Air Pollution Permitting Program Manager

[Dleg]

Please feel free to send me a personal message through this forum if you have any questions you would like to ask before contacting Ms. Fuller. I am currently "acting" in this position, but we need someone permanent to really get it going.

Also, please note the "no federal income tax" statement - this makes the lower salary range quite a bit more attractive, plus you get to live on a tropical island...

CNMI Division of Environmental QualityManager, Clean Air Branch

Challenge yourself with an exciting opportunity to develop a permitting program in a Pacific Island community from the ground up. Build the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands new air emissions control program; a fully federal-compliant, Clean Air Act-based program.

The CNMI Division of Environmental Quality is looking for a highly motivated individual with both a background in science or engineering and an aptitude for management to build the permitting program over the next 2-3 years. The chosen candidate will be responsible for the start-up and operation of the entire permit program, under recently approved regulations, and will be responsible for performing and mastering the following tasks and skills:

- application review and permitting

- sophisticated computer modeling to verify application data

- air pollution chemistry & emissions calculations

- inspection and knowledge of various processes and equipment

- monitoring air quality and pollutant emissions

- enforcing regulations and permit conditions

- management/mentoring of staff

- preparation of program operating plans and budget

- reporting to DEQ Director and U.S. EPA

- training staff and outreach to the public

The successful candidate will have a B.S. in engineering or a related science and excellent written and verbal communication skills. Experience in compliance or regulation under the Clean Air Act is preferred, and program management experience is also a plus.

Please visit www.deq.mp.gov for a full position description and application instructions. Salary $40,000+, depending on experience (please note that federal income tax is not applied in the CNMI). Additional benefits negotiable. For more information about the program and position, contact Kate Fuller at [email protected].

 

[Dleg]

Still trying to fill this position!

Seriously, the number one qualification for filling this position is that you be willing to move to a remote tropical island for a few years. It's so hard to find someone who is willing to move, that I would consider almost anyone with a decent technical background.

And it's not like it's that big of a deal to do so - I moved out here in 1995 with nothing but 10 boxes of personal effects in the mail, and I've had a blast. Despite my complaints you may read here on this forum here and there, quality of life is actually very good here, and so far it has more than made up for whatever frustrations may be associated with my job.

Move here, and you may never want to leave....

 

[Capt Worley PE]

I think 40K may be a big holdup, too. Even with no fed tax, it isn't really attractive.

Just my .02.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

What is the cost of living there? I.e., how much is a nice 3Bed/2Bath house, how is the cable/high-speed internet infrastructure, are groceries more expensive, etc.?

 

[GulfCoastCivil]

How much is daycare?

 

[Dleg]

Whew! Sorry... puff puff.... kind of breathless here..... this is more attention than we have gotten yet on this position!

I think the salary could go up for an engineer or qualified scientist, but chances of getting anything higher than $50k is pretty small - that's the current salary cap for general gov. employees. But that's about the same as making $65k in the states, considering taxes. Not terrible for someone just a few years out of school.

A decent 2br apartment around here can run $600 to $1000. Many are available with tremendous views. Room with someone (like I used to ) and you can get into a "luxury" apartment for $1400 or so, with pool and hot tub etc.

High speed internet is standard these days, either cable or DSL (the DSL is run by the phone company and is very reliable - cable not as much). I pay about $100 per month for phone and DSL, and another $40 for cable TV (55 channels or so - no premium pay channels for me). Really, our telecommunications infrastructure is outstanding for an island - fiberoptic line to Guam, and from Guam to the world - all privatized and very efficiently run (I wish i could say the same for our power and water utility)

Groceries are more expensive, and it can be hard to find fresh items like milk, beef, vegetables and fruits you may be used to in the states. That can be a shock, but you get used to it. There are local items that are fresh, like tuna and other fish, local bananas, basic vegetables & Asian items. There are also bakeries and plenty of fresh bread, but probably not quite in the gourmet varieties you may be used to.

Child care is in a state of transition now. US Immigration will be taking over from our local Immigration system this year (thanks Nancy Pelosi, you ^&&$!), and how that will change things remains to be seen. Up until now, most of us with kids just hire a foreign worker as a live-in housekeeper and nanny. It used to cost just $300 a month for that, but US Minimum wage was also recently applied by Nancy ^*$# Pelosi, and it is now over $500, and increasing every year (unless your child has a disability, in which case it remains at the old rate of $300). But La Immagracione will end that altogether in about 2 years, they say. But there are day care businesses around, and from what I understand, they run about $350 a month.

Public schools are not that great either, but there are good private schools.

So what I am saying, I suppose, is that this place is a better deal if you are single or without kids.

On the positive side of things, the weather is fantastic - we're in the Guinnes Book of World Records for having the "most equitable" climate in the world, which means the daily temperatures change the least year-round, always right around 85 degF. The only difference is the humidity and rain. Rainy season runs from July through October, and it can feel hot during that time. Winter is beautiful - dry and breezy and sunny.

There's tons to do for outdoors and fitness enthusiasts. SCUBA diving is fantastic - that becomes an obsessive hobby for many who move here. World-class deep sea fishing is available if you have the cash or a boat. Snorkling, kayaking, and general beach-going is also great. Many of our beaches are empty every day. There are very active triathlon clubs, outrigger canoe clubs, baseball and softball leagues, and adult soccer (yes you can play against other countries in FIFA tournaments - we're so small anyone can get on the "national" team. And of course lose miserably). And my favorite weekly activity, the local Hash House Harriers running club - run through the jungle and then drink beer around a bonfire on the beach.

There's also a 7-screen movie theater, two McDonald's, Three Subways, Pizza Hut, KFC, Taco Bell, Price Costco (smallish compared to mainland Costcos), and a lot of great locally-owned restaurants. There are several resort hotels with great restaurants, beach bars, and water parks (Japanese, Korean, and Russian tourists are our main market).

And, provided you get out and meet people through the activities listed above, you can have a college-like social life, because all of the "expats" who come here are professionals and share similar interests, so making deep, long-lasting friendships is easy - believe me, coming from California where hardly anyone would talk to me outside of work, this place has been a social boon for me.

Many people who move here stay for their 2 year contract and then move on with fond memories. A small but significant percentage of people end up staying long-term because they have such a good time, and don't want to go back to the rat race and the mundaneness of mainland life.

So that's my sales pitch - I will not attempt to fool anyone into expecting things will be perfect here. Far from it - there are aspects to life here that are incredibly frustrating and inconvenient (unreliable power and water, for example, but a good apartment will have all that covered with backup generators, storage tanks, and pumps). But the good parts of life, and the overall slow-paced, relaxed, and happy atmosphere more than make up for that, in the minds of some of us, at least.

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Got any openings for electrical-type folks?

 

[Dleg]

Not in my agency, but perhaps at our utility. Do you want me to check?

 

[wilheldp_PE]

Not in my agency, but perhaps at our utility. Do you want me to check?

Nah. It sounds like a beautiful place, and I would definitely consider it if the salaries were a bit higher (I would have to be on the high end of your range to match my current situation, and I don't have the experience to justify it). But I am in the process of building a new house, so the timing kinda sucks. If that house deal falls through, I may be contacting you, though.

 

[Dleg]

The utility pays more, if you have the right experience (diesel power generation, distribution). Not sure how much, but historically they have been exempt from the salary cap, and have paid engineers more - but I won't kid you, they are really screwed up right now. But the good news is they know they are screwed up, and are pretty desperate for help. On the water/wastewater side of things, they are under federal order to hire engineers. But the electircal side is just locally screwed up - too many outages last year, which had the population at near-riot angry - so if you have experience in rehabilitating and maintaining large diesel gensets (8 MW each), you would be a hot commodity.