Small community wastewater infrastructure presents unique and complex challenges due to the combination of socioeconomic and technical factors that require added time and technical innovation to identify sustainable solutions. In this position, you will help solve environmental engineering issues for small financially distressed communities facing wastewater infrastructure challenges.

Agency Mission: The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment, for current and future generations.

Program Mission: The mission of the Water Quality Program is to protect and restore Washington’s waters to support healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures state waters can support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health.

What will you do?

As a registered Professional Engineer, you’ll perform the full range of professional environmental engineering duties associated with small community wastewater grant and loan projects and proposals for water quality improvement and protection. To do this, you will:

• Build relationships with community members and leaders, with the goal of understanding unique small community challenges, and tailoring technical assistance to meet each communities unique clean water needs.
• Review project scoping and planning documents, engineering designs, hydrologic modeling, engineering plans, and other documents as needed for each project.
• Apply wastewater engineering techniques and principals to small community system needs and requests for financial assistance.
• Interpret and apply federal and state laws, rules, policies, and guidance regarding wastewater management to ensure that infrastructure built with loan and grant funds will be protective of the environment, affordable to the community, and will function as intended

Why join the team?

• You will be working directly with small communities to provide their customers with affordable sewage treatment.
• You will be joining the Municipal Operations Unit, a group dedicated to a teamwork approach to problem solving.
• You will have the opportunity to engage with communities from across the state, and connect with partners from multiple state agencies.
• You will have significant ability to prioritize your own work.

NOTE:  Ecology is currently hiring two Environmental Engineer 5 positions focused on service to Small Communities in Washington. This posting is for an engineer with Water Quality’s Southwest Regional Office (SWRO). A separate posting can be found for an engineer position with the Program’s Financial Management Section (FMS).

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply for both opportunities, but should be aware of certain differences in the focus of each position:

• The FMS position focuses on small communities statewide while this SWRO  position works with communities in the southwestern portion of Washington.
• The FMS position is intended to provide technical expertise and community support for planning, design, construction, and system sustainability related to Ecology’s financial assistance programs. This SWRO position will provide similar expertise with more emphasis on regulatory approvals, permit development and compliance issues.

Please note: During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, staff are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position may need to travel to priority communities for field visits, under the conditions we have established for field work.

Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.

This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of June 1, 2021.  In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before May 31, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Required Qualifications:

There are multiple ways to qualify for this position. See options below:

Option 1:

• An Engineer-In-Training Certificate or a Bachelor’s degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington

• Five (5) years of experience in environmental engineering. This experience may include:

  • Environmental engineering expertise in wastewater, stormwater, or reclaimed water treatment, collection, and distribution technologies and laws, and specifically:
    • Experience providing environmental engineering analysis and completing engineering reviews.
    • Familiarity with treatment technologies, treatment plant and collection system operation and maintenance.
    • Experience with wastewater treatment engineering and regulation.
    • Operator training and technical assistance.  Plant startup and trouble shooting.
    • Design, bidding, award, and construction management of water quality projects.
    • Cost estimation, alternative analysis, utility economy analysis, or rate setting.

Option 2: 

• A Master’s degree with major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary water resource, civil, geotechnical, environmental, chemical, mechanical, or related field

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington

• Four (4) years of experience in environmental engineering. This experience may include:

  • Environmental engineering expertise in wastewater, stormwater, or reclaimed water treatment, collection, and distribution technologies and laws, and specifically:
    • Experience providing environmental engineering analysis and completing engineering reviews.
    • Familiarity with treatment technologies, treatment plant and collection system operation and maintenance.
    • Experience with wastewater treatment engineering and regulation.
    • Operator training and technical assistance.  Plant startup and trouble shooting.
    • Design, bidding, award, and construction management of water quality projects.
    • Cost estimation, alternative analysis, utility economy analysis, or rate setting.

Option 3:

• A PhD with major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary water resource, civil, geotechnical, environmental, chemical, mechanical, or related field

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington

• Two (2) years of experience in environmental engineering. This experience may include:

  • Environmental engineering expertise in wastewater, stormwater, or reclaimed water treatment, collection, and distribution technologies and laws, and specifically:
    • Experience providing environmental engineering analysis and completing engineering reviews.
    • Familiarity with treatment technologies, treatment plant and collection system operation and maintenance.
    • Experience with wastewater treatment engineering and regulation.
    • Operator training and technical assistance.  Plant startup and trouble shooting.
    • Design, bidding, award, and construction management of water quality projects.
    • Cost estimation, alternative analysis, utility economy analysis, or rate setting.

Desired Qualifications:

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

• Experience working with small communities on public works infrastructure planning and design
• Contract management experience
• Experience communicating complex and technical scientific information to a variety of audiences

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

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Valid Driver’s License
• Registered as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington

NOTE:  Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials. These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State Licensing (DOL) Official Site: How to get your license: Professional engineer by comity

Why work for Ecology?

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 the health and financial security of you and your family a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to work/life 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

Student debt and how working for Ecology can help
Employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

Application Instructions:

Please complete the short on-line application, answer the supplemental questions, and upload:

• Your current chronological resume;
• A cover letter explaining how you fit the requirements of the position;
• Three professional references with current contact information.

Important Note:

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.

Please to do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.  

It is in the candidate’s best interest to submit all of the documents requested above. Applications without these documents may be declined.

Department of 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.

If you are reading this announcement in print format, please visit www.careers.wa.gov to access the online recruitment system. Click on “Look for Jobs” and select Dept. of Ecology under the “Department” search list. Click “Apply Search.”

Other Information:

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 have specific questions about the position, please email Steve Ogle at: Steven.Ogle@ecy.wa.gov.  Please do not contact Steve to inquire about the status of your application.

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.

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

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.

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.