Salary: $78,120.00 – $105,096.00 Annually
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Closing Date: Continuous

The Shorelands & Environmental Assistance (SEA) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Nooksack Strategic Floodplain Planning Lead (Environmental Planner 5) position. This position can be located in any one of the following offices:
 
Bellingham Field Office (BFO) in Bellingham, WA
Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.
Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
 
Please Note: If the final location of this position is determined to be in our Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA. there will be an additional 5% pay increase due to its location in King County. In this instance the salary range will be $6836-$9196 per month

This position offers a unique opportunity to collaborate with regional and international partners in reducing flood hazards through implementation of innovative multi-benefit solutions.  
 
Agency Mission: The mission of the Department of Ecology’s is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations.

Program Mission: The mission of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) program is to work in partnership with communities to support healthy watersheds and promote statewide environmental interests.

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for telework but will be expected to be a commutable distance from either Ecology’s Bellingham Field Office or Northwest Region Office. Onboarding during the first 6-months may require more frequent in-office work up to 3-days a week. 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 August 10 , 2023. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before August 9 , 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. 

What makes this role unique? 

In this role, you will work collaboratively with natural resource managers, Tribes, First Nations, agricultural interests, and others committed to reducing flood hazards within the Nooksack Basin. You will engage with interests in Whatcom County and British Columbia, ensuring their involvement in high-profile flood hazard reduction work. Additionally, you will encourage innovative approaches that consider flood, fish, tribal, and farming interests, while working towards multi-benefit sustainable solutions.

What you will do: 

• Serve as an agency lead representing Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) program contributing to resolution of Nooksack related resource management issues intersecting with comprehensive floodplain management.
• Support and participate in Nooksack Transboundary Flood Initiative (NTFI) or Whatcom County’s Floodplain Integrated Planning (FLIP).
• Promote integrated floodplain management and comprehensive planning approaches for consideration in the Nooksack basin.
• Mentor and support two floodplain management staff assigned to work within the northwest region.
• Oversee development of an annual workplan considering statewide, regional and Nooksack specific Floodplain Management work priorities to inform workload distribution to flood staff working within the northwest region.
• Communicate and coordinate between SEA northwest region staff and the SEA Floodplain Management unit at Headquarters (HQ) to ensure consistent implementation of floodplain management policies, procedures, and expectations throughout the northwest region.

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

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

Option 1:

A Bachelor’s degree with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field

AND

Seven (7) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning and/or program development.

Option 2:

A Master’s degree or above with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field

AND

Five (5) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental or natural resource planning and/or program development.

Option 3:

Two years of experience as an Environmental Planner 4, at the Department of Ecology.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

Desired Qualifications:

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

• Three (3) or more years of experience working in floodplain management, shoreline management or related fields for or with a local government, Tribal government, state or federal agency; conservation district or other public district; nongovernmental organization; or as a consultant in support of one of the above (work within Washington State or another west coast state especially desirable).
• Experience working with Tribes, the agricultural community, local governments, and/or floodplain restoration practitioners to build consensus on floodplain management issues or advance multi-benefit floodplain management projects (work in Washington State especially desirable).
• Experience developing policy and/or providing written analysis and recommendations of policy.
• Experience supervising, training, and/or mentoring staff.
• Experience with grant management or contract management (work with state and/or federal grant funds especially desirable).
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of knowledge of resource management policies, programs, and related laws and regulations.

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.
• A list of three professional references.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4113020/nooksack-strategic-floodplain-planning-lead-environmental-planner-5