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Single-Shelled Tank (SST) Chemist

Washington State Department of Ecology
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The Department of Ecology's priority during the Covid-19 health crisis is to keep our staff, candidates, and the public safe. We are still hiring and encourage you to apply to open positions. The majority of our staff are currently working from home; we have transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews. 
  
 
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
 
 
Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We have a culture that is invested in making a difference. If you want to join a team that is highly effective, collaborative, has leadership that embraces the value of people, Ecology is a good fit.
 
The Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) is looking to hire a Single-Shelled Tank Chemist (Chemist 4). This position will be located in our office in Richland, WA. It’s sunny most of the time and Richland is a great place to raise kids and enjoy the outdoors.
 
The Single-Shelled Tank Chemist position is located in the Cleanup section of the NWP program, serves as the Program designated expert chemist for single-shelled tanks (SSTs) and provides chemistry and regulatory technical support for the cleanup of the Hanford site.
  
We are looking for applicants who have: 
  • A strong chemistry background and are able to evaluate the complex chemistry of waste in the single-shelled tanks.
  • The ability to explain the complex chemistry of the waste and are able to relay vital information to non-chemist staff that could impact DOE operations and retrievals.
  • Good organizational skills and are able to review various databases, extract the needed information and organize it for easy access and understanding.
This position is a great challenge for the right individual who wants to expand their knowledge of complex chemistry including radionuclides.
 
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.
 
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.
 
 
  
Local efforts... Diverse people... Statewide impacts
Duties

The Single-Shelled Tank Chemist position is located within the Nuclear Waste Program. The Nuclear Waste Program's (NWP) mission is to lead the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site, to ensure sound management of mixed hazardous wastes in Washington, and to protect the state's air, water, and land at and adjacent to the Hanford site.
 
This position is part of a team that addresses the safe retrieval and closure of 149 single-shelled tanks on the Hanford Site. It would be a good challenge for the right applicant as the chemistry of the waste presents some unique opportunities for evaluating the safe retrieval of this waste into safer double shelled tanks.
 
Some of the key work activities of the Single-Shelled Tank Chemist are:
  • Manages review of sampling analyses for tank farms. 
  • Advises staff on quality assurance/quality control requirements for sampling and analysis.
  • Reviews documents (e.g., Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit applications, waste analysis plans, quality assurance plans, analytical methods) for technical merit and compliance with permit conditions and regulations.
  • Evaluates analytical data in support of remediation, RCRA closure, groundwater monitoring, permitting and waste designation.
  • Reviews data for regulatory decision making.
 
Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.
 
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 recruitment will remain open until filled. The initial screening will be April 2, 2021. In order to be considered for the initial screening, please submit an application on or before April 1, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.


 

 
 

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:

There are multiple ways to qualify for this position. See options below:
 
Option 1: A Bachelor's degree with a major in chemistry or a Bachelor's degree in a related field with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college level chemistry AND six (6) years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory.
  
Option 2: A Master’s Degree with a major in chemistry or a Master's degree in a related field with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college level chemistry AND four (4) years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory.
 
Option 3: A Ph.D with a major in chemistry or a Ph.D in a related field with a minimum of 30 semester hours or 45 quarter hours of college level chemistry AND three (3) years of experience performing chemical analysis in an analytical laboratory.
  
Option 4: One (1) year of experience as a Chemist 3 at the Department of Ecology.
 
  
Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment:
  • Must be able to obtain a Hanford site access badge. Information about obtaining the Hanford Badge Real ID (Download PDF reader) Real ID information from the Department of Licensing  
  • Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
  • Must be able to work safely in environments where potential exposure to industrial dangerous waste chemicals, dust and noise levels, and low levels of radioactivity might occur.
  • Must be able to wear safety clothing and equipment, up to and including Level C, as defined in the OSHA 40-hour Hazardous Waste Training requirements.
  • Must be able to complete HAZWOPER training and Ecology field safety training within one (1) year of employment.
  • Must complete U.S. Department of Energy Radiation Worker 1 work training prior to any field oversight or inspections of radiation controlled areas such as the DST tank farms.  
  • Must participate in radiation dosimetry program, including wearing personal dosimetry. 

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

  • Knowledge of: inorganic, organic, and analytical chemistry; physical chemistry related to modern analytical instrumentation; research methods in micro-chemistry; research report writing; activities planning and fiscal aspects of laboratory management; principles of good supervision. 
  • Ability to: present technical information clearly, both orally and in writing; deal effectively with representatives of other agencies and organizations including USDOE and its contractors.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
 
 
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:
 
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 complete the short on-line application, supplemental questions and upload:
  • Your current chronological resume. 
  • A cover letter explaining how you fit the requirements of the position.
 
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. 
 
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.
 
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 Nina Menard at: Nina.Menard@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Nina 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.