The Shorelands & Environmental Assistance (SEA) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Regional Shoreline Compliance/Enforcement Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) position.  

This position can be located in any one of the following offices:

Southwest Region Office (SWRO) in Lacey, WA.

Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.

Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

As the Regional Shoreline Compliance and Enforcement Specialist, you will work to improve implementation of shoreline master programs (SMPs), including riparian area protections. You will work in collaboration with local governments to help ensure authorized shoreline development achieves no net loss of shoreline ecological functions, and will identify and correct unauthorized activities on priority shorelines and riparian areas. We are looking for applicants who possess excellent people skills, the ability to thoroughly analyze land use proposals to make regulatory decisions, and the ability to communicate complex permitting information to audiences with competing goals and interests.

Program Mission: The mission of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program is to create community conservation partnerships to protect and restore our shorelands, wetlands, and floodplains.

About the Department of Ecology

• 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. 
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Our commitment to DEIR

Diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology’s work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

What makes this role unique?

You will be joining a team of passionate public servants who work with a broad network of local shoreline administrators to implement a new Shoreline Management Act (SMA) monitoring and adaptive management program. You will get to work and build relationships with various partners, including local governments, Tribes, non-profits, and state and federal agencies. This is a great opportunity to use creative and solution-oriented problem solving skills to protect Washington’s shorelines. You will serve as a regional specialist helping implement a new statewide Shoreline Management Act Compliance and Enforcement Program.  In this position, compliance means effective implementation of Shoreline Master Programs (SMPs) through use of appropriate permit review processes, successful ecological mitigation, and consistency with SMP policies and regulations; and enforcement means addressing violations of permits and responding to unpermitted actions.

• Support development and implementation of the proactive SMP compliance assistance program; helping local governments build systems for monitoring and adaptive management of their SMPs to ensure effectiveness and improve efficient administration. 
• Review and analyze shoreline authorizations and share information and work with local partners to improve compliance with their SMP, including riparian area protections, mitigation obligations and other permit conditions, and to ensure no net loss of ecological functions.
• Assist local governments in developing systematic approaches to monitor the success of permit systems, including the effectiveness of mitigation and other permit conditions. 
• Participate in technical assistance training programs for agency staff and local agencies to enhance efficiency and effectiveness of SMP implementation. 
• Serve as project officer for local grants aimed at improving compliance with SMPs. 
• Implement ongoing programs to monitor shorelines to identify and correct unauthorized activities on priority shorelines.
• Ensure an effective response to SMA violations through informal, voluntary, and formal enforcement actions such as notices of violations, administrative orders, or settlement agreements.

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: Involving environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning. 
• Education: Involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other closely allied field.

• Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license. 

• Knowledge of regulatory programs and Ecology’s statutory authority under the Shoreline Management Act (SMA).  
• Ability to understand environmental legislation and regulations at the federal, state, and local level. 
• Ability to understand complex environmental permitting processes. 

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

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.   

• 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.

• 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. 

Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees:

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Chad Yunge at: Chad.Yunge@ecy.wa.gov  Please do not contact Chad to inquire about the status of your application. To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

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.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.