Salary: $87,205.00 – $99,967.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Department: Puget Sound Partnership
Job Number: 2023-PSP-003
Closing: 2/28/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

Who We Are
The Puget Sound Partnership is a non-regulatory state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. We are also one of the Executive Cabinet agencies under Governor Inslee’s Office. The Partnership brings together hundreds of partners to mobilize action around a common agenda, advance Sound investments, and advance priority actions by supporting partners.

We are proud to offer a suite of “Employer of Choice” initiatives and benefits in addition to state government’s full compensation and benefits.

All of the Partnership’s employees have access and are welcome to enjoy the following:

• A healthy/work balance by offering flexible and alternative work schedules.
• Active and engaging equity and inclusion programs, including an affinity group and an employee-led Accountability Buddy Program.
• Exclusive access to the Employee Assistance Program’s Work/Life web portal that provides additional benefits and resources to Partnership employees.
• An Infant at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of infant-parent bonding and breastfeeding newborns. 
• An agency-paid ORCA card for public transit use in the Puget Sound region.
• A tax-free hiring incentive that includes a one-time $200 Amazon allowance for ordering at-home office equipment or preferred supplies to support the telework experience.  
• An annual professional development allowance for gaining skills that advance the employee’s career in their current field of work.

For more information, visit our website: www.psp.wa.gov.

Position Details
This full-time unrepresented position is exempt from civil service law and has a duty station at our Headquarters building in Olympia, Washington. Within the organizational chart, this position is located in the Internal Operations Division. We are looking for someone that meets the experience and education requirements listed below, but we also are looking for lived experience. Please consider applying if your lived experience meets the competencies of the requirements.

The Partnership offers a modern hybrid work environment, which includes both remote and office settings in Olympia and Tacoma. Although it’s not an official duty station of the Partnership, the agency currently utilizes a co-work space at a location in Seattle as a drop-in work environment option for staff. 

All staff are required to report in-person at an office building or work site at least once a week, including this position. You may be required to work more frequently in-person at an office than others if you’re unable to effectively conduct work remotely or as business needs arise. You will be expected to report to the Olympia office on your first day of employment for onboarding.

Travel throughout the Puget Sound area on a regular basis will likely be necessary and may not be eligible for mileage reimbursement depending on where you reside and the destination of the meeting. The Partnership offers agency vehicles for all staff when traveling to meetings, conferences, or other work-related events that are not part of the employee’s regular commute. Use of the vehicle and a gasoline card for fueling is at no cost to the employee.

The annual range of compensation is between $87,205.00 – $99,967.00 depending upon qualifications, although the expected hiring salary will typically be less than the top of the range, to allow for growth and development movement.

We encourage applicants from outside of Washington to apply! The successful candidate would be required to relocate to Washington state within 30 days of the appointment date. The expectation of this position’s starting appointment date is in April 2023. 

A little bit about the Internal Operations Team
The Internal Operations Division supports the core functions of the agency by providing Fiscal, Human Resources, Administrative, and IT services. Additionally, it is the central point for all Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) program management. The Puget Sound Partnership is part of the National Estuary Program (NEP) administered by the EPA. The Partnership and EPA have cooperative agreements that support our base responsibilities related to the Puget Sound NEP and implementation of the Puget Sound Action Agenda. The Partnership’s EPA Program Coordinator is responsible for compliance with the requirements in the cooperative agreements. The Program Coordinator is the lead for developing cooperative agreements, negotiating amendments to the agreements, complying with EPA reporting requirements, coordinating activities with other NEPs in EPA Region 10 and nationally as needed, as well as providing subcontract oversight, coordinating with other state agencies and entities that receive NEP funds, and other related activities. 

Duties
Some of the duties include:

• Represent the Partnership in policy discussions and agreement negotiations regarding NEP administration with the U.S. EPA Region 10 and headquarters staff
• Negotiate EPA cooperative agreement budgets and work plans 
• Coordinate with staff across the agency regarding NEP program elements and EPA cooperative agreements, including ensuring the Partnership is in compliance with the terms and conditions of the awards
• Coordinate and manage the development and implementation of Partnership cooperative agreements with the U.S. EPA, including work plan, schedule, budget (with the fiscal team), and reporting 
• Represent the Partnership in policy discussions and agreement negotiations regarding NEP administration with the U.S. EPA Region 10 and headquarters staff
• Lead compilation of all materials and data required for Partnership reporting to EPA. Primary reporting responsibilities include the semi-annual Financial Ecosystem Accounting Tracking System (FEATS) report and the annual National Estuary Program On-line Reporting Tool (NEPORT)
• Serve as an internal consultant to the agency’s management team and the Partnership’s boards on issues related to EPA funding, EPA cooperative agreements, and any other aspects of NEP administration 
• Work closely with Partnership fiscal staff to coordinate and ensure completion of financial components of EPA reporting, consult on the development of sub-contract templates, facilitate (with program grant managers) the submittal of contract deliverables, and help to resolve sub-contract performance issues
• Manage sub-award agreements and limited-duration contracts as required to realize Partnership and Management Conference objectives
• Lead the business planning process to identify and allocate funding from the Recreation Conservation Office, EPA, State funding, and other sources into a broader agency work planning and business planning process (agency work planning calendar)
• Facilitate the agency work planning process at the program, division, and agency-wide levels
• Train and build staff capacity in work planning and business planning processes
• Set the process for prioritization and assigning funding sources for each action plan
• Establish processes for the strategic planning process, creating individual work plans, agency work plans, action plans, and the agency business plan
• Research and provide tool(s) for the staff to use to complete planning processes and update/report/maintain work throughout the year
• Collaborate with the Deputy Director to implement annual work planning for salmon and ecosystem recovery funding in order to achieve Agency strategic plan goals
• Review and assist with refining all agency work planning as needed

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:

• A minimum of three years of professional experience related to, data management, and/or natural resources policy, planning, or management
• A minimum of three years professional experience working with external partners in a liaison capacity 
• Experience serving in a role with grant management/administration responsibilities.
• Project management skills at the journey level 
• Strong relationship management and facilitation skills
• Commitment to advancing justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

Preferred Qualifications:

• A graduate degree in public administration, business, environmental management, public policy, planning, or related field 
• Five years of professional experience related to, data management, and/or natural resources policy, planning, or management
• Direct project management experience
• Direct project management experience or project management certification
• Experience with federal grant coordination, particularly EPA cooperative agreements

CONDITIONS OF THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT
With or without accommodations, I am willing and able to:

• Work indoors, at a desk/workstation the majority of a workday, in an open office environment with possible conversation and other noise distractions 
• Work in a tobacco-free, drug-free, and alcohol-free environment
• Work a 40-hour work week (A flexible work schedule may be considered upon request and supervisory approval, after an initial review period)
• Occasionally work in excess of 40 hours per week and/or to adjust normally scheduled hours, which may include evenings and weekends, to meet program needs and critical deadlines
• Occasionally travel throughout the state, which may include overnight stays, as required, while performing the duties of this position
• Work in a fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and competing deadlines
• Maintain confidentiality regarding information accessed or discussed while performing the duties of the position
• Interact and work with partners and staff in a positive, friendly, and supportive manner that meets the needs and standards of the office and the agency
• Permanently reside in Washington state and available to report in person at Puget Sound agency offices and meetings on a weekly basis.
• Be fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 virus.

What does “EMS” mean? Exempt Management Service (EMS) is the term used to identify positions exempt from state civil service law. These positions do not have the same rights as classified positions. What does exempt from state civil service law mean?

Supplemental Information
If you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every preferred qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles. If you have lived experience that is equivalent to the required experience and education mentioned above, please apply! Tell us about it in your cover letter and how that experience qualifies you for this work. 

Please attach the following documents in order to be considered; failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:  

• A letter of interest that describes why you are the successful candidate and how you meet the specific qualifications for this position. You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.
• A current resume, detailing experience, and education

• A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

To Apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3919827/agency-workplan-and-environmental-protection-agency-epa-grant-coordinator-ems

Things we ask you NOT include in your submission:

• Please remove any private or personal information such as your social security number, date of birth, marital status, family status, etc. 

• Do not attach documents that are password protected.
• Do not include your vaccination records or verification

NOTE:  By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify the information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed. A resume will not substitute for completing the “duties summary” section of the application.  Please do not say “refer to resume for detail” in your question responses, or your application may be disqualified.  

Conditions of employment
COVID Vaccination Requirement: Per Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated effective November 4, 2022. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified prior to starting work. Being fully vaccinated means two weeks after you have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed or otherwise authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. Please reach out to the HR Office at denise.ross@psp.wa.gov if you need information on medical or religious accommodation.

The Puget Sound Partnership celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.

We understand your time is valuable. Our plan is to have our new Agency Workplan and EPA Grant Coordinator and contributing as early as 4/1/2023. Our first review of resumes will take place in late February. We are planning for first round interviews in early March with a second round in late March.  You can expect timely communication throughout the process

Contact Information
For questions about this recruitment, please contact Ebony.Ware@des.wa.gov or email jobs@des.wa.gov. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

To Apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3919827/agency-workplan-and-environmental-protection-agency-epa-grant-coordinator-ems