Principal Environmental Scientist

Salary/Pay Plans

The salary listed is Step 1 in a structured pay plan. At 6 months of employment with the District, the salary will increase to Step 2: $137,274.54. At 18 months, the salary will increase to Step 3: $144,523.60. There are 9 total steps for TAM 18 of the pay plan (view full pay plan). These increases are based on service time in the job classification and require a 'Meets Standard' performance rating.

Original Entrance - Introduction

This examination is open to all candidates, both internal and external, who meet the minimum requirements.

Applications will be accepted only during the designated filing period for this examination. The opening and closing dates of the filing period are listed in this announcement. Applications must be filed by the following method:

Submitted online through the District's Online Employment Center at www.districtjobs.org. Applications must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. Central Time on the closing date in order to be considered.

The deadline for filing an application will not be extended due to any unavailability of the District's Online Employment Center. The District will not be liable for the Online Employment Center being unavailable for any period of time, and it is the sole responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application form is completed and submitted in a timely manner. Therefore, it is recommended that applications be submitted early in the filing period.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure that the application form is completed and submitted in a timely manner by the method described above.

Descriptions and dates of education, experience and any required license or certification should be very clear so that it is understood exactly how the applicant meets the minimum requirements. Prospective employees will be required to provide documentation of the required education, experience and licensure/certification upon employment. Falsification of a material statement in an application may constitute grounds for rejection of the application, exclusion from the examination, removal from the eligible list, or discharge of an employee from his or her position in the Classified Service.

Minimum Requirement Date: The minimum requirements for this examination must be met by the qualification date listed in this announcement.

Residency Requirement: There is no residency requirement to participate in the examination; however, all District employees must be domiciled within the boundaries of the District within six months of successful completion of probation. (The District is in Cook County, Illinois, covering approximately 90% of the county area.)

Veterans' Preference: In Original Entrance examinations, five points for Veterans' Preference will be added, in accordance with the District statute, to the scores of those candidates who attain a passing score in all phases of the examination. Information regarding the periods of eligible service, the documentation needed to file a claim and Veterans' Preference claim forms can be obtained through the District's website, by clicking here, or requested at the test site.

Probationary Period: The probationary period for this classification is one year (250 days worked).

Hiring and Employment Objectives: The Metropolitan Water Reclamation District of Greater Chicago is committed to hiring and employment practices that base employee selection on a candidate's knowledge, skill and ability to perform effectively on the job; provide equal employment opportunity to all applicants; prohibit the entry of political reasons or factors and other improper considerations into any stage of the selection and hiring processes; and create a transparent, honest and fair hiring system.

An Equal Opportunity Employer M/F/D

Reasonable accommodation for individuals with disabilities will be made in accordance with applicable laws. Requests for testing accommodations are to be made within one week after the close of the filing period. For information regarding accommodation for individuals with disabilities, phone (312) 751-5170 (voice) or (312) 751-5916 (TTY).

Original Entrance - Examination

Duties: Under general direction, carries out or supervises applied research projects of varied scope in relation to wastewater treatment processes and oversees environmental monitoring activities.

Minimum Requirements: A master's degree in water resources sciences, environmental engineering, environmental sciences, microbiology, bacteriology, biology, soil science, or agronomy from an accredited college or university. Ten years of experience in the fields of wastewater and sludge treatment technologies, biosolids management, analytical microbiology or water quality monitoring, including one year at a supervisory level. Substitution: Related graduate study above the master's degree may be substituted for the required non-supervisory experience on a year-for-year basis.

Examination: The examination will consist of an oral test, including a written exercise, weighted 100%. Candidates must achieve a passing score to have their names placed on the eligible list.

The oral test will assess candidates' knowledge, skill and ability in areas such as wastewater process evaluation and research; project management principles; managing resources and forecasting future needs; mentoring, developing, and managing personnel; and written and oral communication.

Examination Process: All applicants will be advised by email if they have been admitted to the examination process. Applicants who do not receive a response to their application by Thursday, November 6, 2025 should contact the Employee Selection Office at (312) 751-5100.

ORAL TEST: The tentative dates for the oral test are Friday, November 14 and Saturday, November 15, 2025. Candidates will be informed by email of the exact date, time and place of the oral test.

The use of books, study guides, cell phones, tablets, smartwatches, laptops or other aids during the test is prohibited.

Original Entrance - Appointments

Appointments will be made from an eligible list with three categories: A (Exceptionally Well Qualified), B (Well Qualified) and C (Qualified). Candidates in the highest category will be given first consideration for appointment. This examination is also being given on a Promotional basis. In instances where both Original Entrance and Promotional eligible lists result from an examination process, it is the District's practice to appoint only from the Promotional eligible list until all names from that list have been considered. The eligible list has a duration of three years. Appointment is subject to successfully passing a physical examination, a drug test and a criminal history background investigation.