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Regional Oil Spill Planning Specialist

Washington State Department of Ecology
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Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 18th, 2021. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 Vaccination as part of the hire process. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 Vaccination” in the subject line.

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

This is an exciting time to join Ecology and help grow the state’s master oil spill contingency plan and other regional or area plans for emergency response. These plans have historically been the foundation for state coordination with our federal, tribal, state, industry and community partners. This is an opportunity to hone your skills for collaboration and communication, and make a difference to the environment and economy in Washington.

The Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response  (SPPR) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Regional Oil Spill Planning Specialist (Marine Transportation Safety Specialist 3) position. This position may be located in our Headquarters in Lacey, WA,  our Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA, or our Bellingham Field Office in Bellingham, WA.

This is a unique opportunity to help us keep Washington at the forefront of oil spill planning.

The Spills Program's mission is to protect Washington's environment, public health and safety through a comprehensive spill prevention, preparedness, and response program. The Spills Program's vision is to prevent, prepare for, and respond aggressively to oil spills; to be our best for the State of Washington. Our Spills goal is "zero spills". 

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 and collaborative, with leadership that embrace the value of people.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

  • 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, fitness classes, and 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.
 
Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.
 
Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.
 
Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.
 
Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.
 
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 Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. [If they must be in the office, add This position is expected to work in the office up to XX days a week.] Ecology is following current state guidance regarding building occupancy, mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. 

Please Note: The salary posted above does not include the additional 5% premium pay that this position will receive if the position's final location is in King County (Shoreline).   
 
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of September 27, 2021. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before September 26, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
Duties
 
What you'll do:

  • Work on committees and task forces that develop oil spill plans.
  • Facilitate collaboration and help us enrich our partnerships with federal, tribal, state, industry and community partners
  • Work to develop meeting agendas and speakers that bring relevant, engaging topics to the annual planning processes. 
  • Collect annual data, prepare technical and outreach documents, and organize other kinds of work for Ecology’s membership on the Pacific States and British Columbia Task Force.
  • Observe, write evaluations of and participate in oil spill drills that test and verify the plans we develop. These drills may occur in the field, on board vessels or in command posts statewide.

Qualifications

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:

  • Four (4) years of education and/or experience:
  • Education: involving major study in marine engineering/operations, marine transportation, environmental science, business or public administration, physical science, naval architecture, or closely related field. 
  • Experience: managing responses under an Incident Command System, oil spill planning and project management may be substituted year for year for education.
  • Four (4) years of environmental or maritime experience.

Option 2:
 
  • Bachelor's degree or above involving major study in marine engineering/operations, marine transportation, environmental science, business or public administration, physical science, naval architecture, or closely related field. 
  • Four (4) years of environmental or maritime experience.

The environmental or maritime experience experience may include a combination of the following:

  • Writing emergency response plans for a company or an agency that prepares the organization for response and recovery.
  • Working in groups, such as task forces, subcommittees and workgroups, on disaster planning. In particular working as a lead, chair or co-chair of a group.
  • Writing documents in plain, understandable language, translating technical information into easy to understand documents.

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:


Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

  • This position is part of the Spills Program Incident Management Team (IMT) and Crisis Management Team and must complete Incident Command System (ICS) training at the level of 100, 300, 700 and 800. 
  • Must maintain HAZWOPER certification annually and continual training as required by the Program as they come available to maintain IMT position qualifications. 
  • Must be able to obtain the Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC card) which entails a detailed background check. 
  • Must have eligibility and certification to permit travel to and from Canada, including passport or Enhanced Driver’s License. 
  • Must have valid Washington driver’s license
  • Must be prepared for a minimum 3-day field deployment within 1 hour of notification.

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

  • Familiarity with the Northwest Area Contingency Plan, or an oil spill plan developed elsewhere in the nation.
  • Experience writing clear directions to perform a task, and being able to succinctly describe something based on observation of it. 
  • Able to clearly communicate technical 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.


Supplemental Information

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 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 Linda Pilkey-Jarvis at: linda.pilkey-jarvis@ecy.wa.gov.  Please do not contact Linda 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:

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.