The City of Palo Alto's Watershed Protection Group has an exciting opportunity for an Industrial Waste Investigator or Inspector to work in the Fats, Oil, and Grease (FOG) Program.

• 
  Are you looking for a job that gets you out in the field and away from a desk?
• Do you want a position that makes a difference in protecting our environment?
• Do you desire a position that allows you to work independently and manage your own workplan?

The position of INDUSTRIAL WASTE INVESTIGATOR/INSPECTOR works with restaurants and other food facilities (e.g. hotels, businesses and religious institutions) to ensure that their disposal of fats, oils and grease (FOG) is in compliance with standards and is kept out of the City's sanitary sewer and storm drain systems. This is done through review of construction plans and projects, onsite inspections of grease control devices, outdoor storage, and refuse areas and investigation of infrastructure system overflows.
The INDUSTRIAL WASTE INVESTIGATOR/INSPECTOR should have the communication skills to engage and gain cooperation with all levels of the public including building contractors, restaurant owners and line cooks. The ability to build rapport and foster buy-in over compliance will be key to this position's success. The successful applicant will demonstrate the maturity and work ethic to independently manage a workplan to continuously adjust inspection priorities as well as the attention to detail to maintain a database with notice dates and enforcement data. This position provides an exciting opportunity to begin an in-demand and well-compensated career path.
Position Overview
This position may be filled as either an Investigator or Inspector, depending on the level of qualifications of the candidate.

• To be hired as an Investigator, a candidate must have significant related experience as well as leadership and project/task management skills.
• For the Inspector position, a candidate must exhibit some of the skills necessary for this position and show a willingness to learn and train in all necessary skills to be promoted to the Investigator level once deemed ready by their supervisor.

To see the full job description, click the respective position below.
Industrial Waste Investigator: $104,936 - $128,856 Annual Salary Range
Industrial Waste Inspector: $93,413 - $114,691 Annual Salary Range

The Watershed Protection Group is part of the Public Works–Environmental Services Division and is recruiting an Industrial Waste Investigator/Inspector to help manage the FOG Program. The Watershed Protection Group is charged with protecting water quality in local creeks and the San Francisco Bay and works with industry, businesses, and residents to reduce pollutants entering surface waters via the sanitary sewer and storm drain systems. The program operates a stormwater pollution prevention program, an industrial wastewater pretreatment and regulatory compliance program for the Regional Water Quality Control Plant (a wastewater treatment plant serving Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Los Altos Hills, East Palo Alto Sanitary District, and Stanford), a recycled water program, and develops and implements innovative pollution prevention policy and public outreach programs.

Under the supervision of the Stormwater Compliance Manager, the Industrial Waste
Investigator/Inspector will provide daily oversight of the FOG Inspection Program, which will involve:

• reviewing construction plans of planned food facilities,
• conducting inspections of existing food facilities and those in construction,
• approving grease control device installations during site visits,
• developing and maintaining inspection schedules,
• and investigating sanitary sewer system overflows in coordination with the City's
  Utilities Department.

Responsibilities may include oversight of groundwater dewatering during construction projects, response to illicit discharges, and miscellaneous support for the Stormwater Compliance Program as needed.

This position is expected to continuously improve the FOG Program with new best management practices (BMPs), updated processes, procedures, and program components, and the development of outreach materials to businesses and residents. This person will serve as the FOG subject matter expert in the Watershed Protection Group but will also be called upon to be well-versed in other inspection types, including, but not limited to, illicit discharges and stormwater construction BMPs. In addition, this position may be asked to develop and implement programs and projects to meet new regulatory requirements and City needs with support from the Stormwater Compliance Manager and other team members.
Applicants are encouraged to apply early as screenings and interviews will begin as soon as posting requirements are met and a sufficient applicant pool is found.

Essential Duties

Essential Duties:
Essential and other important responsibilities and duties may include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Have knowledge of and understanding of relevant City, County, State, and Federal codes and regulations as well as relevant City documents.
• Conduct FOG, groundwater dewatering, and illicit discharge inspections and ensure compliance with the City, County, and State codes and regulations.
• Communicate requirements in a clear, effective, and professional manner to food facility owners, managers, employees, architects, contractors, residents, and City staff.
• Conduct enforcement as needed per City’s Enforcement Response Plan and City, County, and State codes and regulations. Ensure sites remain in compliance. Actions may include warning letters, notices of violations, administrative citations, and compliance agreements.
• Track and analyze enforcement data and provide reports per request.
• Provide close oversight of all aspects of the FOG Program. Identify improvements needed and make recommendations using data, best practices, and examples of success at other locations.
• Closely review construction plans and ensure compliance with all requirements.
• Provide expert guidance to contractors, architects, property owners, tenants, and others as needed.
• Inspect food facilities under construction as needed and ensure all requirements are met before providing final approval.
• Maintain FOG inspection database, ensure all entries are accurate and up-to-date, and suggest and make improvements to the database when possible.
• Continuously adjust inspection priority of food facilities per criteria and as needed. Make recommendations to adjust criteria when data and information show that changes are needed.
• Develop and improve Program and database components as needed to provide an excellent FOG Program.
• Keep abreast of local, regional, state, and federal regulations and updates.
• Draft and review municipal code and ordinance changes. Implement new requirements through new program components and new materials.
• Develop reports, analyses, memos, spreadsheets, and other items as needed.
• Participate in interdepartmental efforts and meetings as a subject matter expert or member of the Stormwater Compliance Team.
• Attend relevant County, regional and other meetings as City representative.
• Assist in developing outreach materials to different audiences, including property owners, tenants, employees, residents, and other members of the public.
• Conduct other stormwater inspections and tasks as needed to support the Stormwater Compliance Team.

IDEAL CANDIDATE/SKILLS

The following skills and experience are highly important and necessary for both positions to excel. Inspectors may have less or no leadership skills and/or less experience as compared to an Investigator:

• Exceptional team member with leadership skills and ability to work independently most of the time; Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including communicating regulatory and technical language to non-experts and gracefully and effectively managing all types of personalities;
• Knowledge of or willingness to learn (and clearly communicate to others) regulatory requirements, municipal codes, best practices, and construction plan review;
• Capable of developing and maintaining relationships with various types of stakeholders, including food facility owners, managers, employees, architects, contracts, residents, and City staff;
• Ability to develop and improve upon enforcement documents, technical and regulatory reports, program materials, standard operating procedures, etc.;
• Willingness to continuously learn new material and increase current knowledge of various technical subjects;
• Ability to obtain compliance at all types of sites with collaboration, innovation, creativity, and excellent customer service;
• Comfort with using best professional judgment as needed and making decisions with incomplete information;
• Knowledge of and willingness to continually improve in using Microsoft Excel, Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Teams, and other Microsoft applications; cloud-based inspection software, GoogleEarth, and basic use of ESRI Geographic Information Systems; and
• Ability, willingness, and flexibility to effectively manage a variety of tasks that may change from time to time or frequency dependent on various uncontrollable reasons.

Minimum Qualifications

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:
INVESTIGATOR
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which would typically be acquired through:

• Possession of a bachelor’s degree in environmental science or other applicable science curricula. Four years of relevant experience may be used as equivalent to the degree.
• Two years of experience in the FOG or water quality field, which may include inspections, regulatory enforcement, or other related work.

INSPECTOR
Sufficient education, training and/or work experience to demonstrate possession of the following knowledge, skills, and abilities which would typically be acquired through:

• Possession of an Associate’s degree in environmental science or other applicable science curricula. Four years of relevant experience may be used as equivalent to the degree.
• Two years of experience in the FOG or water quality or a related field, which may include inspections, regulatory enforcement, or other related work.

Special Requirements:

• Possession of a valid California Driver's License.

Working Conditions/Physical Requirements:
Frequent travel from site to site; exposure to FOG and other pollutants; some exposure to dust and noise; some heavy lifting, standing, climbing; work in inclement weather conditions. This position will spend a considerable part of their workdays conducting inspections or other tasks by themselves. Although this position serves as part of the Stormwater Team and will receive support as needed, there is no other FOG staff. Thus, this position must be able to work well independently.

Vaccination Status: The City of Palo Alto recently implemented a COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires employees reporting to work onsite to be vaccinated or regularly tested. Upon your start date, you will be asked your COVID-19 vaccination status. If vaccinated, we will ask to see a copy of your vaccination card. A member of our Benefits team will explain the policy in more detail once onboarded.