Water Quality Standards Project Manager (Environmental Planner 3)
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Department of Ecology is looking for a Water Quality Standards Project Manager (Environmental Planner 3) in the Water Quality Program in our Headquarters building in Lacey, WA.
As part of the Watershed Management Section in Ecology's Water Quality Program, this position independently plans, directs, and coordinates the review and interpretation of state rules that govern Washington's surface water quality standards. These standards are the basis for ensuring our state lakes, rivers, estuaries and coasts are maintained at a high quality to support fishing, swimming, and the aquatic habitat necessary for our fish and wildlife.
This environmental planner works closely with environmental science staff to keep the water quality standards up-to-date by acting as a subject matter expert on the Federal Clean Water Act, Washington State rulemaking process and regulatory analysis necessary to revise and implement the state water quality rules.
We are looking for someone who has an academic background in environmental science, policy, or planning. The top candidates for this position will have professional experience navigating federal and state laws, rules, and policies that govern surface water quality issues, effective written and oral communication skills, and experience in project management which includes strong organizational skills.
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.
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Local efforts... Diverse people... Statewide impacts
Duties
Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment and to promote the wise management of our air, land and water for the benefit of current and future generations.
Program Mission: The mission of the Water Quality Program is to protect and restore Washington's waters to sustain healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures that state waters support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health.
What does the Water Quality Standards Project Manager do?
This position independently plans, directs, and coordinates the Washington State Surface Water Quality Standards Program. This includes:
- Supporting and directing technical staff on rule planning and coordination efforts in order to produce high quality documents and outreach materials to successfully complete the rulemaking and public review processes.
- Managing and tracking water quality standards rulemaking tasks, including developing appropriate materials and technical documents.
- Providing organizational oversight and expertise for the Water Quality Standards work team by identifying and tracking key criteria, policy, rule development, and technical issues that are important to the program, and working with the team to prioritize issues and coordinate with other agency programs where issues overlap.
- Planning, developing, and tracking implementation of long term strategies for updating the Water Quality Standards program to ensure that the most current science is considered and that issues are prioritized in order of importance to the program and the State.
What's it like to be a part of this team?
- The Water Quality Management Unit takes a team approach with most of our work, and we rely on each team member to bring their strong subject matter expertise to our projects.
- This is a great team of experts from many different fields, from communications, to environmental planning and research science.
- This position provides an opportunity to employ your communication and planning skills to effectively communicate the science that leads the rules and policies Ecology is responsible for to help maintain the quality of Washington's waters.
This position is open until filled. The initial screening will be May 7, 2019. In order to be considered for the initial screening, please submit an application on or before May 6, 2019. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
A Master's degree or above with 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 AND two years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.
OR
One year of experience as an Environmental Planner 2, provided a degree as described above has been obtained.
Two years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, will substitute for the Master's degree provided a Bachelor's degree in a field listed above or a natural science has been achieved.
Desired Qualifications:
- Rulemaking experience
- Strong organizational skills and attention to detail
- Experience with project management
- Experience working with teams to successfully complete large projects
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
Must possess a valid driver's license.
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
Supplemental Information
Application Instructions:
Please include the following documents as an attachment to your application:
- A cover letter describing how your experience, skills and abilities meet the required qualifications of this position.
- A resume outlining your professional experience.
Please complete the applicant profile when applying for this position. Or, you may paste the text of your resume within the profile's resume text field.
Please read the supplemental questions carefully and answer completely. Incomplete responses, including "please see resume" may disqualify you from further consideration.
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 at (360) 407-6186.
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 call Human Resources at (360) 407-6186 or e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not call this number or 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 Chad Brown at: CHBR461@ECY.WA.GOV. Please do not contact Chad 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.
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 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.