The mission of the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction (HWTR) Program is to foster sustainability, prevent pollution, and ensure safe waste management of the millions of pounds of hazardous substances used and disposed of each year by businesses and households in Washington State. Over the longer term, we work with businesses and governments to achieve a system where waste is viewed as inefficient, and where most waste and unnecessary use of toxic substances have been eliminated.

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, collaborative, with leadership who embrace the value of people.

• 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, and fitness classes; an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

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.

 
We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.

During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.

What you’ll do:

• Develop regulatory processes for the Safer Products for Washington (SPWA) program, and develop ways to ensure compliance with these regulations.
• Work with Ecology staff to develop rule language, guidance, and processes for rule development and amendment.
• Provide guidance to program leadership on the SPWA rules process.
• Identify communication needs related to rulemaking, including website information, and guidance and training materials.
• Evaluate, amend, and vet communication and education materials and guidance through appropriate staff to ensure the materials are accurate and can be understood by a variety of audiences, including those without a scientific background.

What makes this role unique?

This position will develop regulations, guidance and regulatory compliance for the Safer Products for Washington Program. Working with the SPWA team will provide a unique opportunity to develop vital statewide laws that help prevent toxic exposure to all Washingtonians, and keep our environment safe.

Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational, volunteer and lived-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 or environmental law, public administration, environmental or natural sciences, or closely related field.
• Four (4) years of experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, public administration, and/or program development.
• Experience leading projects or facilitating multi-disciplinary teams to address policy issues, regulations, projects, or implementation of new programs and laws.    

 
Option 2:

• A Master’s degree with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning or environmental law, public administration, environmental or natural sciences, or closely related field.
• Two (2) years of experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, public administration, and/or program development.
• Experience leading projects or facilitating multi-disciplinary teams to address policy issues, regulations, projects, or implementation of new programs and laws.    

 
Option 3:

• One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Planner 2 at the Department of Ecology.
• Bachelor’s degree or higher with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning or environmental law, public administration, environmental or natural sciences, or closely related field.
• Experience leading projects or facilitating multi-disciplinary teams to address policy issues, regulations, projects, or implementation of new programs and laws.    

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

• Experience developing rules, policies, procedures, or other regulatory documents.
• Experience working with, reviewing, analyzing, or developing environmental legislation and regulations at the federal, state, and local levels.

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

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 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.

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

Please to 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 (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.

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 Lola Flores at: Lola.Flores@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Lola 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.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

Student debt: how working for Ecology can help
The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

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.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.

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.

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.