The Division of Environmental Public Health, Office of the Assistant Secretary’s supports the Department of Health’s mission to protect and improve the health of all people in Washington State by working with local governments and state and federal agencies on public health matters for public drinking water facilities, food safety, shellfish protection, radiation safety, wastewater management facilities, pesticide exposures, vector borne diseases, general environmental public health and safety, and health risk assessments.

The Office of the Assistant Secretary provides support for strategic planning, environmental epidemiology and toxicology, legislative and policy development and assessment, information management support, budget and financial management, performance management, and external communications.

As a senior-level environmental planner, you’ll provide consultation and analytical evaluations of new and existing policy initiatives for the Division of Environmental Public Health (EPH). This position provides technical policy and economic analysis for developing complex regulatory and politically sensitive regulations for the offices within EPH and rules under the rulemaking authority of the State Board of Health.

This position coordinates the development of rules and provides analytical assessments to determine the effectiveness of proposed rules to protect public health and safety. You’ll be utilizing appropriate policy development methods to ensure rules are consistent with the Administrative Procedures Act, other applicable state and federal laws, and ensuring consistency with department and program objectives. This position consults with agency leaders and program managers on negotiation with internal and external public health partners when engaging in the rule development processes.

The duty station for this position is Tumwater, WA.  Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, telework (mobile-work) is currently expected.  When approved to return, the incumbents are expected to report to the duty station for work activities.  Partial telecommuting may be an option subject to supervisory approval. Under the Governor’s Directive, 20-08, this position is furlough one day per month through November 30, 2020.

About the Department of Health
Washington State Department of Health (DOH) works with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to help people in Washington stay healthy and safe. Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide education to help people make good health decisions, and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies.

Benefits of Working for DOH
Washington is America’s Top State according to U.S. News (2019) and provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

Tumwater is a vibrant city just south of Olympia, the state’s capital, with a small-town feel conveniently situated between Seattle and Portland. Tumwater enjoys the benefits of an engaged and educated community and a well-supported school system, with two universities and a community college within a ten-mile radius.

 DOH offers:

• A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for many positions.
• Growth and development opportunities.
• A wellness program that offers education, access to healthy food, and fitness classes.
• Opportunities to serve your community through meaningful work.
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion by fostering an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to bring their authentic selves to work.
• An Infant at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of breastfeeding newborns and infant-parent bonding.
• A modernized workplace.

Duties include

• Working with internal staff to inform policy decisions and collaborating with external stakeholders which include state and federal agencies, and local governments to develop new and amend existing environmental public health regulations.
• Providing consultation, project management, and evaluation of regulation development activities.
• Using data-driven decision-making principles to analyze appropriate policy and regulatory options.
• Assisting program staff and consulting with agency economists in developing economic cost/benefit analysis.
• Analyzing the cost impacts of new and amended rules affecting external stakeholders to create the least burdensome regulations.
• Working with program staff and agency economists to develop economic data through surveying external stakeholders, existing data, and peer-reviewed literature research.
• Mentoring and training members of the rule development team and program staff regarding rule processes and analyses.

We’re looking for a team player – someone that has a driving passion for their work and brings humility to interactions with others. Our ideal candidate will have project management or coordination experience.

Required Qualifications

• Professional management or consultative experience in an environmental health or planning program, or a closely allied field.
• Experience with rule writing, rule adoption, and implementation.
• Experience with legislative processes and analyzing legislation, fiscal impacts, and making recommendations for consideration by a state agency.

Desired Qualification
A Master’s degree in public health, environmental planning, public or business administration, or an allied field.

Application Process
Intrigued? We’d love to hear from you.

1. A letter of interest, describing how you meet the specific required and desired qualifications for this position.
2. A current resume.
3. Three (3) or more professional references, to be included in your profile. Please include at least one supervisor, peer, and (if you have supervised staff) a subordinate.

Important Note: Do not attach documents that contain private information (social security number, date of birth, transcripts, etc.) or documents that are password protected. These documents will not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded. Veterans, please feel free to attach a copy of your redacted DD214.”

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is an equal opportunity employer.  We strive to create a working environment that is inclusive and respectful.  It is our policy to prohibit discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or disability in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of our workforce.

This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.

Conditions of Employment/Working Conditions
With or without accommodation, I am willing and able to:

• Legally operate a state or privately owned vehicle or provide alternative transportation.
• Occasionally work more than 40 hours per week and/or to adjust normally scheduled hours, which may include evening and weekends.
• Occasionally travel throughout the state (including rural areas) which may include overnight stays.

If you have questions, need alternative formats or other assistance please contact Zach Covington at (360) 480-2470, Zach.Covington[at]doh.wa.gov, or TDD Relay at 1-800-833-6384 or 711 (Washington Relay). Technical support is provided by neogov, 855-524-5627 (can’t log in, password or email issues, error messages).

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in-full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Education and experience selected, listed and/or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the detailed applicant profile submitted.

This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency.  Once all the position(s) from the recruitment are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.