Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We have a culture that is invested in making a difference. If you want to join a team that is highly effective, collaborative, and has leadership that embraces the value of people, Ecology is a good fit.

The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) is looking to fill a Lab Accreditation Administrative Specialist (Environmental Specialist 3) position. This position will be located in the Laboratory Accreditation Unit in Manchester, WA.  The Department of Ecology is the accrediting institution in Washington State for environmental laboratories, including those that test drinking water.

The Lab Accreditation Administrative Specialist position facilitates the accreditation of environmental laboratories to assure that they are capable of providing accurate and defensible data to the Department of Ecology, Department of Health, the Environmental Protection Agency, and other entities that require the use of accredited laboratories. The administrative specialist manages the accreditation database and facilitates the efficient operation of the Laboratory Accreditation Unit.

We are looking for an environmental science professional with demonstrated administrative skills in an office environment. They should be familiar with the work of environmental testing laboratories, have excellent customer service skills, proficient in Microsoft office software including Access, Word and Excel, and can work independently under supervisory direction.

As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism and accountability.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

Local efforts… Diverse people… Statewide impacts

    

Duties

The Environmental Assessment Program provides a range of scientific, monitoring, laboratory, and quality assurance services. Its mission is to measure and assess environmental conditions in Washington State.

Some of the duties of the Lab Accreditation Administrative Specialist position include:

• Facilitates the renewal application process for accreditation of environmental laboratories.
• Tracks each step of the accreditation renewal and billing process.
• Uploads electronic data from proficiency testing studies, and resolves formatting issues.
• Maintains, updates and generates queries from the accreditation database.
• Serves as initial point of contact for inquiries from the public, the regulated community, government agencies, and accredited laboratories.
• Delivers excellent customer service by:
  • Responding to customer concerns while maintaining effective relationships.
  • Helping customers navigate the laboratory accreditation process.
  • Assisting customers seeking technical assistance by helping them to access resources.

The Laboratory Accreditation Program is an important component of the effort to ensure the accuracy and defensibility of the analytical data used by WA State Department of Ecology. This is a unique position, providing initial point of contact to a wide variety of agency customers. It provides an opportunity to utilize administrative, technical and people skills. The position is office based in Manchester, WA. Work hours are 8am to 4:30 pm Monday through Friday.

Please note: During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, staff are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need.

Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.

This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of May 26, 2021.  In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before May 25, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

There are multiple ways to qualify for this position. See options below:

Option 1: A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, AND two years of professional level experience in environmental analysis or control.

Option 2: A Master’s degree in one of the above fields AND one year of the required experience listed above.

Option 3: Additional qualifying experience will substitute, year for year, for education.  See chart below:

The professional experience listed above must include:

• Experience with Microsoft Office software, with extensive use in some or all of the following programs: Access, Word, Excel, web-based platforms and video conferencing software.
• Demonstrated administrative skills in an office environment working with scientific subject matter.
• Knowledge of chemistry, biology and environmental science sufficient to interpret and apply requirements for laboratory accreditation.

Desired Qualifications:

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

Professional Skills

• Experience working in the fields of environmental health and natural resources. In-depth knowledge of environmental health and drinking water.
• Experienced in water sampling, water quality monitoring, and data analysis.
• Versed in the principals of hydrogeology, well siting, well drilling, and well water quality.
• Inspection, evaluation, compliance and enforcement of Federal, State, and County public health regulations.

Customer Service Skills

• Skilled in public interaction, using diplomacy and professionalism.
• Excellent record of dependability and reliability Experienced in customer relations.
• Proven ability to identify, analyze, and solve problems.
• Possess excellent communication and inter-personal skills.
• Work cooperatively with a wide range of personalities.
• Proven ability to gain customer’s confidence and trust.
• Skilled at interacting with customers from diverse backgrounds.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment:

• Successfully pass the initial EPA Personnel Access and Security System (EPASS) background check and any required subsequent checks which is required for access to the federal facility that houses the Ecology laboratory.
• Valid driver’s license.

 
Why work for Ecology?

Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State’s environment.

A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping the health and financial security of you and your family a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to work/life balance.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth

Student debt and how working for Ecology can help
Employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

Supplemental Information

Application Instructions:

Please complete the short on-line application, supplemental questions and upload:

• Your current chronological resume.
• A cover letter explaining how you fit the requirements of the position.

 
Important Note:

When attaching documents to your application (Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):

• Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc.
• Do not attach documents that are password protected as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded.

 
Please to do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.  

It is in the candidate’s best interest to submit all of the documents requested above. Applications without these documents may be declined.

Department of Ecology employees, please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.

If you are reading this announcement in print format, please visit www.careers.wa.gov to access the online recruitment system. Click on “Look for Jobs” and select Dept. of Ecology under the “Department” search list. Click “Apply Search.”

Other Information:

If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile’s main page.

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Rebeca Wood  at: Rebecca.Wood@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Rebecca to inquire about the status of your application.

The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

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

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 announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.

The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.