For more information, please follow this link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/3544226/senior-air-monitoring-specialist-environmental-specialist-4in-training

Salary– $56,808.00 – $74,496.00 Annually

What makes this role unique?

In this position your primary focus will be on implementing the Near Road Monitoring, PM2.5 Chemical Speciation Network (CSN), National Core (NCore) Monitoring fine and coarse particulate and other particulate monitoring programs. You will provide backup support as a member of a multi-disciplinary, highly collaborative and cooperative team that also implements the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS), National Air Toxics Trends Stations (NATTS), and other NCore monitoring. In this position, you will participate in operating almost every type of ambient air monitor, sampler, and sensor used in the Washington Network, including new monitoring to implement Environmental Justice provisions of the Climate Commitment Act. You will help the Air Quality Program better understand the formation, transport and fate of particulate and ozone pollution and their chemical constituents throughout the greater Puget Sound region.

What you will do:

• Uses advanced scientific knowledge to independently plan, prioritize, implement and perform professional activities in locating, installing, and operating new and existing air monitoring sites within Ecology’s Northwest Region that will help the Air Quality Program characterize air quality, meet federal air pollution standards, and ensure clean healthy air.
• Serves as the primary operator for, and has a specialty focus on, the national near-road, PM2.5 Chemical Speciation Network, and fine and coarse particulate monitoring programs within Ecology’s Northwest Region.
• Processes large amounts of air sample media for several different types of manual-method samplers. This is includes installing sample media in samplers in the field, properly storing media (e.g., refrigerating) sampled filters, as well as packing, shipping, and tracking media sample packages and coordinating with delivery services (FedEx, USPS) and analysis laboratories.
• Investigates and evaluates new and current air monitoring sites, including sites in overburdened communities consistent with the implementation of the Environmental Justice provisions of the Climate Commitment Act.
• Installs monitoring equipment including the site shelter and air monitors and coordinates with the IT & Telemetry unit and Calibration & Repair team to configure air monitors with data logging equipment.
• Installs and operates temporary monitors and low-cost air sensors as needed to respond to wildland fire smoke and other emergent events.
• Provides back-up operations for fellow Northwest Regional Office teammates, including the automated gas chromatograph for the Photochemical Assessment Monitoring Stations (PAMS) program and manual method carbonyls and VOCs for the National Air Toxics Trends Stations (NATTS) program at the Seattle-Beacon Hill NCore monitoring site, as well as for other ambient air monitoring operators around the state as needed.
• Uses advanced scientific knowledge to provide technical consultation, assistance, support, and training on highly complex air monitoring operations to regional, tribal, federal, and local air agency air monitoring operators to ensure data collected within the Washington State Ambient Air Monitoring Network are accurate and comparable.

Qualifications

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

The goal class for this position is an Environmental Specialist 4  (ES4). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for the Environmental Specialist 3 & 4 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements for the ES3 level, then they will be placed into a training program to become an ES4 within a specified period of time.

Environmental Specialist 3 (Salary Range 49:  $4,081-$5,357 Monthly)

A total of Six (6) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Professional level Experience in: environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. Experience may include:
  • Investigating and / or resolving complaints involving science or technology content
  • Performing inspections
  • Drafting technical evaluations and reports
  • Develops plans for researching information used for technical projects, regulatory or policy development
  • Plan and facilitate public meetings and hearings
  • Project work requiring specialized knowledge of industry processes, pollutant sources or natural processes
  • Providing technical assistance for complex scientific content and/ or support for implementing scientific content programs
  • Conducting tests, analyzing and evaluating data
  • Using environmental databases to support technical projects
  • Developing scientific studies and resource management plans
  • Providing environmental technical and administrative assistance to grant/ contract/ loan recipients of environmental protection projects
  • Experience in operations and maintenance of air monitoring instrumentation or closely allied environmental sampling field

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

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position:

Environmental Specialist 4 (goal class) (Salary Range 55: $4,734-$6,208 Monthly)

A total of Nine (9) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Professional level Experience in: environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. Experience may include:
• Investigating and / or resolving complaints involving science or technology content
• Performing inspections
• Drafting technical evaluations and reports
• Develops plans for researching information used for technical projects, regulatory or policy development
• Plan and facilitate public meetings and hearings
• Project work requiring specialized knowledge of industry processes, pollutant sources or natural processes
• Providing technical assistance for complex scientific content and/ or support for implementing scientific content programs
• Conducting tests, analyzing and evaluating data
• Using environmental databases to support technical projects
• Developing scientific studies and resource management plans
• Providing environmental technical and administrative assistance to grant/ contract/ loan recipients of environmental protection projects

Experience must Include: 
One (1) year of the professional level experience must be in conducting air monitoring or similar environmental measurements to qualify at the ES 4 level. A Master’s degree in Atmospheric, Meteorological, or Environmental science will substitute for 6 months experience in conducting air monitoring experience, and a Ph.D. in Atmospheric, Meteorological, or Environmental science will substitute for the full year requirement. 

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

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position:

OR

Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3 at the Department of Ecology, which must include One (1) year of the professional level experience in conducting air monitoring or similar environmental measurements.

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.

• Advanced knowledge and understanding of the principles, practices and methods of air quality monitoring and assessment, environmental pollution prevention and pollution control.
• Understanding of and experience with emerging technologies and techniques of air quality sampling, testing, data gathering, basic research and field investigations.
• Experience performing gas chromatography, particularly to analyze ambient air samples.
• Understanding and experience applying applicable state, federal, and local environmental regulations and policies.
• Ability to provide technical direction to professional staff for complex or controversial studies or projects.
• Excellent deductive reasoning skills.
• Experience designing and developing guidelines for environmental assessment activities, field studies and siting surveys.
• Experience conducting final reviews for technical reports, and conclusions reached by professional staff.
• Experience collaborating with other government officials, the regulated community and other clientele groups on complex or controversial environmental issues or problems.