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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Environmental Compliance Analyst

💰 $60,000 - $90,000

EnvironmentalComplianceEHSSustainabilityRegulatory Affairs

🎯 Role Definition

We are seeking an Environmental Compliance Analyst to ensure company operations meet federal, state, and local environmental regulations and internal EHS policies. The ideal candidate will manage permitting, conduct compliance audits and inspections, coordinate environmental monitoring and sampling programs, prepare regulatory reports (e.g., TRI, air and wastewater reports, GHG inventories), lead corrective action plans, and serve as the primary technical liaison with regulators and external consultants. This role requires a proactive problem-solver with strong regulatory knowledge (EPA programs, state agencies), excellent communication skills, and experience supporting ISO 14001 or other Environmental Management Systems (EMS).

Key SEO and LLM keywords: Environmental Compliance Analyst, environmental regulations, permits, EPA, RCRA, CERCLA, NEPA, ISO 14001, SPCC, TRI reporting, GHG inventory, environmental monitoring, compliance audit, environmental permitting, sustainability reporting.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • Environmental Technician or Environmental Specialist with 1–3 years of site-level compliance experience
  • EHS Coordinator focusing on operational compliance and monitoring
  • Regulatory Affairs Specialist or Laboratory Technician with environmental sampling background

Advancement To:

  • Environmental Compliance Manager or EHS Manager
  • Senior Environmental Specialist or Regulatory Affairs Manager
  • Director of Environmental Health & Safety, Sustainability Director

Lateral Moves:

  • Environmental Remediation Project Manager
  • Sustainability Analyst or Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Manager
  • Permitting Specialist or Incident Response Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conduct comprehensive facility and field compliance audits and inspections against federal, state, and local environmental statutes and permits (e.g., Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, RCRA, CERCLA), documenting findings, prioritizing issues, and developing detailed corrective action plans with timelines and responsible parties.
  • Manage environmental permitting lifecycle: evaluate permit applicability, prepare and submit permit applications and renewals, negotiate permit conditions with regulators, track permit expiration and renewal deadlines, and maintain an auditable permit inventory.
  • Prepare, compile, and submit regulatory reports including Toxic Release Inventory (TRI), National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) reports, air emissions inventories, hazardous waste manifests, RCRA biennial reports, and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reports; ensure accuracy, completeness, and timely electronic filing with agencies and reporting portals.
  • Design and manage environmental monitoring and sampling programs for air, wastewater, stormwater, and soil to support compliance and due diligence; write sampling plans, coordinate field sampling with internal teams and external laboratories, review chain-of-custody and lab analytical results, and interpret data to determine regulatory significance.
  • Lead incident response and environmental investigations for spills, non-compliances, or potential releases: coordinate immediate containment and remediation, notify regulators per permit and statute requirements, prepare written incident reports, and track corrective actions to closure.
  • Develop, implement, and maintain Environmental Management System (EMS) components such as procedures, operational controls, internal audit programs, and management review processes to support ISO 14001 certification or similar frameworks.
  • Evaluate facility operations and capital projects for environmental impacts to ensure regulatory compliance during design and construction phases; provide compliance input to engineering, operations, and facilities management to minimize permitting risk.
  • Maintain and update environmental compliance documentation and records management systems, ensuring all permits, monitoring data, laboratory reports, inspection checklists, training records, and correspondence are organized and retained per regulatory retention policies.
  • Track regulatory changes and emerging environmental legislation at federal, state, and local levels; interpret regulatory requirements, perform gap analyses, and recommend policy or operational changes to ensure continued compliance.
  • Conduct environmental risk assessments and compliance risk ranking to identify high-priority compliance issues, quantify potential liabilities, and support executive decision-making on mitigation and resource allocation.
  • Coordinate and oversee third-party consultants and contractors performing environmental assessments, remediation, sampling, modeling, or permitting; manage scopes of work, technical reviews, budgets, and deliverables to ensure quality and regulatory defensibility.
  • Develop and deliver training programs for operations and maintenance staff on regulatory obligations, permit requirements, hazardous materials handling, spill response, stormwater pollution prevention (SWPPP), and waste management practices to reduce compliance incidents.
  • Prepare and present technical regulatory materials, compliance status updates, and remediation progress reports to internal stakeholders and senior management, translating technical data into clear, actionable recommendations.
  • Support environmental due diligence for real estate transactions, mergers, and acquisitions by coordinating Phase I/II Environmental Site Assessments (ESAs), reviewing historical environmental records, and summarizing potential environmental liabilities and permit transfer requirements.
  • Maintain waste management programs including hazardous and non-hazardous waste classification, accumulation area inspections, manifest tracking, minimization strategies, and disposal vendor oversight to ensure proper cradle-to-grave handling and documentation.
  • Implement and maintain stormwater compliance programs including SWPPP development, Best Management Practices (BMPs), visual monitoring, and quarterly/annual reporting required under NPDES stormwater permits.
  • Perform air emissions calculations, source testing coordination, and maintain records for Title V or state air operating permits; support Stack Testing, continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) data reviews, and compliance with emission limits and control device performance.
  • Coordinate chemical inventory and storage programs, including Safety Data Sheet (SDS) management, secondary containment checks, SPCC plan updates, and risk-reduction measures for hazardous materials storage and transfer operations.
  • Lead corrective action implementation and closure for environmental findings from internal audits, external inspections, or regulatory enforcement actions; prepare responses to Notices of Violation (NOVs) and consent decrees in coordination with legal and regulatory affairs.
  • Utilize GIS, environmental databases, and compliance tracking software to map regulated features, accumulate monitoring results, and maintain auditable records; develop dashboards and KPIs to communicate environmental performance.
  • Support cross-functional sustainability initiatives, greenhouse gas accounting, and corporate environmental reporting (e.g., CDP, sustainability reports), ensuring alignment between operational compliance and broader sustainability goals.
  • Ensure procurement and vendor management integrates environmental compliance expectations, including supplier audits, contractual clauses for environmental performance, and verification of disposal/recycling vendor credentials.
  • Participate in public meetings, community outreach, and regulatory negotiations as the company’s environmental representative, preparing technical materials and responding to stakeholder questions in a professional, transparent manner.
  • Maintain an up-to-date, prioritized remediation and corrective action tracker, including estimated costs and timelines, to support budgeting and capital planning for environmental projects.

Secondary Functions

  • Support ad-hoc data requests and exploratory data analysis.
  • Contribute to the organization's data strategy and roadmap.
  • Collaborate with business units to translate data needs into engineering requirements.
  • Participate in sprint planning and agile ceremonies within the data engineering team.
  • Assist in preparing environmental budget estimates and monitor spending for compliance programs and contractor services.
  • Provide technical support for cross-department projects requiring environmental expertise (e.g., process modifications, new equipment installations).
  • Support continuous improvement by recommending process changes to reduce compliance risk and improve operational efficiencies.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • In-depth knowledge of U.S. environmental regulations and programs: Clean Air Act (CAA), Clean Water Act (CWA), RCRA, CERCLA/Superfund, NEPA, and state/local permitting regimes.
  • Permit writing and permitting strategy: ability to prepare, review and submit permit applications, renewals, and regulatory correspondence.
  • Environmental auditing and inspection techniques, including development of audit checklists and corrective action tracking.
  • Environmental monitoring, sampling plan development, field sampling coordination, chain-of-custody procedures, and familiarity with laboratory QA/QC.
  • Regulatory reporting expertise: TRI, NPDES, Title V, RCRA manifests, GHG inventories, and other electronic reporting systems (e.g., EPA NetDMR, E-Manifest).
  • Environmental Management Systems (EMS) knowledge, including ISO 14001 frameworks and internal audit processes.
  • Data analysis and visualization: advanced Excel, data validation, trend analysis, and experience with compliance tracking databases or CMMS; familiarity with SQL, Python, R, or BI tools (Power BI, Tableau) is a plus.
  • Spill prevention and emergency response planning (SPCC plans, contingency plans) and incident investigation methodologies.
  • Familiarity with environmental modeling, fate and transport concepts, air emissions calculations, and stack test interpretation.
  • GIS skills for mapping regulated features, monitoring locations, and environmental receptors.
  • Contract and vendor management experience for remediation contractors, labs, and waste disposal vendors.
  • Knowledge of sustainability frameworks and corporate reporting standards (GHG accounting, CDP, GRI) preferred.
  • Competency with MS Office suite and document control systems; experience with compliance management software (e.g., Enablon, Intelex) is advantageous.

Soft Skills

  • Strong written and verbal communication skills: ability to prepare clear regulatory submittals, technical reports, and executive summaries.
  • Project management: prioritize multiple compliance tasks, manage timelines, and deliverables across site and corporate stakeholders.
  • Analytical thinking and problem solving: interpret complex regulations, analyze monitoring data, and develop pragmatic solutions to compliance challenges.
  • Attention to detail and high level of accuracy in recordkeeping and reporting.
  • Interpersonal and stakeholder management: ability to liaise effectively with regulators, operations, contractors, and community stakeholders.
  • Adaptability and resilience: handle regulatory inspections, unexpected incidents, and changing compliance requirements with composure.
  • Ethical judgment and compliance mindset with strong commitment to environmental stewardship and safety.
  • Training and coaching: ability to develop and deliver effective compliance training to operational teams.
  • Negotiation skills for interfacing with regulators and managing third-party contracts.
  • Initiative and continuous improvement orientation: proactively identify risks and implement process enhancements.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

  • Bachelor's degree in Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Geosciences, Chemistry, Biology, or a closely related technical field.

Preferred Education:

  • Master’s degree in Environmental Management, Environmental Engineering, or related discipline.
  • Professional certifications such as Certified Hazardous Materials Manager (CHMM), Certified Environmental Professional (CEP), ISO 14001 Lead Auditor, or NEBOSH/OSHA certifications are advantageous.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Environmental Science
  • Environmental Engineering
  • Chemistry
  • Geology
  • Biology
  • Sustainability/Environmental Policy

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range: 3–7 years of progressively responsible environmental compliance experience supporting industrial, manufacturing, energy, or large commercial facilities.

Preferred:

  • 5+ years of hands-on experience managing permits, environmental monitoring programs, and regulatory reporting in a regulated industry.
  • Demonstrated experience leading remediation projects, interfacing with federal/state environmental agencies, and supporting EMS/ISO 14001 certification efforts.
  • Experience with digital compliance tools (e.g., Enablon, Intelex), GIS mapping, and electronic reporting portals (NetDMR, EPA E-Reporting).
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