DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS

Job Description - DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS (417210)

Job Description

DIRECTOR OF ENVIRONMENTAL INSPECTIONS

Job Number:

417210

Description

JOB ANNOUNCEMENT

Director of Environmental Inspections

Department of Environment

Bureau of Environmental Inspections and Permitting

Number of Positions: 1

(Additional vacancies possible pending budget approval)

Starting Salary: $85,548.00 annually

Applications for this position will be accepted until 11:59 pm CDT on August 7, 2026.

Under direction, the class is supervisory in nature, overseeing the work of staff engaged in conducting compliance inspections of industries covered by the Environmental Protection Act and related city ordinances; and performs related duties as required.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES

• Manages Solid Waste/Recycling and environmental related complaint inspections for businesses in the City of Chicago.
• Oversees and assigns field inspection/code enforcement, facility inspections and demolition inspections.
• Oversees the day-to-day operations of the unit and manages a staff of Senior Environmental Inspectors, Environmental Investigators and Environmental Engineers, including general Human Resources related issues such as time off requests, daily expectations and annual performance reviews.
• Sets goals for the units and assigns tasks as needed to accomplish these goals.
• Reviews surveys and detailed inspection reports of a broad variety of sites (e.g., property development, industrial, waste disposal) for compliance with environmental protection laws and agreements with Illinois Environmental Protection Agency.
• Reviews site evaluation reports summarizing findings of environmental inspections and assessments.
• Directs covert surveillance activities in response to complaints of environmental hazards caused by air and noise emissions and illegal waste disposal.
• Assigns scheduled, complaint and emergency inspections to staff and ensures they are conducted in a timely and thorough manner.
• Directs the inspection of industrial and demolition sites to ensure public safety standards are adhered to.
• Develops operating procedures and work standards to ensure inspections are conducted in a thorough and efficient manner.
• Oversees the issuance of citations to violators ensuring violations are sufficiently detailed and explained.
• Assists staff in the conduct of comprehensive or complex inspections and prepares reports of findings.
• Serves as a liaison with other city departments, governmental agencies and business regarding environmental ordinances and on joint inspections.
• Oversees staff training on the conduct of inspections and environmental code compliance.

Additional duties may be required for this position.

Location: 2160 W. Ogden, Chicago, IL 60612

Days: Monday through Friday

Hours: 8:30 AM to 4:30 PM

THIS POSITION IS EXEMPT FROM THE CAREER SERVICE

Qualifications

Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience conducting environmental inspections, of which two (2) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position,

OR

graduation from an accredited college with an associate degree, PLUS three (3) years of progressively responsible experience conducting environmental inspections, of which two (2) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position,

OR

graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree or higher, PLUS one (1) year of progressively responsible experience conducting environmental inspections, of which two (2) years are in a supervisory role related to the responsibilities of the position.

Licensure, Certification, or Other Qualifications

• A valid State of Illinois driver''s license is required

• Must be certified as an inspector by the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency within one (1) year of hire

SELECTION REQUIREMENTS

This position requires applicants to successfully complete an interview which will include a written exercise and/or skills assessment as part of the interview. The interviewed candidate(s) possessing the qualifications best suited to fulfill the responsibilities of the position, based on the oral and written parts of the interview will be selected.

For Information on our employees benefits please visit our benefits website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/city/en/depts/fin/benefits-office.html

For Information on our salary and title structure visit our classifications website at:

https://www.chicago.gov/content/dam/city/depts/dhr/supp_info/JobClassification/2025_Classification_and_Pay_Plan.pdf

APPLICATION EVALUATION: Initial evaluation will be based on information provided on the application and the documents submitted. Department of Human Resource staff will review applications after the final posting date. Staff will follow any and all required Employment/Hiring Plan provisions, federal, state and local laws, and Collective Bargaining Agreements when applicable. Staff will apply hiring preferences as required by the municipal code. Placement on an eligibility list is not an offer or guarantee of an interview nor employment with the City of Chicago.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY: To further our commitment to hiring applicants with diverse experience the City of Chicago has adopted the following ordinances 2-74-020 and 2-74-075. The ordinances provide a preference to applicants who meet minimum qualifications and who are veterans of the Armed Forces, and/or residents of Socio-Economically Disadvantaged Areas (SEDA) and/or Chicago Public School (CPS) high school graduates to be referred to departments for consideration. These hiring preferences do not apply to bidders, as Collective Bargaining Agreements define the hiring process for bidders. For positions covered by a collective bargaining agreement, bidders will be considered before external candidates. To learn more about our hiring practices click here.

ALL REFERENCES TO POLITICAL SPONSORSHIP OR RECOMMENDATION MUST BE OMITTED FROM ALL APPLICATION MATERIALS SUBMITTED FOR CITY EMPLOYMENT.

The City of Chicago is an Equal Employment Opportunity, Military Friendly, and Fair Chance Employer.

City of Chicago

Brandon Johnson, Mayor

Job Posting

: Jul 24, 2026, 10:30:00 AM |

Closing Date (Period for Applying) - External

: Aug 8, 2026, 10:29:00 AM

BU: 10 | Salary: $85,548.00

Pay Basis

:Yearly