NPDES Permit Writer (Natural Resource Specialist 3)

Initial Posting Date: 04/16/2026 Application Deadline: 04/30/2026 Agency: Department of Environmental Quality Salary Range: $5,453 - $8,345 Position Type: Employee Position Title: NPDES Permit Writer (Natural Resource Specialist 3) 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 NPDES Permit Writer (Natural Resource Specialist 3) 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 Water Quality Division has a critical role in achieving the Department’s mission by developing policy, implementation tools, and implementation priorities for improving and protecting the quality of water in Oregon’s waterways. The Water Quality Division works cooperatively with the Department’s three regional offices and the Laboratory to deliver programs and services that protect and enhance the quality of the waters of the state to protect public health and the environment. This position sits within DEQ’s Northwest Region’s Water Quality Source Control section. Regions provide the following services: compliance inspection of regulated entities; enforcement of permit requirements and administrative rules; issuance of air, water, and solid waste permits; investigation of complaints; issuance of subsurface permits in counties; response to spills or other incidents with environmental impacts; direct contact and liaison with other governmental entities, industries, and the public; and technical assistance to regulated entities and the public. 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 develop National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permits for major and minor sources that originate in any part of Oregon. You will solve difficult NPDES permit-related problems, such as developing strategies for compliance with water quality standards or discharges to water quality limited water bodies. 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 Qualif Apply tot his job Apply To this Job