Salary: $26.76 – $35.98 Hourly
Location: Multiple Locations Statewide, WA
Job Type: Project (limited duration)
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Department: Dept. of Agriculture
Job Number: 2023-04303
Closing: 4/16/2023 12:00 AM Pacific

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The Dairy Nutrient Management Program is hiring for a Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist! This is a Project position funded through June 2026.

The Dairy Nutrient Management Program (DNMP) provides the Washington State dairy industry with education and technical training to support sound nutrient management and  compliance with laws that protect water quality. DNMP supports dairy farm compliance through training events, technical assistance inspections, investigations, and enforcement. Our program’s mission is to sustain a healthy dairy industry and protect public health and the environment.

The Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist serves as a senior-level nutrient management inspector with oversight of a caseload of farms where they’re responsible for technical assistance inspections, investigations, and preparation of enforcement as required. This position serve in a leadership role for the Program on outreach and education related projects including educational and technical guidance content generation, publishing, and resource dissemination. The Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist is a trusted representative of the Program who engages with the dairy community and stakeholders to develop guidance and promote compliance across the state. Engagement is through inspections, targeted conversations with stakeholders, production of online and published materials, presenting at conferences, and hosting workshops and field events. Additionally, the position works to identify opportunities to raise awareness about the work of the Program and to put resources into the hands of the livestock community to support compliance with state laws. The Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist carries out assignments with general supervision while demonstrating high level knowledge to support Program goals. 

Position and Salary Information
WSDA is recruiting for a part-time project Nutrient Management Outreach Specialist position within the Dairy Nutrient Management Program in the Pesticide Management Division. This position is expected to work from a home office that can be located anywhere in the State of Washington. This is a non-represented position.

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate’s job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary range for this position is: $26.76 Step A – $35.09 Step L hourly. 

Duties
Include, but not limited to: 

• Manage and lead continued development and implementation of grant activities.
• Develop, negotiate, implement, and monitor terms of agreements for environmental grants.
• Gain consensus from multiple stakeholders and interest groups needed to execute projects.
• Respond to highly complex inquiries for technical assistance requiring an advanced scientific knowledge.
• Develop and manage grant project tasks and strategies.
• Track and report on the status of tasks and deliverables.
• Complete reporting as required for Program grants.
• Lead Program activities to evaluate, plan, develop draft content, support publishing, and share nutrient management outreach and education resources to support compliance with state laws.
• Bringing senior level expertise, provide leadership over and plan outreach and education events to deliver support to the regulated community.
• Coordinate and collaboratively develop materials.
• Cast vision for and develop educational programming for events, written and printed or published materials and other communications intended to promote compliance.
• Provide senior expertise on nutrient management by conducting inspections and recommending actions on complex systems, including to:
  •  Prioritize, manage, track and complete inspections for assigned dairies to ensure compliance with state laws.
  •  Develop technical reports from information collected during inspections and investigations and enter information into the Program’s database system.
•  Conduct investigations, including to: 
  • Respond to high priority and complex threats to the environment and human health including complaints received by the Program and manage investigations through case closure.
  • Identify and recommend or require appropriate mitigating actions to address water quality issues to protect human health and the environment.
  • Provide senior level oversight for investigation evidence and ensure evidence and water samples are collected in compliance with standard operating procedures, Program policy and are defensible in court.
•  Prepare and advise on appropriate enforcement to ensure compliance with state laws.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications: A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field and five years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning which includes one year equal to an ES 3 or above or two years equal to an ES 2 or above. Additional qualifying experience will substitute, year for year, for education.

 OR

 A Master’s degree in one of the above fields and three years of professional-level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an ES 3 or above or two years equal to an ES 2 or above.

OR

A Ph.D. in one of the above fields and two years of professional-level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an ES 3 or above or two years equal to an ES 2 or above.

OR

Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3. Must hold a valid Washington State drivers’ license.

•  Environmental education, outreach and communication.
• Development of outreach publications.
• Grant management.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) field data collection, data analysis, and data management. 
• Natural resources monitoring and data analysis. 
• Compliance inspection, investigation, and administrative code enforcement. 
• Agronomy, and agricultural best management practices. 
• On-farm experience and familiarity with the dairy industry.
• Water quality permits.

• Nutrient management planning or consulting certifications including but not limited to:
  • Dairy Nutrient Management Planner.
  • Comprehensive Nutrient Management Planner.
  • Certified Crop Advisor.
  • Certified Professional Agronomist.

How to apply
You must complete your careers.wa.gov profile and answer the supplemental questions. In addition to completing the online application, and supplemental questions applicants must attach the following documents to their profile to be considered for this position:

· Current resume detailing experience and education

· A cover letter describing how you meet the specific qualifications for this position.

· Three professional references 

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3975557/nutrient-management-outreach-specialist

By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.
Applications with comments “see attachments” will be considered incomplete.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of your application and the materials submitted. All information may be verified, and documentation may be required. Applications received via e-mail will not be accepted in lieu of applying through the state’s on-line recruitment system.

Contact Us
Should you have any questions regarding this position or the online application, contact the Human Resource Office at Recruitment@agr.wa.gov. Prior to a new appointment into the Department of Agriculture, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the position. The Human Resources Division may use referrals from this recruitment to help fill future similar vacancies for up to six months.    

The Washington State Department of Agriculture requires all employees to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition of employment. Exemption may be granted for religious or medical purposes and should be requested a minimum of (7) seven days prior to the first day of employment. Accommodations will be subject to approval based on the essential functions required of the position.

For more information and to apply: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3975557/nutrient-management-outreach-specialist