Link to job posting: State of Washington Job Opportunities | Work that Matters (governmentjobs.com)

Salary $59,688.00 – $78,408.00 Annually

The Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Regional Flood Plain Planner (Environmental Planner 3) (In-Training) in the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance  (SEA) Program. This position will be located in our Northwest Regional Office in Shoreline, WA, and will work with a talented and dedicated team of people working in shoreline, wetland, and flood plain management.

Washington’s flood plains provide important habitat for our salmon, rich soil for our farms, and beautiful backdrops for our lives. In this role, you will conduct community assistance activities with local governments enrolled in the National Flood Insurance Program and provides technical assistance, grant management and other types of state support for communities developing or implementing Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plans. You will get to work on a variety of flood plain management activities aimed at reducing flooding, restoring habitat and enhancing flood plains for future generations.

The Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) Shorelands and Environment Assistance Program is located in Shoreline, Washington and offers flexible work schedules and a dynamic, collaborative group of employees committed to protecting Washington’s shorelands, wetlands and flood plains. Located adjacent to the City of Seattle, but also accessible to the Kitsap peninsula, Whidbey Island and the Cascade Mountains. Shoreline offers limitless urban or rural opportunities within close reach. The NRWO is located close to a community college the expansive main campus of the University of Washington, providing both academic and cultural opportunities for you and your family to advance your education, career or feed your natural curiosity.

Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We are a culture that is invested in making a difference. Join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embrace the value of people.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

  • 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.

What we are looking for:

We are looking for a candidate who has a passion for public service and enjoys working with a variety of people – on our Ecology Flood Team and across the broad network of diverse local flood plain administrators, stakeholders and partners throughout the northwest region. Partners include tribal sovereigns, local governments, non-profits, state and federal agencies, and others; experience working with these entities is a plus! We are seeking a creative and solution-oriented person who is a self-starter and has a keen interest in innovative riverine and flood plain management strategies. 

The mission of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) Program is to support community conservation efforts for our shorelands, wetlands, and flood plains. This position helps us achieve our mission by guiding the development of flood plain management plans, programs, policies and regulations that support equitable, integrated floodplain management throughout the northwest region of Washington.

 

What you will do:

  • Act as state National Flood Insurance Program coordinating officer throughout the northwest region.
  • Conduct field assessments of community flood plain management programs and ordinances to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements pursuant to RCW 86.16 and the NFIP regulations.
  • Coordinate work on flood plain mapping with local governments.
  • Assist Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) during Federal Disaster Declarations.
  • Assist local governments in developing and implementing innovative and preventative approaches to flood plain management to reduce flood hazards and enhance natural resources.
  • Provide expertise and consultation to Ecology staff, state agencies, and local governments to resolve flood plain policy and planning issues and to update planning and regulatory guidance.
  • Lead Ecology’s technical assistance effort to local officials in developing scopes of work and approving content of comprehensive flood hazard reduction plans and implementing activities.
  • Conduct flood hazard reduction education activities through use of newsletters, the Ecology Flood Internet site, workshops, and other activities.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

The goal class for this position is an Environmental Planner 3 (EP3). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for both the EP3 and the EP2 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements at the EP2 level, then they will be hired as an EP2 and will be placed in a training program to become an EP3 within a specified period.

At the Environmental Planner 2 Level: Pay Range 52  – ($4,188 – $5,494) Monthly (In-Training)

Option 1: A Bachelor’s degree in a field listed above AND Three (3) 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 (e.g. natural or biological sciences) AND One (1) year of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 3: One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Planner 1 at the Department of Ecology.

At the Environmental Planner 3 Level: Pay Range 59 – ($4,974 – $6,534) Monthly (Goal Class)

Option 1: A Bachelor’s degree in a field listed above AND Four (4) 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 (e.g. natural or biological sciences) AND Two (2) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 3: One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Planner 2 at the Department of Ecology.

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.

  • Knowledge of planning principles, techniques, current trends, environmental laws, policies and programs concerning all phases of State resource development; governmental administrative structure at local and State levels; environmental, social and other problems affecting development of local and State resources; methods and objectives of urban regional and natural resources planning. Experience in floodplain management, flood hazard reduction, or closely aligned programs.
  • General knowledge of technical report writing methods and training methods.

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