Description

Metro Water Recovery in Denver, CO - a nationally recognized leader among clean water utilities, provides wastewater conveyance and treatment services for more than 2 million people in the Denver Metro area.

At Metro, we help you be your best so we can do our best. You will join a team that offers stability, flexibility, and the opportunity to make a difference. We take pride in being part of an industry-leading team who serves the community by protecting the region’s health and environment.


Description

Why It's a Great Opportunity: 

We are seeking an experienced Principal Air Quality Compliance Engineer to lead and perform complex technical and regulatory work supporting our facilities.

This is a hands-on role. You will perform air quality engineering and regulatory work from start to finish - developing defensible emissions calculations and inventories, preparing permit applications and compliance documentation, interpreting regulatory requirements, and evaluating equipment and process changes to ensure compliance with federal and Colorado air quality regulations. You will support Metro’s operations and capital project teams to integrate environmental requirements into planning, design, construction, and implementation.

You will also provide support for regulatory stakeholders and rulemaking processes, analyzing revised and proposed regulations, assessing operational, permitting and compliance impacts, and preparing defensible, sound input.

Air quality compliance is the primary focus of this role.  But as part of a small environmental compliance team of engineers and scientists, you will also support Metro’s other environmental program areas.

This is complex engineering and regulatory work that directly supports our mission to protect the region’s health and environment.


Why It's a Great Department: 

The Principal Air Quality Compliance Engineer is situated within the Regulatory Compliance Division of the Environmental Services Department.  Our department has a terrific culture that is built on continuous improvement, accountability, collaboration and fun. We believe in fostering a work environment that encourages teamwork, problem solving, creativity, and personal growth. Our team members have the opportunity to work on meaningful assignments and contribute to making a difference across Metro. The Environmental Services Department also includes the Pretreatment, Laboratory Services, Data Quality and Sampling, and Water Quality Divisions, making it a dynamic and diverse work environment.


How to be Successful in the Role: 

You will thrive in this role if you:

• Bring deep working knowledge and experience with federal and Colorado Clean Air Act requirements
• Are comfortable Independently performing complex emissions evaluations and calculations
• Prepare clear, technically sound permit applications and regulatory submittals
• Can translate regulatory requirements into practical solutions for operations and capital projects
• Engage confidently in technical and regulatory discussions with regulators and stakeholders
• Work effectively in a small interdisciplinary team where principal engineers actively perform the work
• Are comfortable working in a fast-paced, dynamic environment
• Enjoy mentoring and sharing your knowledge and experience
• Have a Colorado Professional Engineering license or the ability to obtain one via reciprocity

We value excellence, integrity, inclusion and collaboration, and we're looking for someone who shares these values.

Serves as the subject matter expert for environmental compliance engineering with primary emphasis on federal Clean Air Act and associated Colorado regulations and requirements (CAA/CO), including Title V, NSPS, NESHAP, PSD/NSR, GHG, APCD permitting programs and processes, and other related federal and Colorado regulations and policies. Apply expert-level understanding of air emissions, control technologies, and regulatory frameworks under CAA/CO regulations to ensure defensible and effective compliance. Leads and performs major compliance engineering evaluations and projects, ensuring that technical analyses and recommendations are consistent, defensible, and aligned with Metro’s approved environmental compliance strategies.  Works under the general direction of the Senior Environmental Compliance Engineering Manager.   May supervise lower-level Environmental Compliance Engineers and other staff.


Examples of Duties

1. Provides engineering and regulatory expertise in support of assigned environmental program areas, both performing and leading compliance engineering and regulatory work as needed to meet Metro’s operational and programmatic requirements. Serves as a subject-matter expert for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of Metro’s compliance programs. 
2. Conduct or lead technical and regulatory analyses to support Metro’s air quality and other environmental compliance program areas, including Title V and construction permitting, emission inventories, air dispersion modeling, and applicability evaluations under the CAA/CO regulations and policies for capital projects and operational changes.
3. Lead and perform complex environmental compliance engineering evaluations and studies in support of Metro’s air quality compliance environmental programs. When external engineering services are used, manage the technical scope and review of consultant work to ensure consistency, accuracy, and alignment with Metro’s environmental compliance strategies.
4. Provide expert technical and regulatory consultation and quality review for engineering analyses, reports, and regulatory submittals prepared by lower-level engineering and other staff. Supports regulatory stakeholder and rulemaking work as assigned.  Analyzes proposed federal and Colorado environmental regulations, guidance, and policy documents to assess potential technical, compliance, and operational impacts on Metro’s facilities and programs. Prepares or contributes technical analyses, data summaries, and draft comment language to support Metro’s participation in regulatory rulemaking, stakeholder processes, and policy initiatives as assigned.
5. Evaluate engineering design documents, equipment changes, and proposed process or chemical modifications to determine potential air emissions impacts, permit applicability, and compliance with the CAA/CO regulations, ensuring defensible permit coverage and documentation.
6. Responsible for reviewing, signing, and stamping engineering studies, reports, and other materials related to environmental compliance. Provide updates or amendments following professional engineering standards.
7. Perform and lead air release response, evaluations, including emission estimation, dispersion modeling, and analysis of atmospheric fate and transport to assess potential impacts. Develops mitigation recommendations and supports regulatory reporting and documentation under the CAA/CO requirements. Provides support for other environmental releases as assigned.
8. Oversee implementation of odor monitoring and Method 9 compliance requirements.
9. Leads environmental compliance engineering participation on assigned PAR teams from study and design through construction completion. Reviews and approves project documentation for regulatory completeness and defensibility. Provides expert-level input, including written edits and recommendations, to ensure that environmental compliance and permitting requirements are fully integrated into project design, construction, and implementation. Advises leadership on complex regulatory implications of project decisions.
10. May be required to work outside of normal business hours/standard workdays, including reporting to a Metro facility or to a field location, to support environmental release response or other emergencies, or to meet other Metro business needs.
11. Provide technical support for the development and delivery of training programs for Metro staff. Responsibilities may include research, assistance with the development of training materials, facilitation, and/or review of training materials.
12. Ensure that all required compliance activities, including recordkeeping and reporting assigned to lower-level engineers or specialists, are performed on time.
13. Supervise lower-level engineers and other staff if assigned.
14. Responsible for maintaining and promoting a safe working environment. Ensure employees complete all required training on time, maintain compliance with organizational requirements, and follow all safety protocols. Ensures employees maintain required certifications.
15. Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of:

• Advanced principles and practices of environmental and process engineering, including the design, evaluation, and modification of emission monitoring and control systems, air pollution abatement equipment, and process ventilation and exhaust systems  
• Federal and Colorado environmental regulations applicable to Metro’s operations and facilities
• Comprehensive and expert-level knowledge of the regulatory and technical requirements of CAA/CO, including Title V operating permits, construction permitting, New Source Performance Standards (NSPS), National Emission Standards for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP/MACT), Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD), New Source Review (NSR), and Colorado AQCC/APCD rules and policies
• Federal and Colorado environmental rulemaking and policy-development processes
• Methods for air dispersion modeling, emission estimation, and analysis of atmospheric fate and transport for evaluating potential air quality impacts and supporting permitting decisions
• Best practices in engineering design review, technical quality assurance, and documentation for regulatory defensibility
• Principles of professional engineering judgment and certification as applied to regulatory submittals such as air permit applications, compliance demonstrations and SPCC plans
• Colorado professional engineering laws and regulations governing the preparation, signing, and sealing of engineering documents
• Project and consultant management principles as applied to technical engineering and regulatory work
• Effective technical writing, presentation, and communication strategies for regulatory and technical audiences

Skilled at:

• Leading, performing, and reviewing complex and highly technical engineering and regulatory analyses related to the Clean Air Act establishing analytical approaches and ensuring defensibility of results.
• Applying advanced engineering judgment to evaluate process or equipment modifications, control device performance, and capital project impacts under CAA/CO permitting, and related federal and state guidance
• Conducting and interpreting technical analyses supporting Title V permit renewals, construction permits, emission inventories, and air dispersion modeling for compliance assurance
• Preparing or reviewing permit applications and compliance documents, including emissions calculations and regulatory applicability determinations, to ensure accuracy and defensibility.
• Planning, coordinating and managing complex work assignments
• Leading and performing evaluations of treatment process or facility changes and developing defensible recommendations for maintaining compliance
• Managing consultant work and ensuring technical deliverables meet CAA/CO regulatory requirements
• Mentoring engineers and providing advanced technical guidance on air quality compliance engineering
• Writing clear, defensible technical reports and communicating complex engineering and regulatory concepts to both technical and non-technical audiences
• Using Microsoft Office Suite, particularly Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, to conduct analyses and prepare reports
• Active and empathic listening skills
• Training and mentoring staff
• Managing disagreements, de-escalating conflict, and negotiating win-win solutions
• Project management including work planning, resource allocation and progress reviews through project completion
  
  

Ability to:

• Serve as Metro’s subject-matter expert on CAA/CO compliance engineering and apply that expertise to regulatory, design, and operational decision support
• Develop and maintain a solid understanding of Metro’s facilities, treatment processes and operations
• Develop sufficient knowledge and expertise to review, sign, and stamp Metro’s Spill Prevention, Control, and Countermeasure (SPCC) Plans
• Perform and lead detailed engineering evaluations to ensure compliance with Title V, construction permitting, and other CAA/CO requirements
• Evaluate engineering designs, operational changes, and proposed projects for air permit applicability and compliance implications
• Provide expert advice on air regulatory interpretations, emission control design evaluations, and compliance strategies to management and project teams
• Collaborate effectively across departments and with regulators, as assigned, to resolve technical and compliance challenges
• Integrate technical analyses into Metro’s policy development and rulemaking participation activities and provide expert-level input to support defensible positions
• Represent Metro effectively in technical and regulatory discussions with external agencies
• Operate Metro vehicles legally, travel to all facilities, and work outside normal business hours as required
• Establish and maintain effective working relationships
• Learn and use common data analytics and visualization software tools (e.g. Alteryx, Microsoft Power BI, etc.)
• At all times, including periods of inclement weather, excluding areas requiring formal confined space entry procedures, physically access and navigate all areas of Metro’s facilities and properties while wearing applicable personal protective equipment
• Implement and enforce policies and procedures fairly and consistently
• Effectively supervise staff
• For environmental program areas outside of assigned focus, accurately identify, read, interpret and understand regulations and policies, and applicability and impacts to Metro. Perform engineering analyses as necessary. Make recommendations regarding compliance approaches and solutions. Coordinate across environmental programs to ensure that permitting, reporting, and compliance decisions under one regulatory framework (e.g., CAA, CWA, RCRA, EPCRA) do not create conflicts or gaps under another

Education, Licenses, and Certifications

Bachelor’s degree in chemical, environmental, mechanical, civil or other related engineering discipline from an accredited college or university.  Registration as a Professional Engineer (PE) in the State of Colorado.  If registered as a PE in another state, must apply for PE reciprocity in Colorado.
A valid driver’s license. A combination of education and relevant experience may be considered in lieu of a degree.


Working Conditions

Typical Work Environment  
Variety of floor surfaces including concrete, gravel, asphalt, dirt, tile, loose stones, uneven surfaces, slippery surfaces, and wet surfaces; Inside environment; Outside environment all year in all weather conditions and temperatures;  Residential and Commercial Wastewater/Biosolids; Chemicals;  Lighting conditions including natural light, fluorescent, head lamps, incandescent, and low light; and low light;  Vibration; Moving equipment; Work in confined spaces


Body Position Demands
Standing; Walking; Climbing stairs; Climbing ladders; Reaching forward and overhead; Balancing; Object handling; Simple hand/ Firm hand grasping; Operating controls; Sitting; Stooping; Kneeling; Crouching; Crawling; Typing; Fine hand coordination


Physical Demands(max forces are expected to be infrequent)
Max Weight Lifted: 50 lbs
Max Weight Carried: 50 lbs
Max Force Pushed: 94 lbs
Max Force Pulled: 100 lbs


Sensory Requirements
Wide field of view; Perception - Spatial; Olfactory (Smelling); Vision - Near; Depth perception; Color discrimination; Perception - Form; Feeling without seeing; Speaking; Vision - near and far; Hearing

Metro Water Recovery is an Equal Opportunity Employer.