Salary: $48,156.00 – $75,120.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Lacey, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Department: Dept. of Ecology
Job Number: 2023-SPPR4857-03646
Closing: Continuous

The Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Lead Spill Responder/Dangerous Waste Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 4) (In-Training) position. This position is located in our Southwest Region Office in Lacey, WA.

In this position, you will respond to spills of oil and hazardous materials, and as a result of our clean-up efforts, you will see immediate benefit to Washington’s residents and environment. You will also manage complex human health and environmental emergencies through coordination with other federal, state, local, and Tribal response partners.

The compelling motivation for this work is public service and the ability to use science to solve environmental and public health challenges. We are looking for applicants who possess a strong public service ethic, are comfortable working in a leadership role, who excel working in a team environment, and thrive working in a dynamic ever-changing work environment with shifting priorities and schedule changes. If you enjoy a mix of field work and office work and are motivated by making a difference protecting human health and the environment, then this position is for you.

Note: This position offers a career path and on-the-job training. This position allows you to progress through the Environmental Specialist field and achieve the goal class of an Environmental Specialist 4 (ES4). Candidates will be considered at the ES3 and the ES4 levels, depending on their qualifications. For salary levels for each, please see the qualifications section.

Please Note: This position is required to serve as a duty officer for after-hours, on-call pager duty on a regular rotation. Upon completion of the required training and successful medical surveillance baseline examination, the candidate will be assigned to the Emergency Spill Response Team and will be eligible for a 10% assignment pay. Likewise, Spill Responders are periodically required to be on call outside of scheduled work hours and are paid an hourly Standby Rate of 7% of the regular hourly rate. Also, if you work on a response activity outside of your scheduled work hours, you will receive Responder Pay of 150% of your regular hourly pay.

Agency Mission: Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment and to promote the wise management of our air, land and water for the benefit of current and future generations.

Program Mission: The Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response (SPPR) Program’s mission is to protect preserve, and restore Washington’s environment. The Spill Program’s vision is to create a zero spills world.

Telework options for this position: This position will include a combination of remote work from home, field work, and work in the office. 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.

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, we will review applications on March 30, 2023. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before March 29, 2023. 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.

Duties
In this position, you will work with a multi-disciplinary team and use science to solve complex environmental and public health challenges. Working with other federal, state, local and Tribal response partners, the lead responder serves as Ecology’s State On-Scene Coordinator leading the response and cleanup of complex environmental spills.

What you will do:

• Respond to spills of oil and hazardous materials, abandoned waste, fish kills, pressurized cylinders, illegal drug manufacturing facilities, and other environmental and human health emergencies.
• Coordinate responses to illegal drug manufacturing facilities with law enforcement partners.
• Ensure safe storage and disposal of dangerous or hazardous waste following Ecology’s waste management rules and guidelines. 
• Provide guidance, training and mentoring to others responding to and cleaning-up oil and hazardous materials spills.
• Perform hands-on clean-up work, including opening unknown drums or containers, sampling, repackaging chemicals, and transporting waste.
• Complete case documentation in support of enforcement and cost recovery actions.
• Participate in an after-hours and weekend on-call duty rotation that responds to spills 24/7/365.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

This is an In Training opportunity: The goal class for this position is an Environmental Specialist 4 (ES4). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements at the ES3 and ES4 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements at the ES3 level, they will be hired at that level and will be placed in a training program to become an ES4 within a specified period of time.

At the Environmental Specialist 3 level: Pay Range 49 – ($4,013 – $5,399) Monthly (In-Training)
A total of six (6) years of combined experience and/or education as listed below:
Experience: In any combination of activities where the primary duty was responding to spills or other emergencies, conducting sampling and analysis studies, working with monitoring instrumentation, managing hazardous waste disposal, performing cleanup or restoration actions, writing scientific or analytical reports, hazardous materials emergency response, or responding to natural disasters.
Education: Involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, engineering or other allied field.

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position at the level of Environmental Specialist 3:

At the Environmental Specialist 4 level: Pay Range 55 – ($4,656- $6,260) Monthly (Goal Class)
A total of nine (9) years of combined experience and/or education as listed below:
Experience: In any combination of activities where the primary duty was responding to spills or other emergencies, conducting sampling and analysis studies, working with monitoring instrumentation, managing hazardous waste disposal, performing cleanup or restoration actions, writing scientific or analytical reports, hazardous materials emergency response, or responding to natural disasters.
Education: Involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, engineering or other allied field.

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position at the level of Environmental Specialist 4:

For all education/experience levels at both the ES3 and ES4 levels:
ICS 100, 200, 700 and 800 certification is required prior to applying. 
Free on-line ICS training and certification is available at:
ICS 100: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-100.c 
ICS 200: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-200.c 
ICS 700: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-700.b
ICS 800: https://training.fema.gov/is/courseoverview.aspx?code=IS-800.c

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license, be able to safely operate a motor vehicle.
• Must pass employment medical surveillance physical, including a physical agilities test, and demonstrate the ability to wear respiratory protection and chemical protective clothing.
• Must be able to pass a detailed background check required to obtain and maintain a Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
• Must successfully complete initial SAFETRAC requirements and other required training outlined in Spills Program Policy and Procedures within 6 months of entering the position.
• Must be prepared for a minimum 3-day field deployment within 1 hour of notification.
• Must hold and maintain eligibility and certification (valid passport or enhanced driver’s license) to permit travel to Canada in the event of a transboundary spill.
• This position is required to pass a periodic medical surveillance exam, which may include a stress test.
• This position is identified as an Essential Agency Employee and is expected to work during facility closures and natural disasters.
• Must notify supervisor immediately if the employee is unable to obtain any of the above required licenses or certifications, or if any of the above are revoked, expired or suspended for any reason.
• Must live within a 60-minute commuting distance of the Southwest Region Office in Lacey, WA. 

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

• Prior oil spill, hazardous materials, emergency, or disaster response experience.
• Team leadership experience.
• Familiarity with state dangerous waste and federal hazardous waste regulations.
• Experience working with federal, state, tribal, or local partners, including law enforcement.

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

Application Instructions
It’s in the applicant’s best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

• 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.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3955905/lead-spill-responder-dangerous-waste-coordinator-environmental-specialist-4-in

Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees: Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.

Application Attestation: The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed. 

Other Information:
If you have specific questions about the position, please email Alison Meyers at Alison.Meyers@ecy.wa.gov.  Please do not contact Alison to inquire about the status of your application.

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

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.   

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.  

For Your Privacy:
When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):

• 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. 

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.  

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.

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

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3955905/lead-spill-responder-dangerous-waste-coordinator-environmental-specialist-4-in