Department: Liquid Waste Services
Employee Group: Teamsters Local 31
Location: 4515 Central Boulevard, Burnaby
Salary Range/ Wage Rate: PG T22 $3,039.93 - $3,577.88 bi-weekly

Our Liquid Waste Services Department is seeking an Environmental Monitoring Technician who will work within a small team of environmental monitoring technicians and scientists in a technical role related to collection of environmental samples, data wrangling and visualization, and preliminary data analysis. Project work will focus on environmental monitoring programs for the region’s five wastewater treatment plants and their receiving environments, and related programs. You will coordinate field program mobilization, conduct field work at the wastewater treatment plants and in the natural environment from the shore and/or boat. These opportunities could include working with oceanographic equipment on small vessels or sampling from beaches across the region. Data wrangling will require quality assurance and quality control data reviews, organization of commercial lab project data for upload into our environmental database, use of macros and script coding to assist with these and other tasks related to reporting such as results comparison to water quality guidelines.

You are: a team player, and also able to work well independently; organized with necessary experience to coordinate and undertake the field monitoring and data management aspects of our environmental monitoring programs; you are detail oriented and skilled in the calibration and maintenance of field instruments and equipment and computer software required to visualize and analyze the environmental data collected. You enjoy solving problems and coming up with creative ways to help improve the team’s work product.

This role:

• Conducts preliminary evaluation of individual sampling site requirements, determines safe and efficient sampling procedures according to established standards; assists in setting up sampling schedules to ensure that locations are monitored depending upon sensitivity and permit levels and accommodates special requests from other staff.
• Identifies, defines and measures environmental quality; performs related analyses and calculations; assists in interpreting results and in determining significance of data and quantity of pollutants in terms of accepted tolerances and obtains additional samples for confirmation as required; applies special test procedures to solve difficult or unusual sampling problems and assists in the development of new procedures and techniques for abnormal parameters.
• Maintains work records and testing files, enters data using a computer terminal and reports results, alerts a superior to violations of applicable requirements and prepares reports and memoranda detailing test results for a superior.
• Monitors consultant sampling projects and/or contracted laboratory data; assists in the review and evaluation of results and procedures and discusses anomalies with a superior; provides consultants with technical advice, guidance and recommendations on appropriate procedures as directed.
• Checks, cleans, calibrates and maintains all sampling equipment, performs simple repairs of equipment as necessary, and prepares solutions and reagents required for testing.
• Performs scheduled and special request sampling for environmental monitoring programs.
• Performs related work as required.

To be successful, you have:

• Completion of a recognized two year diploma course from an Institute of Technology with emphasis on chemistry, related sciences (i.e. biology) and pollution control. Some experience in environmental and wastewater sampling or an equivalent combination of training and experience.
• Considerable knowledge of environmental monitoring, practices, procedures and equipment.
• Considerable knowledge of wastewater and environmental collection and sampling techniques.
• Sound knowledge of the regulations and bylaws as applicable to the work performed.
• Sound knowledge of computer applications (i.e. MS Excel, SQL, Python, R, etc.) related to the work.
• Working knowledge of special test procedures to solve difficult or unusual sampling problems.
• Some knowledge of environmental pollution potential in a large urban area.
• Ability to determine safe and efficient sampling procedures, to perform environmental monitoring and sampling, to assist in the development and maintenance of a comprehensive testing schedule and in the development of special procedures and techniques as required.
• Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external contacts and to perform duties with tact, efficiency and accuracy.
• Ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Ability to identify, define and measure environmental quality, to perform analyses and calculations, and to assist in interpreting results and significance of data.
• Ability to perform sampling for the environmental monitoring programs.
• Ability to use a computer and relevant software to input, manipulate and retrieve data and maintain records and documentation related to the work.
• Ability to monitor consultant testing projects.
• Ability to perform physically demanding work over variable terrain in all types of weather and to work effectively on/in water/from a boat.
• Skill in the care, maintenance, operation, calibration, and simple repair of equipment used in the work.
• Valid British Columbia Driver's Licence.