Environmental Protection Specialist

Are you looking for a role that offers variety, collaboration, and the opportunity to make a meaningful impact every day? Join our team as an Environmental Protection Specialist, where you'll work alongside environmental professionals, facility personnel, and operational units across Fort Benning to ensure compliance with environmental regulations while promoting environmental stewardship and workplace safety.

This position offers a unique blend of field work, training, problem-solving, relationship building, and administrative program management. No two days are the same. You'll have the opportunity to learn multiple environmental compliance programs, conduct inspections across a wide variety of facilities, provide training and guidance, and collaborate with stakeholders throughout the installation.

As this position will support the IGSA with Fort Benning, candidates will be required to successfully obtain a Common Access Card (CAC) to access government network. As the process to obtain a CAC is led by the federal government and can be a lengthy process, the candidate’s probationary period may need to be extended to allow this requirement to be met. If the candidate is unable, the candidate may be terminated for failing to meet this minimum requirement.

Candidates are required to upload cover letters with their applications.

What You'll Do

As part of a collaborative environmental compliance team, you will:

• Conduct environmental site surveys, inspections, assessments, and compliance evaluations to verify proper management of regulated environmental concerns at facilities and operational units.
• Provide technical guidance and regulatory support to stakeholders regarding environmental compliance requirements, best practices, and corrective actions.
• Develop and implement environmental compliance programs to maintain adherence with federal, state, local, and organizational regulations.
• Identify compliance risks and recommend effective control measures to prevent violations and improve environmental performance.
• Prepare periodic, annual, and comprehensive assessment reports documenting inspection findings, compliance status, and corrective action recommendations.
• Maintain detailed environmental compliance databases, including inspection records, facility information, points of contact, regulatory documentation, and reporting requirements.
• Evaluate operational processes and proactively recommended solutions to enhance environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and workplace safety.
• Design, coordinate, and deliver environmental training programs to educate personnel on regulatory requirements and best practices.
• Participate in hazardous materials and environmental emergency response activities, including spill response, cleanup coordination, incident documentation, and regulatory reporting.
• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to resolve environmental issues and ensure compliance with applicable environmental regulations and policies.

Key Accomplishments

• Manage an annual workload of over 580 environmental inspections and compliance assessments across Hazardous Waste Management Plan (HWMP), Hazardous Material (HM), Storage Tanks Management (UST/AST) MCoE Staff Inspection Program (SIP), Spill Prevention Control and Countermeasures (SPCC), Industrial General Permit (IGP).
• Support continuous compliance with RCRA, SPCC, UST/AST, Industrial General Permit, and Hazardous Materials/Waste Management Requirements.
• Deliver environmental compliance instruction and technical guidance to facility personnel, improving regulatory awareness and environmental stewardship.
• Identify environmental compliance deficiencies and implement corrective actions that reduced violations and strengthened program effectiveness.

Why This Role Is Unique

This position provides the opportunity to:

• Work across a wide variety of facilities, operations, and organizations throughout Fort Benning.
• Gain experience in multiple environmental compliance disciplines rather than focusing on a single specialty area.
• Balance field inspections, stakeholder engagement, technical consulting, training, and administrative responsibilities.
• Build relationships with diverse teams while serving as a trusted environmental resource.
• Make a direct impact on environmental stewardship, regulatory compliance, and mission readiness.

Level I:

• High school diploma or equivalent plus 4 years of experience
• Associate’s degree plus 2 years of experience
• Bachelor’s degree

• High school diploma or equivalent plus 6 years of experience
• Associate’s degree plus 4 years of experience
• Bachelor’s degree plus 2 years of experience

• High school diploma or equivalent plus 8 years of experience
• Associate’s degree plus 6 years of experience
• Bachelor’s degree plus 4 years of experience

Successful candidates will thrive in a team environment and be able to:

• Manage a high-volume inspection and assessment workload across multiple environmental compliance programs.
• Communicate effectively with personnel at all levels of the organization.
• Translate complex environmental regulations into practical guidance and actionable solutions.
• Deliver engaging training and technical assistance that improves compliance awareness and performance.
• Use strong organizational skills to maintain accurate records, reports, and compliance documentation.
• Demonstrate initiative in identifying issues, recommending improvements, and implementing corrective actions.

• Life-Changing Impact: Our work changes lives through research, instruction, and outreach, making a lasting impact on our students, our communities, and the world.
• Culture of Excellence:We are committed to leveraging our strengths, resources, collaboration, and innovation as a top employer in higher education.
• We’re Here for You:Auburn offers generous benefits, educational opportunities, and a culture of support and work/life balance.
• Sweet Home Alabama:The Auburn/Opelika area offers southern charm, vibrant downtown scenes, top-ranked schools, and easy access to Atlanta, Birmingham, and the Gulf of Mexico beaches.
• A Place for Everyone: Auburn is committed to fostering an environment where all faculty, staff, and students are welcomed, valued, respected, and engaged.
• Ready to lead and shape the future of higher education? Apply today! War Eagle!