Senior Water Quality Specialist, Grade N26, Montgomery County, MD Department of Environmental Protection

Job Title: Senior Water Quality Specialist, Grade N26
Organization: Montgomery County Government – Department of Environmental Protection
Location: 2425 Reedie Drive, 4^th Floor, Wheaton, Maryland 20902
Job Type: Full-Time | Permanent | Local Government

Salary Range: $87,235 to $140,274

About the Position
The Montgomery County Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) is the lead agency in Montgomery County dedicated to assessing stream health and water quality, and this position will lead efforts covering a broad range of monitoring that assess the water in our streams throughout the County, including assessments of the biological community, stream structure, water flow, and water chemistry testing.  We invite you to join our team as we strive to meet water quality standards and ensure the long-term health of our watersheds.

We are seeking an experienced and enthusiastic water quality professional to lead the Countywide water quality monitoring programs, supervise a dedicated water quality monitoring team, and serve as the County’s subject matter expert on surface and ground water quality, aquatic ecology, and monitoring. In this leadership role, the Senior Water Quality Specialist will ensure compliance with Municipal Separate Storm Sewer Systems (MS4) permit requirements (Assessment of Controls), Special Protection Area (SPA) monitoring and reporting regulations, deliver high-quality data and analysis for watershed assessments and planning, manage contracts and grants, and collaborate across agencies and with the public to advance water quality goals.

This position is responsible for managing the Countywide stream monitoring, Special Protection Area (SPA), Restoration, and Special Project monitoring programs, including coordination of all elements needed to meet federal, state, and local regulatory requirements and supervision of staff for associated monitoring, data analysis, and report preparation.

Minimum Qualifications 

Experience: Five (5) years of experience in stream water sampling and data analysis including water chemistry, flow and toxics data for baseflow and storm flow conditions; and bioassessment protocols for streams and rivers (particularly fish and macroinvertebrates) and assessment of stream habitat conditions; one year of which was in a lead worker or supervisory capacity.

Education: Bachelor’s Degree in biology, aquatic ecology, limnology, natural resources management, environmental science or a related field from an accredited college or university.

Equivalency: An equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted.

License: Possession and maintenance at all times of a valid Class “C” (or equivalent) driver’s license from the applicant’s state of residence.

Medical Exam: This position requires successful completion of a pre-employment medical evaluation (Core Exam), which includes a physical examination.

How to Apply: To view the full job announcement and submit your application, please click on the following direct link: Senior Water Quality Specialist, Grade N26.

Job Number: 2026-00336.

Application Deadline: This recruitment closes on June 19, 2026.

Resources: Please visit the Montgomery County Office of Human Resources’ WORK4MCG website, which offers a wealth of useful information.  There, you can explore job openings, learn how to search for and apply for positions, get tips on resume preparation, and find details about our competitive salaries and excellent benefits.