Job Information
State of Colorado ECMC Location Assessment Specialist (EPS II) in Denver, Colorado
ECMC Location Assessment Specialist (EPS II)
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ECMC Location Assessment Specialist (EPS II)
Salary
$74,604.00 - $90,000.00 Annually
Location
Denver, CO
Job Type
Full Time
Job Number
PHA 00182 04/2025
Department
Department of Natural Resources
Division
Energy & Carbon Management Commission
Opening Date
04/11/2025
Closing Date
5/1/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA
Determined by Position
Type of Announcement
This position is open only to Colorado state residents.
Primary Physical Work Address
1120 Lincoln Suite 801 Denver, CO 80203
FLSA Status
Exempt; position is not eligible for overtime compensation.
Department Contact Information
Patrick Warnes patrick.warnes@state.co.us
Salary Note
Although the full salary range for this position is provided, appointments are typically made at or near the range minimum.
How To Apply
Please submit an online application for this position at https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/colorado. Reach out to the Department Contact to apply using a paper application, including any supplemental questions. Failure to submit a complete and timely application may result in the rejection of your application. Applicants are responsible for ensuring that application materials are received by the appropriate Human Resources office before the closing date and time listed.
Description
Benefits
Questions
Department Information
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
Consider joining the dedicated people of the Colorado Department of Natural Resources. It’s our mission to manage and conserve Colorado’s natural resources for the benefit of people today – and tomorrow. That means we have to balance development with conservation so the state we all love provides similar opportunities for our children and their children.
We invite you to explore our website at https://dnr.colorado.gov/about-us to find out more about the work we do to manage Colorado’s natural resources for today – and tomorrow.
The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply.
In addition to offering rewarding, meaningful work, we offer:
Medical, Vision and Dental plans
Strong, flexible retirement plans including PERA (https://copera.org/welcome-pera-members/new-members) Defined Benefit Plan or PERA Defined Contribution Plan, plus pre-tax and Roth 401K and 457 plans
Paid life insurance
Short- and long-term disability coverage
Employee Wellness programs
Flexible Spending Accounts
Health Savings Accounts
11 paid holidays per year plus generous vacation and sick leave
Flexible work schedule options and remote-work options
Career advancement opportunities throughout the State system
Some positions may qualify for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (https://dhr.colorado.gov/dhr-resources/student-loan-forgiveness-programs)
For more detailed information, please visit State of Colorado Employee Benefits (https://dhr.colorado.gov/state-employees/state-of-colorado-employee-benefits)
About Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) (https://ecmc.state.co.us/about.html#/about) :
The mission of the Colorado Energy & Carbon Management Commission (ECMC) is to regulate the development and production of the natural resources of oil and gas in the state of Colorado in a manner that protects public health, safety, welfare, the environment and wildlife resources. Our agency seeks to serve, solicit participation from, and maintain working relationships with all those having an interest in Colorado's oil and gas natural resources.
The Planning and Permitting (P&P) Unit is responsible for reviewing all permit applications for the construction of oil and gas locations and wells pursuant to current ECMC Rules, mission, and the Oil & Gas Conservation Act (the Act), as amended by SB 19-181. Additionally, this Unit will also be responsible for reviewing permit applications for
emerging energy technologies, primarily in the areas of Carbon Capture and Sequestration (CCS) Class VI wells, deep geothermal, and underground natural gas storage per SB 23-285 and SB 23-16, signed May 23, 2023. The Location Assessment (“LA”; formerly “Oil and Gas Location Assessment” - OGLA) group within the Unit is specifically responsible for implementing rules related to the permitting of surface locations, with specialized expertise and attention required to ensure the protection of public health, safety, and welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources. The LA group performs rigorous technical reviews of surface permit applications, makes recommendations to the Commission, and participates in Commission hearings as Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Technical reviews frequently include consultation with operators, CPW, CDPHE, local governments, surface owners, and other stakeholders. The Permit/Completions group reviews all mineral development and other energy technologies from a downhole perspective, including reviewing spacing unit and pooling applications (as part of or independently from Oil and Gas Development Plan (OGDP) applications) to ensure the protection of correlative rights and the legal completion of wellbores. Their review of hearing applications, in particular, ensures compliance with the 500-series Rules, and includes technical review of any submitted geologic testimony. Both groups within the Unit are responsible for reviewing hearing applications related to the development of oil and gas and deep geothermal resources.
Description of Job
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
Position Summary:
The primary purpose of this position is to ensure that surface locations for oil and gas, Class VI (CCS), deep geothermal, underground natural gas storage, and stratigraphic well operations are permitted in compliance with all applicable rules and the ECMC’s statutory mandate to protect public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources.
This position exists to implement a process that provides for a thorough environmental review of OGDPs, Form 2A Location Assessments, and Comprehensive Area Plans (CAPs) under current ECMC rules for oil and gas, and surface siting for Class VI wells (CCS), deep geothermal, and underground natural gas storage operations upon promulgation of new rules, anticipated to take place throughout 2023 and 2024.
The LAS uses site-specific data to evaluate a proposed location’s potential to impact public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources. The technical review of an application and all supporting materials includes determining if the application complies with all applicable rules and regulations; conducting necessary consultation with various stakeholders (CPW, CDPHE, local government, etc.); reviewing all public comments received; developing site-specific best management practices (BMPs) and conditions of approval (COAs) to minimize and mitigate potential impacts; and preparing the Director’s Recommendation to the Commission.
The LAS then attends the hearing before the Commission, and may act on behalf of the Director to further support the Director’s Recommendation by answering questions from Commissioners or providing additional information regarding the technical review process. Additional work may include pre-application or mid-application site visits to verify the information in permit applications and confirm that adequate information was provided to accurately assess potential impacts to public health, safety, welfare and the environment and wildlife resources. The LAS may also participate in field inspections of constructed locations.
Primary duties include but not limited to the following:
OGDP, DGOP, CAP, and Form 2A Technical Review :
- Conducts the technical review of, develops site specific conditions of approval for, and recommends ECMC disposition of OGDPs and Deep Geothermal Operations Plans (DGOPs; pending rulemaking) including: Form 2A Location Assessments, Form 2B Cumulative Impacts Data Identification, and Form 2C OGDP Certification.
Conducts the technical review of and determines site specific conditions of approval for Comprehensive Area Plans (CAPs) covering large geographic areas with variability in terrain, population, habitat, and receptor sensitivities.
Conducts the technical review of and determines site specific conditions of approval for Class VI wells (CCS) locations, and deep geothermal and underground natural gas storage. Conducts site visits and “onsite” to ground truth information provided in applications and to facilitate the Form 2A consultation process with operators, relevant and proximate local governments, federal land managers, the State Land Board, CDPHE, CPW, public water system administrators, and surface owners.
Initiates and provides technical support for enforcement actions and determines appropriate level of enforcement.
Serves as Lead LAS and project manager for individually assigned OGDPs, CAPs, DGOPs, Class VI wells (CCS) locations, and underground natural gas storage locations, working with SMEs and other work groups and external consultation partners to synthesize input and evaluation into a cohesive analysis of the application.
As Lead LAS on a given application, this position is responsible for meeting the timeframes prescribed in the rules and standard operating procedures and must coordinate the input from other SMEs to meet those deadlines.
Director’s Recommendation and Hearing Participation:
Drafts the Director’s Recommendation to the Commission, which includes a summary of the technical review, any resource or impact concerns identified during the technical review, resolutions suggested or achieved through negotiations with the applicant, ongoing unresolved concerns, public comments and input from consultatory entities, and a statement of recommended approval or denial of the application.
Participates in Commission hearings as the technical SME responsible for the review and recommendation of the individual application; answers questions before the Commission and provides technical expertise during public hearings.
Determine which, if any, COAs should be recommended for inclusion by the Commission.
Offers suggestions and input to the Director to make the appropriate recommendation of approval or denial in the Director’s Recommendation.
Review Rule 502 variance requests for technical adequacy by analyzing supporting information and determining whether granting the variance would violate the intent of the Act and whether additional COAs are necessary.
Processing Forms 2, 4, 6, 15, 45 and others as needed:
Reviews Form 2 Applications for Permit to Drill (APDs, or “well permits”) to determine if the drilling of a new well, or a re-entry of an existing well, will impact proximate receptors such as people, surface water bodies, or wildlife.
Evaluates and processes operator requests for approval to make changes to existing oil and gas operations or locations via the Sundry Form 4, taking into consideration any potential impacts to public health, safety, welfare, the environment, and wildlife resources.
Evaluates Form 6 Notice of Intent to Abandon to determine if the proposed operations will impact nearby receptors; this assessment frequently includes consultation with CPW. Reviews Form 15 Pit Permit applications for potential impacts to nearby receptors, primarily groundwater, surface water, and wildlife.
Reviews Form 45 Construction Report and compares with approved Form 2A to ensure construction was compliant with the approved permit and all BMPs and COAs; communicates with Field Inspection Unit if evidence of a violation or non-compliance is discovered, and follows up with Enforcement Unit if necessary.
Guidance Writing and Forms Development:
Provides SME support to ECMC’s new Technical Documents Specialist (TDS) in the development and updating of technical guidance documents. Such documents include those published for use by the regulated community on the implementation and applicability of ECMC Rules, in particular certain Rules in 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 900, 1000 and 1200 Series as applicable to the location assessment process. Provides additional support to the Planning & Permitting Manager and/or Location Assessment Supervisor by suggesting content for or initial drafts of internal process documents such as checklists, SOPs, and training materials for new team members.
Recommends updates to existing electronic forms such as the Form 2A, and provides content support in the development of new forms. Creates mock-ups of new or improved data fields and associated coding business rules in order to effectively hand off the development of forms to ECMC’s Information & Technology Unit.
Beta tests new/updated forms to identify any ongoing bugs or errors, and communicates those to IT in order to resolve issues prior to the release of the forms for operator use.
Consultation and Rule Interpretation:
Acts as mediator during consultation activities between industry, CPW, CDPHE, local governments, public water system administrators, and surface owners. Ensures that consultation required by ECMC rules occurs, and negotiates the appropriate site-specific COAs for applications and permits.
Recommendations to the Commission which COAs suggested by CPW, CDPHE, local governments, public water system administrators, and landowners are appropriate and should be applied to a permit.
Acts as a point of contact for local governments by providing rule references and interpretations when a local permitting process is engaged prior to, concurrent with, or subsequent to, an ECMC permit process.
Participates as a subject matter expert in stakeholder meetings and additional rulemaking to describe and reference ECMC’s permitting process and associated rules.
Serves as a resource to complainants, surface owners, and other stakeholders by helping them understand ECMC Rules and Regulations and the applicable laws, and other available data.
Serves as an internal SME on certain topics as assigned by the Supervisor, in order to provide greater clarity and consistency to Staff both within the P&P Unit and beyond.
Other duties assigned.
Minimum Qualifications, Substitutions, Conditions of Employment & Appeal Rights
This posting is only open to residents of the State of Colorado at the time of submitting your application.
Minimum Qualifications:
Six (6) years professional work experience with oil and gas location analysis, oil and gas regulatory experience, environmental assessment experience or closely related direct work experience.
OR
Graduation from an accredited college or university with a bachelor's degree in Geology, Geological Engineering, Hydrogeology, Environmental Sciences or a closely related field,
AND
Two (2) years of professional work experience with oil and gas location analysis, oil and gas regulatory experience, environmental assessment experience or closely related direct work experience.
ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION SPECIALIST (https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B4enHpLSVk4eS2J3UDRZdm5Zc2c/view?resourcekey=0-RQS-gaRA2OhXjGHVih_0Lw)
Please note: The required experience must be substantiated within the work experience section of your application. Your resume will not be reviewed to determine if you meet the minimum qualifications; only the work experience section of your application will be reviewed to determine this. “See Resume” statements on the application will not be accepted. In addition, part-time work will be prorated.
Preferred Qualifications:
Current or former State experience relevant to this position.
Prior experience utilizing ECMC’s eForms system.
Public speaking or stakeholder engagement
Prior experience with Oil and Gas Location Assessments or other energy site assessments.
Surface or groundwater hydrology;
Geological hazards; Biological, soil, or wildlife resources;
Class VI wells; Carbon capture and/or sequestration; Direct Air Capture; Deep geothermal operations; Underground natural gas storage practices;
Cumulative impacts analysis; Air quality/emissions control and waste management;
Local government and land use planning; Environmental justice, equity, and community engagement;
Nuisance impact reduction (noise, light, odor, dust, traffic, etc.); Reclamation, topsoil, and stormwater;
Alternative location analysis;
Formal consultation processes (CPW, CDPHE, SLB, DRMS, BLM, USFWS, EPA, others);
Geographic information systems and mapping protocols;
Drone and aerial imagery.
Familiarity of ECMC rules and regulations.
Familiarity with COGIS (Colorado Oil and Gas Information System) database, and COGIS tools/reports.
Experience writing regulatory guidance documents and/or Environmental Assessment reports.
Solid experience and faculty with the use of computers and a variety of computer programs including but not limited to Google Suite, Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
Comfortable navigating web base programs and the use of interactive GIS maps and a database.
Conditions of Employment:
Colorado residency is required at the time of application.
A current & valid Driver's license is required for operating a state vehicle and occasional travel is anticipated.
Must be willing and able to travel with some overnight stays to meet with stakeholders and visit proposed or existing oil and gas locations
Must be willing and able to occasionally exert up to 20 lbs. of force to move objects
DNR does not provide visa sponsorship.
The current work arrangement for this position is as follows:
(Please note, this arrangement can be subject to change)
- This is a Remote/Hybrid position - Work is primarily performed from a home office, however the selected candidate will report to the office at 1120 Lincoln Street - Denver, CO periodically as well as other locations throughout the State for meetings, trainings and projects as directed by the supervisor.
Supplemental Information
APPEAL RIGHTS:
It is recommended that you contact the Human Resources Specialist listed below to resolve issues related to your possession of minimum qualifications. However, if you receive notice that you have been eliminated from consideration for this position, you may file an appeal with the State Personnel Board or request a review by the State Personnel Director.
An appeal or review must be submitted on the official appeal form, signed by you or your representative. This form must be delivered to the State Personnel Board by email (dpa_state.personnelboard@state.co.us), postmarked in US Mail or hand delivered (1525 Sherman Street, 4th Floor, Denver CO 80203), or faxed (303.866.5038) within ten (10) calendar days from your receipt of notice or acknowledgement of the department’s action.
For more information about the appeals process, the official appeal form, and how to deliver it to the State Personnel Board; go to spb.colorado.gov; contact the State Personnel Board for assistance at (303) 866-3300; or refer to 4 Colorado Code of Regulations (CCR) 801-1, State Personnel Board Rules and Personnel Director's Administrative Procedures, Chapter 8, Resolution of Appeals and Disputes, at spb.colorado.gov under Rules.
Supplemental Information
The Assessment Process
All applications received by the closing of this announcement will be reviewed by an HR Specialist against the Minimum Qualifications in this announcement.
Colorado Revised Statutes require that state employees are hired and promoted based on merit and fitness through a comparative analysis process. Part of, or all of, the comparative analysis for this position will be a structured application review by Subject Matter Experts.
Cover letter Requested -uploaded as an attachment to your online application.
Resume or CV Required - uploaded as an attachment to your online application.
Resumes and Cover Letter ARE REQUIRED with your application as it will be reviewed in later stages of the process. Be advised that resumes, cover letters and other attachments arenotconsidered as part of initial reviews, therefore, it is important todocument in your application your education, experience, minimum qualifications, and preferred qualifications as outlined in the job announcement.
Please thoroughly answer all supplemental questions (if listed) since question responses may be evaluated for content, writing ability, spelling, grammar, and effective communication.
This recruitment may involve additional testing and/or exams to arrive at the top group for interviews.
Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion
The State of Colorado believes that equity, diversity, and inclusion drive our success, and we encourage candidates from all identities, backgrounds, and abilities to apply. The State of Colorado is an equal opportunity employer committed to building inclusive, innovative work environments with employees who reflect our communities and enthusiastically serve them. Therefore, in all aspects of the employment process, we provide employment opportunities to all qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, medical condition related to pregnancy, creed, ancestry, national origin, marital status, genetic information, or military status (with preference given to military veterans), or any other protected status in accordance with applicable law.
The Department of Natural Resources is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, our agency will assist individuals who have a disability with any reasonable accommodation requests related to employment, including completing the application process, interviewing, completing any pre-employment testing, participating in the employee selection process, and/or to perform essential job functions where the requested accommodation does not impose an undue hardship. If you have a disability and require reasonable accommodation to ensure you have a positive experience applying or interviewing for this position, please direct your inquiries to our ADAAA Coordinator, at dnrhremployeebenefits@state.co.us
ADAAA Accommodations
Any person with a disability as defined by the ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) may be provided a reasonable accommodation upon request to enable the person to complete an employment assessment. To request accommodation, please contact our Benefits Specialist at dnrhremployeebenefits@state.co.us at least five business days before the date that any accommodation will be required to allow us to evaluate your request and prepare for the accommodation. You may be asked to provide additional information, including medical documentation, regarding functional limitations and type of accommodation needed. Please ensure that you have this information available well in advance of the assessment date.
E-Verify
DNR uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more aboutE-Verify (http://www.dhs.gov/e-verify) , including your rights and responsibilities.
Toll–Free Applicant Support - Technical Help
If you experience technical difficulty with the NEOGOV system (e.g. uploading or attaching documents to your online application) call NEOGOV at 855-524-5627, Mon-Fri between 6 am and 6 pm (Pacific Time). The Human Resources Office will be unable to assist with technical issues.
The State of Colorado offers permanent employees a variety of benefits including medical, dental, life and disability insurance, as well as a comprehensive leave program. Please click the following link for detailed information: www.colorado.gov/pacific/dhr/benefits
Please note that each agency's contact information is different; therefore, we encourage all applicants to view the full, official job announcement which includes contact information and class title. Select the job you wish to view, then click on the "Print" icon.
01
Current and former State Personnel System employees who were disciplinarily terminated, resigned in lieu of termination, or who were deemed to have resigned without notice (Board Rule 7-5, Automatic Resignation) must disclose this information on the application.
I am not a current or former State of Colorado classified employee.
I am a current or former State of Colorado employee but have NEVER been disciplinarily terminated, resigned in lieu of termination, or deemed to have resigned without notice (Board Rule 7-5, Automatic Resignation).
I am a current or former State of Colorado employee and have been disciplinarily terminated, resigned in lieu of termination, or deemed to have resigned without notice (Board Rule 7-5, Automatic Resignation). NOTE: Failure to disclose this information and/or falsification of Application materials may result in being removed from consideration for this position.
02
Former State employees who were disciplinarily terminated or resigned in lieu of termination must disclose this information on the application. In the space below, please provide an explanation as to why the prior termination or resignation should NOT disqualify you application from the current position:
03
If you are using education to meet or substitute for qualifications, did you upload a copy of your official or unofficial transcript? (Your transcript is required as verification that you meet the requirements).
Yes, I have attached my transcripts.
No, I am not using college course work to meet minimum requirements for this position.
Not Applicable
04
Did you upload your résumé and cover letter to this on-line application?
Yes
No
05
Part, or all, of the assessment for this position involves a review of the information you submit in your application materials. Please verify that you understand that the failure to include adequate information or attachments to your job application may affect your final score and/or prevent you from competing in any subsequent measures used to arrive at a top group of applicants.
Yes
No
06
The Colorado Constitution, Article XII, Section 13 requires that APPLICANTS for state classified government jobs be residents of Colorado at the time of application, unless this requirement is waived by the State Personnel Board (DPA). A residency waiver was not issued by DPA for this announcement. For more information, please see the FAQ's at: https://careers.colorado.gov/how-to-apply. Are you a current Colorado resident?
Yes
No
07
In a paragraph or two, tell us a) why you are interested in working for the ECMC and b) how your previous experience prepared you for the position?
08
Please describe any of the preferred qualifications that you may have. Statements such as "See application" will not be accepted in lieu of a response.
09
Describe your experience with and approach to communicating detailed technical information to a diverse audience, such as oil and gas operators, regulatory professionals, local governments, landowners and mineral owners, activist groups, trade groups, and the general public, including confrontational individuals or those with opposing views.
10
Describe your experience performing environmental assessments at oil and gas (or related) facilities.
Required Question
Employer
State of Colorado
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