Apply early!  Application review begins on January 15, 2021.  This recruitment is open continuous.  The hiring authority reserves the right to make a hiring decision and/or to close the recruitment at any time.

The Freshwater Harmful Algal Bloom Policy & Strategy Specialist will support the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) in collaborating with partners including county, state, federal, tribal, and other stakeholders and regulatory agencies to support policy decisions relating to freshwater harmful algal blooms (HABs). This position will work to resolve complex issues in the regulation, communication, and public health actions recommended during HAB events. These policies must be coordinated across various state, regional, tribal, and county level government agencies.

This position will work in the Climate and Health section in the Office of Environmental Public Health Sciences (OEPHS) in the Environmental Public Health Division at DOH and will report to the Senior Epidemiologist and manager of the Climate and Health Section. This position is expected to work closely with other HABS staff, toxicology staff assigned to HABs, and staff assigned by the Center for Public Affairs.  The position will conduct outreach with partners across the state, facilitate discussions on various policy topics, and provide policy guidance to senior leadership OEPHS and the agency.

This is a part-time (50%), non-permanent Management Analyst 4 (MA 4) position.  This non-permanent appointment is currently funded through June 30, 2021.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this position will be predominantly homebased.  Employee must also occasionally report to the DOH Tumwater, WA campus.

About the Department of Health

Washington State Department of Health (DOH) works with federal, state, tribal, and local partners to help people in Washington stay healthy and safe. Our programs and services help prevent illness and injury, promote healthy places to live and work, provide education to help people make good health decisions, and ensure our state is prepared for emergencies.

Benefits of Working for DOH

Washington is America’s Top State according to U.S. News (2019) and provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

Tumwater is a vibrant city just south of Olympia, the state’s capital, with a small-town feel conveniently situated between Seattle and Portland. Tumwater enjoys the benefits of an engaged and educated community and a well-supported school system, with two universities and a community college within a ten-mile radius.

 DOH offers:

• A healthy life/work balance by offering flexible schedules and telework options for many positions.
• Growth and development opportunities.
• A wellness program that offers education, access to healthy food, and fitness classes.
• Opportunities to serve your community through meaningful work.
• A commitment to diversity and inclusion by fostering an inclusive environment that encourages all employees to bring their authentic selves to work.
• An Infant at Work Program that is based on the long-term health values of breastfeeding newborns and infant-parent bonding.
• A modernized workplace.

Duties include:

• Engage partners and stakeholders in a statewide effort to improve freshwater harmful algal bloom (HAB) response.
• Set agendas, facilitate meetings, and establish charters that are attentive and responsive to partner and stakeholders needs.
• Conduct policy research and analysis to develop recommendations that address the multidimensional needs of the stakeholders on HAB issues across multiple levels of government.
• Provide HABS related illness investigation support to local health jurisdictions as necessary. Illness investigations may be related to people or animals.

What we’re looking for

Success in this position requires one to be a team player, defined as having a driving passion for the work, bringing humility to their job and people interactions, and understanding how their words and actions affect others.

Required Qualifications

OR

OR

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience and education as a facilitator.
• Experience working on environmental public health issues.
• Experience convening and leading diverse stakeholder groups.
• Experience communicating professionally across a variety of settings.

Application Process

Intrigued? We’d love to hear from you.  Click “Apply” to submit your detailed application profile along with the following:

1. A letter of interest, describing how you meet the specific required and desired qualifications for this position
2. A current resume.
3. Three (3) or more professional references, to be included in your profile. Please include at least one supervisor, peer, and (if you have supervised staff) a subordinate.

Important Note: Do not attach documents that contain private information (social security number, date of birth, transcripts, etc.) or documents that are password protected. These documents will not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded. Veterans, please feel free to attach a copy of your redacted DD214.

The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) is an equal opportunity employer.  DOH strives to create a working environment that is inclusive and respectful.  It is our policy to prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or disability in the recruitment, selection, and hiring of our workforce.

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

Conditions of Employment/Working Conditions

With or without an accommodation, I am willing and able to:

• Occasionally work in excess of 40 hours per week and/or to adjust normally scheduled hours.

• Occasionally travel as needed on a limited basis.
• Legally operate a state or privately owned vehicle or provide alternative transportation.

If you have questions, need alternative formats or other assistance please contact Cher Williams at (360) 236-4545, cher.williams@doh.wa.gov, or TDD Relay at 1-800-833-6384 or 711 (Washington Relay). Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can’t log in, password or email issues, error messages).

Only applicants who follow the directions and complete the Application Process in-full will have their responses reviewed for consideration.

Education and experience selected, listed and/or detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable on the detailed applicant profile submitted.

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 are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.