Cleaner Air Oregon Project Engineer (Environmental Engineer 3 / Environmental Engineer 2 - Underfill)

Initial Posting Date:

04/28/2026

Application Deadline:

05/12/2026

Agency:

Department of Environmental Quality

Salary Range:

$7,587 - $11,677

Position Type:

Employee

Position Title:

Cleaner Air Oregon Project Engineer (Environmental Engineer 3 / Environmental Engineer 2 - Underfill)

Job Description:

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality strives to build and sustain an inclusive and equitable environment that embraces and values diversity. Employees at all levels of the agency work together to foster fairness, equity, inclusion, and belonging. We strive to be a workplace where we share our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals, and while collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations. We celebrate and appreciate diversity, champion equity, and treat each other with respect and dignity.

We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on race, color, national origin, ethnicity, veteran status, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, age, or physical or mental disability in the administration of our programs and activities. Visit DEQ’s Civil Rights and Environmental Justice page.

Are you passionate about preserving, enhancing, and protecting Oregon’s environment? If so, please consider a career with the State of Oregon at the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). At DEQ, employees have the opportunity to work with a dynamic and supportive team of mission-focused individuals tasked with maintaining, restoring, and enhancing the quality of Oregon’s air, land, and water.

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has a full-time opportunity available for a Cleaner Air Oregon Project Engineer (Environmental Engineer 3 / Environmental Engineer 2 - Underfill). This position will be located in Portland, Oregon.

Please consider joining an innovative team, and work to advance our agency’s mission to protect and improve Oregon’s environmental quality.

About DEQ!

The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality is the primary regulatory agency of the government of the U.S. State of Oregon responsible for protecting and enhancing the state's natural resources.  

The Air Quality Division is responsible for protecting the air resources of the state through program planning and development, industrial source control, asbestos control, motor vehicle inspections, and control of other sources of air pollution. The Air Quality Division administers the federal air quality program, by delegation and approval from EPA, and state requirements.

The Cleaner Air Oregon program has the lead responsibility to ensure the accurate assessment and reduction of toxic air contaminant emissions using health-based standards. The Section is responsible for supporting completion of risk assessments and the determination of permitting and reporting requirements for sources assessed under program rules. The Section implements this program by working closely with regional Air Quality permit writing staff, which includes ongoing policy and guidance development, training, and rule and statute revisions.

For a visual representation of DEQ’s offices and their locations, view our DEQ Offices and Vehicle Inspection Testing Stations map.

What you will do!

You will serve as a project manager and permit writer for the Cleaner Air Oregon section at DEQ. You will be responsible for overseeing the development, completion, and approval of toxic air contaminant emissions inventories, risk assessments, and risk reduction activities at the largest and most complex sources in the Air Quality program. Working with other technical staff, you will have overall project responsibility for all phases of the emissions identification and risk assessment process, including review of emissions and control devices, finalizing modeling and other inputs affecting these assessments. You will independently perform and oversee reviews of facility process flow diagrams, control devices, pollution reduction activities, and associated engineering documents, and you will develop and draft permits and permit conditions to formalize any reduction requirements or other limitations. In addition, you will serve as a technical resource for internal and external parties on toxic air contaminant risk assessments, inventories, and emission control technologies, and other issues related to assigned sources.

What’s in it for you!

The opportunity to work in a productive and creative environment where no two days are ever the same! DEQ cares deeply about employee wellness and benefits. We offer a competitive benefits package that offers comprehensive medical, dental, and vision plans for the employee and their qualified family members, as well as paid sick leave, vacation leave, personal leave, and 11 paid holidays a year. In addition, we offer membership in the Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), and you have the opportunity to potentially receive loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF). If you are passionate about Oregon's environment, apply today!
 

This is a full-time, AFSCME represented position.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies.

What are we looking for?

Minimum Qualifications for Environmental Engineer 3:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field, such as environmental, chemical, civil, or mechanical, and 4 years of engineering experience.
• 2 years of experience in an environmental protection/control program.
• A current Professional Engineer (PE) license

Substitution: If no degree, a current Professional Engineer license (PE), 7 years of engineering experience, and 4 years of experience in an environmental protection/control program are required.

Minimum Qualifications for Environmental Engineer 2 - Underfill:

• Bachelor’s degree in an engineering field, such as environmental, chemical, civil, or mechanical, and 3 years of engineering experience.
• 1 year of experience in an environmental protection/control program.

Substitution: If no degree, 6 years of engineering experience and 3 years of experience in an environmental protection/control program are required.

The Environmental Engineer 2 underfill option is available to you if you do not meet the minimum qualifications for the Environmental Engineer 3 upon hire. In order to retain this appointment, you must be able to meet the minimum qualifications for the Environmental Engineer 3 by obtaining your Oregon registration for Professional Engineer within 3 years of employment.

Candidates who are most competitive will also reflect the following desired attributes:

• Demonstrated understanding of environmental justice and the historical impacts for marginalized and underrepresented communities; ability to take personal responsibility for increasing their knowledge of environmental justice and diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Extensive experience and expert knowledge in source operations, pollution control devices and industrial emissions processes, compliance inspection methods, and source permitting, including the ability to correctly interpret toxic air contaminant emissions information and toxicity data.
• General understanding of the human health risk assessment protocols for point sources, including the completion of emissions inventories and modeling work that supports the risk assessment.
• Knowledge of a variety of business operations covering many different types and complexities of commercial and industrial processes.
• Experience drafting and reviewing environmental permit conditions that are accurate, clear, and enforceable; experience evaluating permit applications and modifications and ensuring that all proposed actions comply with all applicable regulatory requirements and good engineering practice.
• Experience conducting site investigations and inspections to evaluate compliance status, and experience creating accurate and clear enforcement documents.
• Demonstrated experience building and fostering relationships with a diverse group of partners including colleagues, interested parties, communities, organizations, and businesses; skill in conflict resolution, negotiation, and collaboration.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills; ability to provide clear, concise, and compelling communication of policy and technical information tailored to the needs of diverse audiences; skill in writing and presenting clear and concise reports that include qualitative and quantitative analyses, recommendations, and conclusions to diverse audiences.
• Project management experience in an environmental/natural resources setting, including development, implementation, and evaluation; experience managing concurrent multiple complex projects with many interested parties and multiple deliverables, all with resource constraints.

Working Conditions:

DEQ believes in a diverse and inclusive work environment. All employees are expected to contribute to a work environment that collectively values and benefits from respecting its diversity and promotes a culture of inclusiveness.

This position will be based out of DEQ’s Portland office; however, the successful candidate may be eligible for hybrid work. The logistics of hybrid work will need to be worked out with the Hiring Manager prior to your hire and may be changed at any time given specific job duties and business needs. DEQ will provide necessary hardware (laptop, monitor, keyboard, mouse, and cell phone) for an employee to successfully work from home. At DEQ sites, you will have access to a workspace, however, it may be shared with other employees.

There will be occasional travel on official State business for meetings, trainings, conferences, seminars, public hearings, and site visits, some of which may include evening work, weekend work, and/or overnight stays. During site visits, there may be exposure to inclement weather, pollutants, contaminated soil and water, fumes, airborne contaminants, and challenging field conditions (fall or tripping hazards, stairs, and uneven terrain). This position may be required to lift supplies and equipment that may weigh up to 50lbs.

How to Apply: (complete the application in full)

• External Applicants Click on the “Apply” button and submit your application. For resources and support related to applying, view our External Candidate job aid and Workday Recruitment for External Job Applicants video.
• Internal Applicants (current State of Oregon employees): Apply through your employee Workday account. For step-by-step resources on how to apply, review the Jobs, search & apply knowledge article.

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Help Your Application Rise to the Top!

Your application materials are the perfect opportunity to highlight your interest in the position and showcase your amazing skills and experience. In addition to your related work experience and education, DEQ will use the desired attributes and minimum qualifications above, under the “What are we looking for?” section to determine whom to interview. Please make sure your attributes and minimum qualifications are clearly demonstrated in your application materials.

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Veterans Information:

DEQ provides candidate preference points to all eligible veterans and Oregon National Guard servicemembers (current and former). For more information on candidate preference, please visit Veterans Resources. For privacy reasons, please do not attach candidate preference documents when initially applying. Instead, you will be asked to submit those at a later time as part of a future task in Workday.

Equal Pay Analysis:

As an employer, the State of Oregon complies with HB 2005, the Pay Equity Bill. We do not discriminate on the basis of protected class in the payment of wages, and we do not screen applicants on the basis of their current or past compensation. All finalists have an equal pay analysis completed to determine their placement on the salary scale. Please note: the salary listed is the non-PERS qualifying salary range. If the successful candidate is PERS qualifying, the salary range will reflect an additional 6.95% (6% goes to PERS and .95% covers payroll taxes). Please review the Classification and Compensation page for more details.

Work Authorization:

DEQ does not offer visa sponsorships. On the first day of employment, all hires will be required to complete the US Department of Homeland Security’s Form I-9, confirming authorization to work in the United States. In addition, hires will have three business days from their first day of employment to present documents that establish employment authorization and identity. DEQ is an E-Verify employer and will use E-Verify to confirm that hires are authorized to work in the United States.

Questions/Need Help?

If you have questions about the recruitment or need assistance to participate in the application process, including an accommodation request under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), please contact DEQ’s Recruitment Team at jobs@deq.oregon.gov or 503-229-5107. TTY users: please use the Oregon Telecommunications Relay Service at 1-800-735-2900.