Environmental Health Physicist

Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's (Berkeley Lab) Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS) Division is seeking an Environmental Health Physicist to join the Environmental Services Group (ESG) within the Environment, Waste and Radiation Protection (EWRP) Department. This role will plan, direct, and manage environmental radiation protection programs for the Laboratory under general direction from the Environmental Services Group Leader and EWRP Department managers. You will demonstrate broad technical knowledge across key radiological disciplines-including air emissions, wastewater discharges, biota and penetrating radiation, construction material release and disposal, and accelerator health physics-to develop and implement optimum solutions for complex radiological issues while balancing risk, institutional goals, and compliance with EPA and DOE regulations.

The EWRP Department plays a critical operational role in safeguarding the public, Lab personnel, and the environment across all research facilities and construction project sites. Working collaboratively with research and operations teams, you will provide essential health physics expertise, lead regulatory reporting and inspections, and design innovative approaches to address challenging radiological matters.

We're here for the same mission, to bring science solutions to the world. Join our team and YOU will play a supporting role in our goal to address global challenges! Have a high level of impact and work for an organization associated with 17 Nobel Prizes!

Why join Berkeley Lab?

We invest in our employees by offering a total rewards package you can count on:

• Exceptional health and retirement benefits, including pension or 401K-style plans
• Opportunities to grow in your career - check out our Tuition Assistance Program
• A culture where you'll belong - we are invested in our teams!
• In addition to accruing vacation and sick time, we also have a Winter Holiday Shutdown every year.
• Parental bonding leave (for both mothers and fathers)
• Pet insurance

You will:

• Manage and develop complex technical programs to maintain compliance with the organization's environmental radiation protection policies which capture requirements from federal, state, local laws and regulations and DOE Orders.
• Plan and manage environmental radiological programs, toward programmatic and project-established milestones.
• Develop cost effective approaches and practical solutions for environmental radiation protection regulations and risk that balances compliance requirements and institutional goals. Work directly with and garner support and acceptance from Laboratory management and staff using effective verbal and written communication skills. Resolve regulatory issues directly with appropriate agencies.
• Provide technical leadership for radiological decommissioning and environmental remediation projects.
• Develop monitoring and assessment strategies to assess radiological effluents resulting from radiation worker activities defined in Radiological Work Authorizations; document and submit for regulatory review as required. Investigate accidental releases from workplace activities, determine reporting requirements and perform necessary notifications to LBNL senior management, DOE and US EPA.
• Prepare and submit necessary environmental radiation protection reports and plans to DOE and US EPA.
• Maintain expert knowledge of environmental radiation protection requirements imposed by government agencies and obtain insight on legislative agendas at all governmental levels.

EPA National Emission Standard for Hazardous Air Pollutants (NESHAP) Radiological Program (30%)

Manage the NESHAP program to comply with EPA regulations in 40 CFR Subpart 61. Maximize coordination, alignment, integration between the Environmental Protection Team and other teams within the EWRP with compliance requirements for radiological facilities. The NESHAP program includes the following tasks:

• Calculate dose to the public (potential to emit) for planned work with radionuclides.
• Identify stacks that require sampling or monitoring for radionuclides.
• Manage the collection and analysis of stack emissions samples.
• Author, review and approve procedures and reports for stack sample collection and for sampling and monitoring equipment maintenance and development.
• Review, validate, and analyze radionuclide stack emissions data developing and implementing corrective action as needed.
• Calculate annual dose to the public from airborne radionuclide emissions using US EPA-approved software (such as CAP-88 and COMPLY).
• Prepare the annual Radionuclide Air Emissions report in accordance with US EPA requirements and DOE guidance.
• Track and document emissions measurement performance of NESHAP samplers in accordance with 40 CFR 61, Subpart H regulations.
• Track and document radiological work authorization compliance (including approving Class III Radiological Work Authorizations for NESHAP considerations) with 40 CFR 61, Subpart H regulations.
• Maintain the NESHAP Quality Assurance Program in accordance with the QA program plan.
• Provide health physics expertise and support to staff and researchers in planning, implementing, and analyzing dose to the public from airborne radionuclide emissions. *
• Work directly with DOE and US EPA to develop cost effective and innovative approaches to regulatory compliance.
• Lead regulatory inspections and audits.

DOE Environmental Radiological Protection Program (ERPP) (30%)

Manage the ERPP to comply with DOE Order 458.1, "Radiation Protection of the Public and the Environment", including the following tasks:

• Develop and maintain the Environmental Radiological Protection Program Plan (ERadPP) and associated procedures and other documents that implement DOE Order 458.1 requirements.
• Manage the collection, quality assurance, assessment, and reporting of real-time or passive dosimetry data demonstrating that dose to the public from external penetrating radiation is within public dose limits.
• Manage the Environmental ALARA Program to ensure that doses to the public and environment are kept as low as reasonably achievable.
• Manage the Biota Dose Assessment Program to ensure that doses to plants and animals are within the guidance of DOE-STD-1153-2019, A Graded Approach to Evaluating Radiation Doses to Aquatic and Terrestrial Biota.
• Manage radiological soil management and the indistinguishable from background processes to ensure proper management and disposal of soils, sediments, or other environmental media.
• Provide health physics expertise and guidance to environmental subject matter experts in groundwater, sanitary sewer, soil, sediment, vegetation and environmental remediation to ensure control and management of radionuclides in liquid discharges and protect drinking water and groundwater. Ensure and document operational compliance with DOE Derived Concentration Standards, EPA Maximum Contaminant Levels, and LBNL's EBMUD permit.
• Review, validate, and analyze sanitary sewer results for radionuclides.
• Prepare the annual Radioactive Compliance Limits certification for EBMUD every December 1st.
• Work with operational radiation protection staff to report results of radiological monitoring, surveys of cleared property, and independent verification results in the annual site environmental report.
• Prepare annual reports on radiological dose assessment and environmental monitoring for radiological air quality, vegetation and foodstuffs, and penetrating radiation in accordance with DOE Order 458.1.
• Maintain environmental radiological protection records in accordance with the Environmental Radiological Protection and Restoration Programs Records Management Plan.

Radiological Decommissioning and Environmental Remediation (15%)

• Develop and manage the LBNL DOE O. 458.1-compliant, radiological release and clearance program for construction-related materials, including soils, sediment, and sludge.
• Develop and implement optimal solutions to radiological assessments and remediation, effectively balancing risk and compliance with LBNL policies, and EPA and DOE regulations at LBNL's research facilities and construction project sites.
• Provide radiation protection leadership and direction for matters related to radionuclide behavior, radiological release and clearance, MARSSIM, MARSAME, and provide consultative direction to Facilities project radiological assessments.
• Author or review related technical documents such as work plans, sampling and analysis plans, final status survey plans, final status survey reports, etc.
• Approve contractor-provided project documents such as work plans, sampling and analysis plans, final status survey plans, final status survey reports, etc.
• Participate in and provide health physics expertise and guidance for conducting historical site assessments for project locations.
• Oversee, review, and approve the work of contract, project health physicists which support large scale Facilities projects. Develop and implement radiological characterization plans for the assessment of soil, sludge, sediment, and other construction-related materials.
• Review, validate, and assess radiological characterization data to determine appropriate disposal sites or reuse strategies.
• Provide technical direction to the management, professional, technical and support personnel within the EWRP Department on matters related to the radiological release and clearance of materials.

Radiological Protection Group (RPG) Support (15%)

Assist LBNL Radiation Protection Group with tasks such as reviewing and revising plans or procedures, authoring or peer reviewing technical basis documents, performing radiological hazard reviews, statistical or dose/risk evaluations, and or other speciality tasks as needed.

Radiological Monitoring Data Management (10%)

Manage and configure database management systems and other software applications to enter, transfer, organize and display environmental monitoring data including the following:

• Prepare or assist in the preparation of geospatial mapping of environmental data and graphical dashboards using ESRI ArcGIS software suite.
• Manipulate datasets to automate deliverables, such as reading/writing/transforming data between databases or geospatial representations using Feature Manipulation Engine and other programming languages/methods.

We are looking for:

Environmental Health Physicist Level 3:

• B.S. and 5 to 7 years of experience or M.S and 3 to 5 years of experience, or Ph.D. and 1 to 3 years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Possess a broad knowledge of theories, principles, and techniques in Environmental Health Physics, plus good working knowledge of related disciplines.
• Ability to work under consultative direction and provide solutions to a wide variety of difficult scope where analysis of data requires evaluation of identifiable factors.
• Ability to exercise judgment within generally defined policies and current regulations in selecting methods and techniques for obtaining optimum solutions.
• Demonstrated effective oral and written communication skills and ability to establish and maintain cooperative and collaborative working relationships with a variety of personnel at all levels of an organization. Ability to work effectively within a teamwork environment.
• Excellent customer service orientation.
• Proven ability to provide technical guidance and leadership to junior level technical staff.
• Certification in health physics or in an environmental discipline.

In addition, Environmental Health Physicist Level 4:

• B.S. and 7 to 10 years of experience or M.S. and 5 to 7 years of experience or Ph.D. and 3 to 5 years of experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Ability to develop solutions to a wide range of very complex problems where analysis of various options or approaches requires an in depth evaluation of many diverse factors. Personally conduct important investigations of incidents requiring the application of new approaches in the field. Implement optimum solutions considering policies and current regulations.
• Ability to work under consultative direction toward predetermined goals and objectives. Assignments are usually self initiated. Independently determine and pursue courses of action necessary to obtain desired results.

Desired skills/knowledge:

• Substantial and broad expertise and experience in: monitoring environmental radiation emissions and discharges performing dose assessment and computer modeling developing and implementing compliance assessments.
• Experience leading environmental radiation protection compliance programs. May act as lead person on medium to large projects and programs.
• Experience implementing DOE requirements and processes.
• Experience with DOE decommissioning projects.

Additional information:

• Application date: Priority consideration will be given to candidates who apply by November 30, 2026. Applications will be accepted until the job posting is removed.
• Appointment type: This is a full-time career appointment, exempt (monthly paid) from overtime pay.
• Salary range:
  • The expected salary for the Environmental Health Physicist Level 3 position is $138,000.00 - $162,000.00, which fits into the full salary of $122,208.00 - $206,220.00 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
  • The expected salary for the Environmental Health Physicist Level 4 position is $162,000.00 - $198,000.00, which fits into the full salary of $143,844.00 - $242,724.00 depending upon the candidate's skills, knowledge, and abilities. This includes education, certifications, and years of experience.
• Background check: This position is subject to a background check. Any convictions will be evaluated to determine if they directly relate to the responsibilities and requirements of the position. Having a conviction history will not automatically disqualify an applicant from being considered for employment.
• Work modality: Work will be primarily performed at: Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, 1 Cyclotron Road, Berkeley, CA. A REAL ID or other acceptable form of identification is required to access Berkeley Lab sites (for more information click here).
• Work authorization: Candidates must be eligible to work in the U.S. at the time of hire. Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Want to learn more about working at Berkeley Lab? Please visit: careers.lbl.gov

Equal Employment Opportunity Employer: The foundation of Berkeley Lab is our Stewardship Values: Team Science, Service, Trust, Innovation, and Respect; and we strive to build community with these shared values and commitments. Berkeley Lab is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We heartily welcome applications from all who could contribute to the Lab's mission of leading scientific discovery, excellence, and professionalism. In support of our rich global community, all qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected categories under State and Federal law.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement: As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer. For additional information, click here.