Minerals Regulatory Services #59090

Minerals Regulatory Services, #59090

Occupational Family: Natural Resources and Applied Sciences
Pay Band Range: 5 - 7

Concept of Work

This Career Group provides career tracks for mineral specialists who ensure safe, environmentally sound exploration and production of minerals in the following areas: surface and underground mines; gas wells and pipelines; oil wells; metal, non-metal, sand and gravel mines; or, reclamation of coal and mineral mines; abandoned coal and orphaned mineral land sites. Employees perform duties ranging from entry level inspections to executive management. Mine Inspectors require specialized certification (Code of Virginia §45.1-161.20 or 45.1-161.292:11).

Roles Comprising This Group

These roles describe the collective characteristics of the work performed by employees in the Mineral Regulatory Services Career Group. These roles define the typical career paths for mineral specialists who pursue careers such as inspectors, reclamation or mines specialists.

Although all of these occupations are mineral specialists, each warrants a separate career track. Each of these career paths requires different knowledge, skills, and abilities and may not naturally lead to the other for career progression. However, a role for each of these occupations represents different levels of work, or career progression. Career paths may exist within a single role, extend to other roles in this Career Group, or to roles in other occupationally related Career Groups.

PAY BAND	PRACTITIONER ROLES	ROLE CODE	MANAGEMENT ROLES	ROLE CODE
5	Minerals Specialist I	59091
6	Minerals Specialist II	59092	Minerals Manager I	59093
7			Minerals Manager II	59094

Role Descriptions

These roles are distinguished based upon the Compensable Factors of Complexity, Results, and Accountability and are used for position classification. These factors should be used for classification and compensation analysis. Recruitment and selection standards must be based on knowledge, skills, and abilities as indicated in the Employee Work Profile.

Minerals Specialist I	Code: 5909	Pay Band: 5	SOC: 29-9011*
The Mineral Specialist I role provides career tracks for mineral specialists performing entry level to working supervisory responsibilities. The role allows career progression as technical specialists that enforce laws and regulations or as supervisors. The first career track is for technical specialists who provide technical assistance/consultation in ventilation, roof control, electrical, geology, hydrology, engineering, agronomy, ecology, biology, botany, fish and wildlife, endangered species, and small mine services. The second career track is for employees that continue to enforce laws and regulations while assuming responsibility for staff supervision or providing project/team leadership in reclamation programs.
Minerals Specialist I (Consultant)
COMPLEXITY	Applies in-depth knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to oil and gas, mineral or coal mining, or reclamation. Applies knowledge of mineral extraction and associated technologies. Enforces laws and regulations within a region or statewide. Conducts inspections; reviews or evaluates permits, plans, or applications; investigates complaints, accidents, fatalities, incidents, and illegal operations; takes enforcement actions; provides expert witness testimony; provides complaint resolution or mediation services; and coordinate closure activities. May provide grant management services, health, safety or reclamation training, safety talks and/or conduct formal/informal safety meetings. Frequent contact with federal, state or local government officials, private organizations or the general public to provide technical assistance and consultation, make presentations, or exchange information. May require certification.
RESULTS	Appropriate enforcement action and consultation ensures primacy of Federal programs; public safety, property integrity, and minimizes adverse impact to water, soil and air quality. Appropriate enforcement action minimizes adverse impacts to worker health and safety.
ACCOUNTABILITY	Makes independent decisions regarding notices of violation or closure orders. Has complete decision making authority during mining emergency situations.
Minerals Specialist I (Supervisor)
COMPLEXITY	Applies in-depth knowledge of federal and state laws and regulations pertaining to reclamation. Applies knowledge of mineral extraction and associated technologies. Enforces laws and regulations within a region or statewide. Supervises reclamation staff and provides project team leadership.
RESULTS	Appropriate enforcement action ensures primacy of Federal programs; public safety, property integrity, and minimizes adverse impact to water, soil and air quality. Appropriate reclamation enforcement action minimizes adverse impacts to worker health and safety. Supervisory actions and decisions impact the ability to achieve program goals and objectives.
ACCOUNTABILITY	Ensures frequency of inspections, reviews orders, conducts conferences and informal hearings, and monitors for quality of inspections or technical services. Provides supervision or leadership to staff.

These two roles provide a dual career track for mineral specialists.

Minerals Specialist II	Code: 59092	Pay Band: 6	SOC: 29-9011*
Minerals Manager I	Code: 59093	Pay Band: 6	SOC: 11-9121*
The Mineral Specialist II role provides career tracks for supervisors responsible for coal or mineral mining programs and direct supervision of staff responsible for enforcing mineral extraction laws and regulations. May conduct informal hearings; inspect mineral extraction operations; manage serious injury and fatality investigations; and recommend new and revised policies and regulations.
Minerals Specialist II
COMPLEXITY	Applies in-depth knowledge of federal and state mining laws and regulations. Applies knowledge of mineral extraction and associated technologies. Responsible for enforcement of laws and regulations within a region or statewide. Confers with staff to ensure frequency of inspections and reviews closure orders or notices of violation to ensure compliance with laws. Frequent contact with federal, state or local government officials, private organizations and the general public to provide technical assistance and consultation, make program presentations, and exchange information. Specialized certification (Code of Virginia § 45.1-161.20 or 45.1-161.292:11) is required.
RESULTS	Review of enforcement actions ensures consistency and primacy of Federal programs; public safety, property integrity, and minimizes adverse impacts to water, soil and air quality. Supervisory actions and decisions impact the ability to achieve program goals and objectives and impact a broad range of health and safety situations. Decisions relating to surface and underground mine safety significantly and directly impact worker safety and often involve approving operational methods to correct problems involving unique circumstances.
ACCOUNTABILITY	Ensures frequency of inspections, reviews orders, conducts conferences and informal hearings, and monitors for quality of inspections or technical services. Provides supervision or leadership to staff.
Minerals Manager I
The Mineral Manager I role provides career tracks for managers responsible for one or more regional or statewide programs such as mineral mining, energy, coal inspection and enforcement, or abandoned mine land reclamation.
COMPLEXITY	Applies knowledge of laws, rules and regulations governing mineral or coal mining extraction operations and methods, conservation and reclamation. Provides expert witness testimony when advanced knowledge of laws and regulations is required. May apply knowledge of sediment structures, water conveyance and geo-technical design or energy conservation principals and methods. Manages regional or statewide programs. Assists in resolving technical situations of unusual complexity or sensitivity. Represents the organization in technical studies, meetings, study panels, committees, or interdisciplinary teams. Serves on national policy making boards. Frequent contact with federal, state and local government officials, private organizations and the general public to provide technical assistance and consultation, make presentations or discuss program issues. May conduct informal/formal fact-finding conferences or hearings.
RESULTS	Ensures safe and environmentally sound exploration and production of minerals and the quality of customer service. Accurate and consistent application of laws and regulations contributes to environmentally sound economic development of minerals. Ensures consistency and accuracy of policies, and procedures and the agency’s strategic plan; evaluating program activities to recommend changes in processes, laws, regulations, and other programs and procedures to improve customer service and conform to industry changes; and reviews and edits documents to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.
ACCOUNTABILITY	Responsible for the direction of staff, budgets, and program activities. Independent decision-making responsibilities regarding program implementation.

Minerals Manager II	Code: 59094	Pay Band: 7	SOC: 11-9121*
The Mineral Manager II role provides career tracks for executive-level managers who serve as Deputies responsible for all mineral extraction within the Commonwealth. Employees provide direction, policy interpretation and coordination for new or changed programs, goals, processes and strategic plan development; develop legislative proposals and advise the Director concerning the budget impact of proposed legislative changes; and render final agency decisions for regulatory programs.
COMPLEXITY	Applies knowledge of laws, rules and regulations governing mineral or coal mining extraction, gas and oil operation and methods, environmental quality and reclamation. Responsible for planning and providing overall direction for multiple operations and program areas. Frequent contact with federal, state, local government officials, legislators, cabinet members, industry executives, citizen and special interest groups to represent the agency's position, negotiate terms, provide status reports or study findings. Frequent contact with boards, committees, and at public hearings and media coverage to provide information.
RESULTS	Impacts major programs that affect economic development, environmental quality, worker and citizen safety and health, the development of comprehensive state policies, laws, regulations and the delivery of services.
ACCOUNTABILITY	Manages major statewide programs and support services to promote and regulate environmentally sound development of minerals, gas and oil, and geothermal resources. Leads state policy development for mineral conservation, extraction, and mine safety.

*Statistical Reporting

This Career Group includes, but is not limited to, those in the following Standard Occupational Classifications:

11-9121	Natural Sciences Managers
19-1031	Conservation Scientists
29-9011	Occupational Health & Safety Specialists

History

Previous class titles (listed by new role title).

Minerals Specialist I

CLASS CODE	CLASS TITLE	GRADE
74083	Oil and Gas Assistant Inspector	12
82174	Reclamation Enforcement Assistant Manager	13
74061	Mine Inspector	14
74062	Coal Mine Technical Specialist	14
82175	Reclamation Program Manager	14

Minerals Specialist II

CLASS CODE	CLASS TITLE	GRADE
74063	Mine Inspector Supervisor	15

Minerals Manager I

CLASS CODE	CLASS TITLE	GRADE
82169	Reclamation Services Manager	15
82483	Mines, Minerals & Energy Division Director	16
82179	Reclamation Chief Engineer	16

Minerals Manager II

CLASS CODE	CLASS TITLE	GRADE
82481	Deputy Director/Mines, Minerals and Energy	20