DEPT OF ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY

Address: 400 W Congress Street, Tucson, AZ 85701

Fluency in both English and Spanish is required for this position.

Salary:  $50k-$60k

Grade: 21

Closing Date: Open Until Filled

The Border Environmental Specialist provides technical and operational support to the Department’s Border Programs Unit, facilitating binational environmental initiatives across the Arizona-Sonora border.

Key responsibilities:

• Maintain and troubleshoot air quality monitoring stations in Nogales and San Luis Río Colorado, in Mexico, conducting environmental research, and performing technical analyses across air quality, water quality, and waste management domains.
• Support U.S. and Mexico stakeholder communications, data collection, and regulatory reporting to ensure operational continuity and program efficacy.
• This position will require frequent travel across the U.S.-Mexico border.

This position may be available for remote work within Arizona (3 days per week in the office/hoteling).

The State of Arizona strives for a work culture that affords employees flexibility, autonomy, and trust. Across our many agencies, boards, and commissions, many State employees participate in the State’s Remote Work Program and are able to work remotely in their homes, in offices, and in hoteling spaces. All work, including remote work, should be performed within Arizona unless an exception is properly authorized in advance.

• Binational Environmental Program Support: Provides technical and administrative support to Border Programs staff collaborating with U.S. and Mexican government partners. Assists with gathering environmental information, preparing meeting materials, documenting action items, maintaining information needed to support binational environmental commitments and program activities.
• Environmental Research and Technical Analysis: Conducts research and technical analysis across air quality, water quality, and waste management domains along the Arizona-Sonora border. Compiles, evaluates, and summarizes environmental data, technical reports, and regulatory information to support program recommendations and decision-making.
• Air Quality Monitoring Operations and Maintenance: Performs operation and maintenance (O&M) for ADEQ air quality monitoring stations in Nogales and San Luis Río Colorado, in Mexico. Conducts station inspections, routine maintenance, troubleshooting, and repairs in coordination with Mexican technical staff and contractors, ensuring continuous data collection and documentation.
• Environmental Project Support: Assists Border Programs staff in executing department, binational, and federally funded environmental projects. Tracks schedules, deliverables, and records, while gathering information to identify and resolve routine project issues.
• Technical Reports and Public Coordination: Drafts and compiles sections of technical reports, project plans, presentations, fact sheets, and public communications. Ensures accuracy, completeness, and proper record-keeping for reporting requirements and stakeholder communications.
• Stakeholder and Public Support: Provides technical and logistical support during engagements with government agencies, contractors, community representatives, and the public, in the U.S. and Mexico. Prepares informational materials and routes complex policy inquiries to appropriate subject matter experts.
• Program Information and Institutional Knowledge: Organizes and maintains program records, operational procedures, and technical reference materials. Improves accessibility and preserves institutional knowledge regarding air monitoring operations and unit activities.

KNOWLEDGE

• Federal, state, and environmental regulations, policies, and quality assurance principles applicable to air quality, water quality, and waste management.
• Operational mechanics, routine maintenance, troubleshooting, and data collection protocols for ambient air quality monitoring equipment.
• Professional English and Spanish language conventions pertinent to technical, interagency, and cross-border environmental communications.

SKILLS

• Executing environmental research, data analysis, and technical report writing.
• Performing field inspections, preventive maintenance, troubleshooting, and documentation associated with air quality monitoring equipment.
• Bilingual communication (written and verbal in English and Spanish) with government representatives, contractors, consultants, and other stakeholders.

ABILITIES

• Apply environmental science principles and regulatory frameworks to analyze environmental data and resolve complex technical issues.
• Collaborate effectively within multidisciplinary, binational teams and build professional relationships across diverse agency stakeholders.
• Manage multiple project priorities independently, adapt to field and office work environments, and ability to conduct official state business travel across the U.S.–Mexico border.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university in environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental planning, natural resources, chemistry, biology, or another closely related field.
• Two years of experience in environmental science, environmental regulations, environmental policy, environmental monitoring, or a closely related field.
• Arizona driver's license.
• Language Requirement: Bilingual proficiency in English and Spanish required, sufficient to communicate effectively both orally and in writing in professional, technical, and operational settings.
• This position will require frequent travel across the U.S. -Mexico border.

If this position requires driving or the use of a vehicle as an essential function of the job to conduct State business, then the following requirements apply: Driver’s License Requirements.

All newly hired State employees are subject to and must successfully complete the Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify).

Among the many benefits of a career with the State of Arizona, there are:
· 10 paid holidays per year
· Accrual of sick and annual leave beginning at 12 and 13 days per year respectively for full-time employees
· Paid Parental Leave-Up to 12 weeks per year paid leave for newborn or newly-placed foster/adopted child (pilot program).
· A top-ranked retirement program with lifetime pension benefits
· A robust and affordable insurance plan to include medical, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability
· An incentivized commuter club and public transportation subsidy program
· We promote the importance of work/life balance by offering workplace flexibility
· We offer a variety of learning and career development opportunities

By providing the option of a full-time or part-time remote work schedule, employees enjoy improved work/life balance, report higher job satisfaction, and are more productive. Remote work is a management option and not an employee entitlement or right. An agency may terminate a remote work agreement at its discretion.

Learn more about the Paid Parental Leave program here. For a complete list of benefits provided by The State of Arizona, please visit our benefits page

ASRS Lifetime Benefits

Persons with a disability may request a reasonable accommodation such as a sign language interpreter or an alternative format by contacting HPO@azdeq.gov.

Requests should be made as early as possible to allow time to arrange the accommodation. The State of Arizona is an Equal Opportunity/Reasonable Accommodation Employer.