The mission of the Water Quality Program is to protect and restore Washington’s waters to support healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures state waters can support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health.

Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective, collaborative, with leadership who embrace the value of people.

• A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for most positions.
• An Infants at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding newborns.
• Continuous growth and development opportunities.
• A wellness program that offers education, and fitness classes; an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.

During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position is expected to work in the office 1 to 2 days a week, and may need to be in the office 3 to 4 days a week after Stay Home, Stay Health ends. Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.

What you’ll do:

You will support the Industrial Unit permit managers by coordinating the permit process and providing technical assistance to permittees. The key areas of work include:

• Industrial permit issuance process:
  • Help permittees complete their permit
  • Maintain the permit project tracking database
  • Review permit applications for accuracy
  • Notify permit managers when project tasks are complete
• Permit and Information Reporting System (PARIS) for the Industrial Unit:
  • Review the database for accuracy
  • Enter permit requirements into the database
  • Produce reports for unit staff
• Outreach and public involvement:
  • Issue public notices and assist in routine public meetings, hearings, and workshops
  • Assist the program web coordinator with Wastewater Permit site design
  • Help permittees use the online version of PARIS to enter permit information
• Compliance activities:
  • Notify permittees when they are out of compliance
  • Help answer permittee questions regarding permit and sampling requirements

Why join the team?

• This position gets to work with multiple entities, including various businesses and industries, both small and large.
• This is an opportunity to learn about and apply complex water quality laws and permit programs. Through this work, you will help prevent detrimental impacts to state waters from stormwater and other discharges.

Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational, volunteer and lived-experience. See below for how you may qualify.

Option 1

Five (5) years of education and/ or experience:

• Education: involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field
• Experience: in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning

• Processing various types of environmental regulatory documents and permit applications.
• Reviewing environmental documents for accuracy, completeness and compliance with standards.
• Preparing public notices and checking actual publication for accuracy.
• Assisting with routine public meetings, hearings, and workshops.
• Tracking environmental documents within a computer system.
• Evaluating, interpreting, and analyzing data within a tracking system to determine completeness and correctness.
• Compiling reports for use by professional staff or outside agencies.
• Collecting data from field or office sources to be entered into a tracking system.
• Environmental inspections and enforcement activities: Assisting in the preparation of warning letters, notices of violation, penalties, and administrative orders. Accompanying permit managers on routine inspections to monitor and/or investigate environmental permit compliance.
• Environmental technical assistance: Under general supervision, responding to routine inquiries or requests for technical assistance regarding environmental programs. Answering general questions from regulated entities and the public regarding permit compliance, submittals, and Ecology databases. Reviewing databases or inventories for completeness and accuracy.
• Responding to a high volume of requests for assistance from staff or customers.

Option 2

• Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field
• One (1) year of experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning

• Processing various types of environmental regulatory documents and permit applications.
• Reviewing environmental documents for accuracy, completeness and compliance with standards.
• Preparing public notices and checking actual publication for accuracy.
• Assisting with routine public meetings, hearings, and workshops.
• Tracking environmental documents within a computer system.
• Evaluating, interpreting, and analyzing data within a tracking system to determine completeness and correctness.
• Compiling reports for use by professional staff or outside agencies.
• Collecting data from field or office sources to be entered into a tracking system.
• Environmental inspections and enforcement activities: Assisting in the preparation of warning letters, notices of violation, penalties, and administrative orders. Accompanying permit managers on routine inspections to monitor and/or investigate environmental permit compliance.
• Environmental technical assistance: Under general supervision, responding to routine inquiries or requests for technical assistance regarding environmental programs. Answering general questions from regulated entities and the public regarding permit compliance, submittals, and Ecology databases. Reviewing databases or inventories for completeness and accuracy.
• Responding to a high volume of requests for assistance from staff or customers.

Option 3

• Master’s degree or higher involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:

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

• Experience developing, analyzing, utilizing, or managing environmental information within a database.
• Experience communicating complex information to audiences who may not have a scientific background.
• Experience using Excel, including the use of formulas and pivot tables.

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

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

• Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
• 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 are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology.

Application Instructions:

It’s in the applicant’s best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

• A cover letter describing why you are interested in this position
• A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position

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

Additional Application Instructions for Current 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.

Application Attestation: 

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.

Other Information:

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

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

Why work for Ecology?

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.

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 your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work 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 *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

Student debt: how working for Ecology can help
The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

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.

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

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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.Note: 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.