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Water Quality Data Coordinator

Washington State Department of Ecology
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Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.1 (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 Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Data Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 3) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.

This position serves as the program's Environmental Information Management (EIM) Data Coordinator for data submitted to Washington’s Water Quality Assessment. The Assessment is an important tool for providing the status of water quality in the state and meeting goals envisioned in the federal Clean Water Act. This position is responsible for quality assurance reviews of water quality monitoring datasets, and also provides scientific analysis and support for management of several internal databases and related GIS mapping projects.

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.  

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 October 8, 2021. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before October 7, 2021.. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
Duties

What you'll do
In this position, you will provide quality customer service and technical assistance for Electronic Information Management (EIM) data systems for Ecology staff and external users, such as other local, state, and federal agencies, and the general public. This includes:
  • Managing data submitted to the agency’s EIM system for use in the Washington Water Quality Assessment, including water quality grant data.
  • Serving as the program’s EIM Data Coordinator, and providing training and support to other program staff who manage EIM data for grants, regional water quality studies, and discharge permit receiving water studies. 
  • Conducting public and internal training on EIM applications, including the data import module.
  • Collaborating with the EIM Agency Data Coordinator and other Program Data Coordinators to develop user guidelines and self-help training materials.
  • Assisting water quality standards and assessment staff with data analysis projects and presentation summary data for environmental policy decision-making.
  • Assisting Ecology field staff collecting surface water quality data to remain current with field collection and quality assurance methods.

Why join the team?
This position provides a unique opportunity for someone who has a strong background in environmental data collection and desires to learn how we put water quality data to use in state regulations and policy. You will be able to maintain field data collection skills, and play an important role ensuring data quality objectives are met prior to their use in decision-making. You will get a broad perspective of the studies that Ecology performs, and work with several environmental programs within the agency.



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: 
Six (6) years of experience and/ or education:

  • Education: involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
  • Experience: in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. 

Experience may include a combination of the following:
  • Collecting, managing, or analyzing environmental data.
  • Using Geographic Information System (GIS) mapping.
  • Manipulating and managing large databases using programs such as Microsoft Excel and Access, or similar. 
Option 2: 

  • A Bachelor's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
  • Two (2) years of experience in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. Experience may include a combination of experience as described in Option 1.

Option 3:

  • A Master's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
  • One (1) year of experience in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. Experience may include a combination of experience as described in Option 1. 

Option 4: 

  • A PhD involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.

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.

  • Experience working with environmental or scientific data.
  • Experience using GIS to develop maps and conduct spatial analysis.
  • Experience in water quality monitoring and field data collection.

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 Chad Brown at: Chad.Brown@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Chad 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.