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Plastics Recycled Content Specialist (Two Positions)

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

The Solid Waste Management (SWM) program is looking to fill two Plastics Recycled Content Specialist (Environmental Specialist 3) positions. Both positions will be located in our Headquarters Building (HQ) in Lacey, WA. 

The new Senate Bill (SB) 5022 sets dates that certain plastic container and plastic trash bag producers must meet minimums for postconsumer recycled content in their products. In this role you will be responsible for identifying and contacting regulated producers to inform them about registration, agency payment, postconsumer recycled content requirements minimums, annual reporting requirements, and invoicing procedures. 

The mission of the Solid Waste Management (SWM) program is to reduce wastes through prevention and reuse, keep toxics out of the environment, and safely manage what remains. The Industrial Section regulates some of the largest and most complex industries in the state to minimize their impact on the air, water, and land.

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. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding building occupancy, mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. 

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 makes this role unique?
This is a first-in-the-nation program, that you will help build! In this role you will inform plastics producers of the recycled content standards their products must meet, and fees to be collected. This will become an annual process after the first year.
 
What you'll do:
  • Annually research and identify all plastics producers of covered products that are regulated under Senate Bill (SB) 5022.
  • Annually inform covered producers under the program’s minimum recycled context requirements, their fee amount, and how to submit payment.
  • Maintain the registration and annual reporting processes for plastics producers, including a fee collection system.
  • Annually create and update a table of producers and their reported data, processing requests for confidentiality, and posting and updating the information online.
  • Coordinate with IT staff to update the associated database.
  • Manage the registration and annual reporting process, including posting of currently registered producers, their associated brand names, amount of virgin and postconsumer recycled content, and potentially other relevant information on the Recycled Content web site. 
  • Work with producers over the phone and through email to help them understand the registration and annual reporting processes.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
There are multiple ways to qualify for these positions. See options listed below:

Option 1: Six years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning and/or a combination of experience and education with coursework in the following areas of study: environmental, physical, or natural science, planning, business administration or closely allied field. See chart below:

Option 2: A Bachelor’s degree involving a major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, planning, business administration or closely allied field AND Two years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.

Option 3: A Master’s degree involving a major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, planning, business administration or closely allied field AND One year of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.

Option 4: One year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2, at the Department of Ecology. 
 
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:

 
 
Desired Qualifications:

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

1) Ability to:
  • Conduct thorough and systematic research.
  • Communicate effectively with agency staff, regulated community, and the general public.
  • Effectively provide customer service over the phone.
2) A basic understanding of:
  • Billing and Revenue Tracking Systems for invoicing and payments.
  • Implementation of state regulations on consumer goods manufacturers.

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 Blake Nelson at: Blake.Nelson@ecy.wa.gov. . Please do not contact Blake 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.