Job Description

Requisition No: 856970 

Agency: Agriculture and Consumer Services

Working Title: ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT - 42005733

 Pay Plan: Career Service

Position Number: 42005733 

Salary: $55,000.00-$69,000.00 

Posting Closing Date: 08/04/2025 

Total Compensation Estimator 

ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTANT - 42005733

FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE AND CONSUMER SERVICES

OFFICE OF AGRICULTURAL WATER POLICY

***OPEN COMPETITIVE OPPORTUNITY***

CONTACT:

Yesenia Escribano - 850-617-1732, Yesenia.Escribano@fdacs.gov

WHO WE ARE

The Office of Agricultural Water Policy (OAWP) works with agricultural producers, industry groups, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the university system, and the Florida water management districts to develop and implement Agricultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) addressing both water quality and water conservation. Agricultural BMPs are practical, cost-effective actions that agricultural producers can take to conserve water and reduce the amount of pesticides, fertilizers, animal waste, and other pollutants entering our water resources. The office also works with other government entities and interested parties, as appropriate, to represent the Department/OAWP in a wide range of water resource related programs, projects, activities, rules and regulations.

WHAT WE DO

The FDACS OAWP develops and helps implement BMPs; agricultural regional projects; agricultural water quality and water supply policy and planning; administration of cost-share programs for the implementation of BMPs; BMP research and demonstrations; providing mobile irrigation lab services; and providing data and technical assistance to producers, stakeholders, and state agencies. The office also assists in the coordination and implementation of the Department’s water policy and participates directly in many water resource areas including programs, projects and rule development.

WHAT YOU WILL DO

This highly technical environmental position, reporting directly to the Chief of Policy Planning and Coordination, assists in the coordination and implementation of FDACS’ south Florida water policy including the Everglades Forever Act (EFA) provisions, other ecosystem and Everglades restoration efforts, and water management operations. You will serve as the local policy liaison to the South Florida Water Management District (SFWMD) and other State agencies, federal agencies, local governments, stakeholder groups, and other interested parties. You will participate directly in many water resource activities affecting agriculture adjacent to and/or south of Lake Okeechobee including rulemaking, regulatory issues, projects, programs and operations. This position coordinates closely with the Northern Everglades Estuary Protection Program (NEEPP) coordinator who is responsible for these activities north of Lake Okeechobee. While you will be part of a collaborative team, you should feel comfortable establishing relationships with OAWP field services and cooperating agency staff independently. You are expected to be able to represent the core mission, directives, and goals expressed by the agency, as well as any of the FDACS Commissioner’s office initiatives. As an Environmental Consultant within the Policy Planning and Coordination section, you will be responsible for variety of assignments and will be expected to:

• Coordinate with federal, state, local governments, and other entities on behalf of FDACS regarding water-supply, water-quality and regulatory issues affecting affect agriculture adjacent to Lake Okeechobee and southward. Participate in assigned boards, councils, committees, project teams, working groups and tasks force. Represent OAWP at SFWMD Governing Board Meetings. Summarize information from meetings and relay key issues, analyses and recommendations to OAWP leadership.

• Participate and track efforts related to active CERP Project Delivery Teams (PDT) such as the Biscayne Bay and Southeastern Everglades Ecosystem Restoration (BBSEER) project, CERP Restoration Coordination and Verification (RECOVER) Team, Northern Everglades and Estuaries Protection Program (NEEPP), South Florida Ecosystem Restoration Task Force (SFERTF), SFWMD / USACE Operations, and other Non-CERP Restoration Projects. Participate, and track efforts related to existing operational schedules such as the Lake Okeechobee System Operating Manual (LOSOM) and operational planning PDTs.

• Identify and summarize for leadership policy developments or proposals with the potential to affect agriculture in assigned region. This includes, but is not limited to, water supply and quality restoration plans, flood protection, Lake Okeechobee system operations, Everglades ecosystem restoration initiatives, applicable Florida Administrative Code changes, land use and conservation plans, and other local government ordinances or actions.

• Review and comment on technical documents related to groundwater and surface-water modeling, water-supply and water-quality improvement projects, and ecological restoration. Ensure agricultural water demand, water quality, and drainage needs are addressed. Evaluate methodologies to estimate nutrient loading, nutrient reductions, nutrient fate/transport, flood protection, water conservation, and sea level rise.

• Collect, analyze, and provide FDACS data related to BMP Program enrollment, agricultural production, acreage and water use, and water-quality impacts to partners and stakeholders including relevant data interpretation. Monitor agricultural land use changes and ensure accurate updates in FDACS datasets. Utilize these datasets in technical meetings with partners.

• Utilize Geographic Information Systems (GIS) such as ArcPro and MS-Office Excel to summarize and analyze environmental datasets (land use, permitting info, water quality monitoring, etc.). Utilize Teams to share documents and coordinate multi-user document review and comment integration. 

• Performing other work-related tasks, as required.

THE DIFFERENCE YOU WILL MAKE

You will be a vital component in assisting OAWP leadership to develop program policy in response to legislation, water policy issues, water quality restoration plans, ecosystem restoration projects and water supply plans that impact the BMP program and Florida agricultural producers. You will also ensure that agricultural activities from enrolled producers, agricultural water use needs, and other information relevant to agricultural production in your District is considered in any regulatory plans or restoration projects intended to protect water resources that are developed by local, state, or federal agencies.

You will also indirectly impact the lives of Florida citizens by contributing to environmental stewardship, enhancing water quality, and aiding with water conservation.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES - INCLUDING UTILIZATION OF EQUIPMENT, REQUIRED FOR THE POSITION

• Knowledge of the Florida agriculture and water resources specifically in the South Florida Water Management District area.
• Knowledge of agricultural BMP practices and techniques in conservation, nutrient management, irrigation management and water resource protection.
• Knowledge of Florida statutes, policies and regulatory framework in areas related to water supply planning, water quality restoration, flood protection, and Lake Okeechobee and Everglades ecosystem restoration initiatives.
• Knowledge of CERP and Lake Okeechobee operations. Understanding of agency roles including FDACS, FDEP, USACE, SFWMD and familiarity with technical documentation such as project implementation reports, environmental impact statements, system status reports, and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) process.
• Knowledge of the terminology, principles, and analytical techniques of the physical or natural sciences, including surface water and groundwater hydrology.
• Skilled in technical input, review and interpretation of planning process modeling including model conditions assumptions, model operations assumptions, project feature assumptions, and evaluation of a wide variety of modeling results.
• Skilled in building collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders including state and federal agencies, consultants, working groups, boards, and local agricultural groups.
• Skilled in reading, interpreting, and providing expert-level comments on complex environmental and technical documents.
• Skilled in using MS Office Software (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe, ArcGIS software (ArcPro, or ArcGIS Online/Portal), and various modeling tools.
• Skilled in compiling, organizing, and analyzing data, preparing technical reports, creating presentations, and public speaking.
• Skilled in briefing varying levels of management and providing recommendations, facilitating discussions, and presenting technical information to a general audience.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external entities to implement management recommendations.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team environment to achieve goals.
• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
• Ability to use interpersonal skills and interact with the public in a professional manner.
• Ability to use independent judgement, critical thinking, and problem-solving techniques to effectively make decisions.
• Ability to manage multiple concurrent projects, shift priority as needed and meet tight deadlines with minimal supervision.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

A bachelor's degree in agricultural sciences, biological sciences, engineering, engineering sciences, environmental science, natural sciences, physical sciences, or environmental policy from an accredited university or college and two (2) years of experience working in environmental protection, water supply planning, water quality restoration, and or regulation to coordinate activities associated with implementing applicable laws, rules, policies, and procedures relating to section 403.067 and 373.709, Florida Statutes (F.S.); or  

A master’s degree in agricultural sciences, biological sciences, engineering, engineering sciences, environmental science, natural sciences, physical sciences, or environmental policy from an accredited university or college and one (1) year of experience as described above; or

Three (3) years of experience as an Environmental Specialist I or higher with the State of Florida working in verifiable related fields as described above; or

Three and a half (3.5) years of verifiable related experience as described above.

Requires possession of a valid Driver’s License.

ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS

Moderate travel with occasional overnight travel is required.

PAY RANGE

$55,000-$69,000

THE BENEFITS OF WORKING FOR THE STATE OF FLORIDA

Working for the State of Florida is more than just a paycheck. The State’s total compensation package for employees features a highly competitive set of employee benefits, which include:

• Annual and Sick leave benefits.
• Nine paid holidays and one Personal Holiday each year.
• State Group Insurance coverage options, including health, life, dental, vision, and other supplemental insurance options.
• Retirement plan options, including employer contributions. For more information, please visit .
• Flexible spending accounts.
• Tuition waivers.
• And more!

For a more complete list of benefits, visit  .

For an estimate of the total compensation package for this position, please visit the “Total Compensation Estimator Tool” located above under the “Posting Closing Date.”

***ATTENTION CANDIDATES***

To be considered for a position with the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services:

• All fields in the Candidate Profile must be completed (an attached resume is not a substitution for the information required on the candidate profile).
• Work history, duties and responsibilities, hours worked, supervisor, and formal education fields, etc. must be filled out to determine qualifications for this position.
• Responses to Qualifying Questions must be verifiable in the Candidate Profile.

The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services values and supports employment of individuals with disabilities. Qualified individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

NOTES

To maintain fairness and integrity in our hiring process, the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools to answer qualifying questions or participate in interviews is strictly prohibited. Applicants must provide their own, authentic responses during all stages of the evaluation and recruitment process. Any candidate found using AI to assist in their answers will be disqualified from consideration.

Successful applicant must pass a background screening, including fingerprinting, as a condition of employment.

SPECIAL NOTES:

The State of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action Employer, and does not tolerate discrimination or violence in the workplace.

Candidates requiring a reasonable accommodation, as defined by the Americans with Disabilities Act, must notify the agency hiring authority and/or People First Service Center (1-866-663-4735). Notification to the hiring authority must be made in advance to allow sufficient time to provide the accommodation.

The State of Florida supports a Drug-Free workplace. All employees are subject to reasonable suspicion drug testing in accordance with Section 112.0455, F.S., Drug-Free Workplace Act.

VETERANS’ PREFERENCE. Pursuant to Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, candidates eligible for Veterans’ Preference will receive preference in employment for Career Service vacancies and are encouraged to apply. Certain service members may be eligible to receive waivers for postsecondary educational requirements. Candidates claiming Veterans’ Preference must attach supporting documentation with each submission that includes character of service (for example, DD Form 214 Member Copy #4) along with any other documentation as required by Rule 55A-7, Florida Administrative Code. Veterans’ Preference documentation requirements are available by clicking here . All documentation is due by the close of the vacancy announcement. 

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