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. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.  

The Office of Equity and Environmental Justice (OEEJ) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an Environmental Justice Engagement Coordinator (Management Analyst 5) position. 

The position can be located in any one of our offices listed below:

Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.

Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.
Central Region Office (CRO) in Union Gap, WA.
Eastern Region Office (ERO) in Spokane, WA.

Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from one of the above office locations.

The Environmental Justice Engagement Coordinator is a senior position with agency-wide impact. You will lead change across the agency to build understanding, competency, and consistency in community and Tribal engagement practices. In this position, you will gain leadership and policy experience, exposure to the range of Ecology’s work, and contribute to advancing environmental justice and equity priorities. You will work with people across the agency, as well as members of the public, staff from other state agencies, the Washington Environmental Justice council and workgroup members, and Tribal representatives. 

We are looking for someone with a passion for advancing equity and justice in governance, and who shares our commitment to building an anti-racist and equity-focused institution. Your lived and professional expertise inform your work and strategy to support Ecology’s mission to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to a 90% tele-work schedule. Applicants with questions about position location options, 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.

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. 
• 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.

Ecology established the Office of Equity and Environmental (OEEJ) Justice in 2021. Our mission is to eliminate environmental and health disparities for communities most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts. We achieve this through fair and just practices that support the well-being and resilience of Ecology’s workforce and everyone in Washington. Core to this mission is having an organization culture and practices where the principles of diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect are reflected in who we are, where we work, and what we do. 

What makes this role unique? 

This position is the agency expert and implementation lead on the community and Tribal engagement obligations in the state Environmental Justice law (Chapter 70A.02 RCW). You will be responsible for strengthening the agency’s Community Engagement Plan and Tribal Consultation Framework. This includes developing and delivering supportive education materials and working with colleagues across the agency to integrate these standards and practices into agency activities. While the scope of responsibility is challenging, you will work with and have the support of colleagues within the OEEJ and across Ecology who are committed to meaningful community engagement and Tribal consultation.

What you will do: 

• Lead cross-program implementation of the agency Community Engagement Plan and Tribal Consultation Framework.
• Lead implementation of the community compensation law that allows the agency to provide stipends to members of the public who serve on agency advisory groups.
• Advise agency programs, create educational resources, and support policy development related to meaningful community engagement, Tribal consultation, and community compensation.
• Develop and maintain relationships with people and groups outside of the agency to build relationships and support collaboration around agency activities.   
• Facilitate a cross-program network of learning and support for agency community engagement professionals.
• Contribute as an OEEJ collaborative team member, and support Office responsibilities including Environmental Justice analysis, Title VI compliance, and DEIR (Diversity Equity Inclusion and Respect) organizational change.

Required Qualifications:

• Working with populations or communities who are historically marginalized, communities of color, immigrants, linguistically isolated, rural, low-income, Tribal, indigenous, or who have disabilities and access needs. 
• Integrating community voice, feedback, needs, and preferences into program plans, projects, and initiatives.
• Understanding and upholding commitments to Tribal sovereignty, treaty right, government-to-government relationship, inherent rights of indigenous people, and since time immemorial tribal culture and history. 
• Planning environmental or health focused community engagement programs and projects including experience with assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and using lessons learned to evolve the program over time.
   

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

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.

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

• Lived or professional experience addressing environmental injustice and working with communities of color, Tribes, indigenous people, or low-income populations on environmental and social justice issues. 
• An understanding of environmental justice research, demographic data, and equity focused assessments.
• Understanding and confidence discussing environmental and social justice, racism, and social and economic inequalities.

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 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.
• 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 Millie Piazza at: Millie.Piazza@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Millie to inquire about the status of your application.

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.

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.