided to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to the following legally protected characteristics: race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, pregnancy (including childbirth and related medical conditions, including medical conditions related to lactation), physical or mental disability, covered-veteran status, genetic information (including testing and characteristics), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state or federal law.
Essential Utilities is committed to providing reasonable accommodation to individuals with disabilities.  If you have a condition that may prevent you from applying for a job online or need to request an accommodation during the interview process, please call (1-877-271-9012).  
To maintain the integrity of the recruitment process and to avoid real or perceived conflicts of interest due to employment and/or assignment of family members and personal referrals, specific guidelines apply to the hiring and assignment of these individuals including, but not limited to:

• Family members cannot result in a supervisor/subordinate reporting relationship
• Family members cannot work in the same department.