About the Department of Ecology

• 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. 
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Our commitment to DEIR
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.

What makes this role unique?

• Identify, define, and communicate the appropriate use and application of analytical chemistry methods for Ecology’s Product Testing Program.
• Coordinate, collaborate, and strategize future planning, development, and implementation of analytical chemistry methods for testing consumer products, including for personal care products testing.
• Design and author or co-author study plans and Quality Assurance Project Plans (QAPP) for complex multi-method/analyte/matrix studies and method development studies.
• Prepare scientific reports products, publish findings, and disseminate the chemistry method application work of Product Testing and Ecology regionally and nationally.
• Provide technical and subject matter expert (SME) guidance to other professional staff.

Required Qualifications:
Years of required experience indicated below are full-time equivalent years. Full-time equivalent experience means that any experience where working hours were less than 40 hours per week will be prorated in order to meet the equivalency of full-time. We would calculate this by looking at the total hours worked per week, divide this by 40, and then multiply by the total number of months worked. Examples of the proration calculations are:

• 30 hours worked per week for 20 months: (30/40) x 20 months = 15 months full-time equivalent
• 20 hours worked per week for 12 months: (20/40) x 12 months = 6 months full-time equivalent

Option 1: A Bachelor’s degree with a major in chemistry or a Bachelor’s degree in a related field with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college level chemistry AND Six years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory including at least one year of experience leading or supervising professional chemists.

Option 2: A Master’s degree as listed above (provided a Bachelor’s Degree and the required college-level chemistry courses have been achieved) AND Four years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory including at least one year of experience leading or supervising professional chemists.

Option 3:  A Ph.D. as listed above (provided a Bachelor’s Degree and the required college-level chemistry courses have been achieved) AND Three years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory including at least one year of experience leading or supervising professional chemists.

Option 4: One year of experience as a Chemist 3 at the Department of Ecology.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license.

• Familiarity with EPA SW846 Compendium and other methodologies for organic analyses and preparation in solid and chemical matrices for VOCs, PFAS, flame retardants, and PCBs.
• Experience in method development, quality assurance, data validation and complex data review.
• Ability to communicate complex technical regulatory methods and quality assurance to non-scientists.

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 on 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.   

• 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.
• A list of three professional references.

• 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. 

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Sara Sekerak at Sara.Sekerak@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Sara 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.

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.

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.