The Department of Ecology is looking to fill the Director, Office of the Columbia River (Exempt Management Service Band 4) position. This position reports to Ecology’s Director and is located in our Central Region Office in Union Gap, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station. This is an exciting and challenging position. It’s an opportunity to become part of a dynamic executive leadership team that engages federal, state, local, Tribal, community, elected official and environmental group interests to create innovative partnerships.  

The Director position is responsible for implementing the Columbia River Basin Water Management Act (Chapters 90.90 and 90.38 RCW). Specifically, the position’s mission is to aggressively pursue water solutions within the Columbia and Yakima basins to meet water needs for families, industry, farms, ecosystems, and fish. The Office works collaboratively with Tribes, agricultural producers, local governments, federal agencies, and others to resolve conflicts over water and provide water security in the face of drought and a changing climate. The position is responsible for working to secure water supplies not only for today, but also for the future. This requires preparing for future impacts to water supplies, creative problem solving on complex water issues, and science-based long-range forecasting to understand challenges facing our communities as water supply and demand across the Columbia River Basin changes.   

Our Mission at the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations. 

Program Mission: The mission of the Office of Columbia River (OCR) is to aggressively pursue the development of new water supplies for the Columbia River through a variety of tools and methods including conservation and storage projects.

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to a 40% tele-work schedule. Applicants with questions about tele-work, and flexible or compressed schedules are encouraged to reach out to the contact person listed below in “other information.” Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.  

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, we will review applications on November 25, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before November 24, 2024. If your application isn’t received by this date, it may not be considered. The agency reserves the right to make a Hire any time after the initial screening date.  

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 *Click here for more information 

• 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, fitness classes, and an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
• 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.

Who are we looking for? 

As the Director, you will be leading a team of 25 professionals and will be responsible for hundreds of millions of dollars in capital projects. The Director is the public face of this highly visible program. The Office has had tremendous success since its inception in 2006. Maintaining the momentum and support of the varied interests in the Basin will be a key responsibility of the position. In this role, you will have administrative and management responsibilities in several arenas. Within the Office of Columbia River, the Director will have direct supervisory and management responsibility for 3 employees. Within the wider arena of Ecology’s environmental programs, the Office Director will need to work cooperatively with Program Managers, the Central Region Director, the Eastern Regional Director and senior staff from a variety of disciplines to achieve the mission of the Office.   

In this role, you develop federal and state funding strategies to accomplish the design and delivery of programs and projects to meet out-of-stream and instream needs. You will make strategic decisions that will have long-term impact and will ensure tactical decisions align with or support the strategic direction. This position requires travel throughout the sub-basins of the Columbia River Basin, including Yakima, Icicle, Walla Walla, and Odessa.     

A Key Member of Ecology’s Executive Management Team    

It is critical that this important position maintains the highest standards of personal, professional, and ethical conduct to support the state’s commitment to efficient, effective, and accountable government. 

This is a highly visible role with the state legislature, Congressional representatives, Tribal Nations, and local governments. This includes working across the agency and across government at all levels. As a key member of Ecology’s Executive Leadership Team, you will:  

• Represent the Office and, as needed, the Ecology Director with Federal, regional, state, local, Tribal and elected officials, the general public, environmental groups, environmental justice advocacy groups, and the business community. 
• Develop credibility as a dependable and accurate problem solver and source of information for local, state, and Tribal leaders. 
• Make recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team on how to implement programs and develop policies including agency direction for work procedures to ensure responsive service delivery and consistency. 
• Foster a diverse, equitable, inclusive, and respectful workplace. 

Required Qualifications:

All relevant experience including lived, volunteer, work, or a combination of experience and education that demonstrates the ability to perform the work will be considered. 

Your application, cover letter, and resume will be used to determine if you have the demonstrated expertise and management experience listed in the required qualifications.  

Please ensure your application materials describe how you meet the required qualifications. 

We are looking for applicants to have: 

Demonstrated expertise in environmental, physical or natural science, environmental studies, engineering, public administration, planning, public policy, political science, law, or other related qualifying discipline. This expertise can be demonstrated through professional degrees and/or professional and lived experience. 

Demonstrated professional level experience which includes:

• Experience engaging with Tribal governments on natural resource management issues.
• Experience with large capital projects, including project management and funding procurement.
• Experience managing relationships with elected officials.
• A successful track record working with state, federal and local agencies.
• Outreach and collaboration, including collaboration with agricultural producers and/or agricultural trade associations.
• Experience managing people.

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

• Familiarity with the Columbia River Basin, especially through living and/or working in the Basin. 
• Working knowledge of SEPA and environmental permitting for complex projects.
• Working knowledge of Washington water resource law.
• Solid understanding of legislative processes. 

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

Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov

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 your motivation for applying for 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 Teri North at Teri.North@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Teri 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.