Communications Specialist (Communications Consultant 3)

The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Communications Specialist (Communications Consultant 3) position.

This position is locatedin our Headquarters Office inUpon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Play an important role in advancing high-priority water quality projects in this new position! In this role, you will provide communications support to the Budget and Contracts Unit in the Financial Management Section of the Water Quality Program.

You will champion Water Quality grant and loan programs by collaborating with technical and financial staff to develop communication strategies and materials.

Establishing and sustaining relationships with community partners such as local government, Tribes, non-profits, and industry associations will be essential as you create materials to explain funding opportunities, answer questions, and provide regular updates about the development and implementation of the Water Quality grant and loan programs.

Your efforts will guide the grants and loans program though an integrated annual funding cycle, awarding funds for the Clean Water State Revolving Fund, Stormwater Financial Assistance Program, Centennial Clean Water Program, and Clean Water Act Section 319 Nonpoint Source Grant Program.

Agency Mission : Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Program Mission : The mission of the Water Quality Program is to ensure that all aquatic life and communities in the watershed experience cool, clean water to refresh and sustain us in a changing climate.

Telework options for this position : This position will be eligible for up to a 90% telework schedule.Applicants with questions about position location options, tele-work, and flexible or compressed schedules are encouraged to reach out to the contact person listed below in other information.

Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline : This position will remain open until filled; we will review applications on June 13, 2024 . To be considered, please submit an application on or before June 12, 2024 .

If your application isn't received by this date, it may not be considered. The agency reserves the right to make a Hire any time after the initial screening date.

Please Note : We will review all applications received before the date above. Additional reviews after this date typically only occur if we have a small applicant pool, or if a successful Hire was not made.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following :

About the Department of Ecology

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 embraces the value of people. To learn more, check out our.

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.
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work.

Our commitment to DEIR

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.

Duties

What makes this role unique?

You will provide strategic and innovative communication for all Water Quality grant and loan programs. In collaboration with other agency and program communications leads and technical staff, you will develop effective communication strategies and materials, exercising independent judgement to select the most suitable methods.

What you will do :

• Consult with project managers to identify impacted audiences, devise effective outreach methods, and recommend strategies for ensuring messages are communicated clearly.
• Develop, implement, review, and coordinate communication strategies, plans, communication channels, and message content with project managers to ensure alignment with project objectives.
• Educate staff on the communication impacts of their work and the most effective audience engagement methods, consulting with the Communications Manager when necessary.
• Plan, develop, write, edit, and review communications materials including publications, web content, an EZView webpage, presentations, GovDelivery emails, social media posts, and more for internal and external audiences, using expertise to strategize, develop, and implement communication plans that engage community partners, promote program effectiveness, and address complex communication challenges.
• Understand and recognize the specialized expertise of various subject matter experts across Ecology in order to coordinate responses to community partner questions with appropriate team members.
• Coordinate the review of communication products, plans, and strategies across internal and external partners.
• Collaborate with communications and outreach staff to bring an engagement perspective into Water Quality’s combined funding discussions and approaches.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications :

Years of required experience indicated below are full-time equivalent years. Full-time equivalent experience means that any experience where working hours were less than 40 hours per week will be prorated in order to meet the equivalency of full-time.

We would calculate this by looking at the total hours worked per week, divide this by 40, and then multiply by the total number of months worked.

Examples of the proration calculations are :

• 30 hours worked per week for 20 months : (30 / 40) x 20 months 15 months full-time equivalent
• 20 hours worked per week for 12 months : (20 / 40) x 12 months 6 months full-time equivalent

Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, education, and volunteer experience.

See below for how you may qualify.

A total of six (6) years of experience and / or education as described below :

• Experience : in journalism, public relations / information, news media, digital / social media, marketing, digital accessibility, writing / editing, or a related field.
• Education : involving a major study in journalism, communications, public relations, news media, digital / social media, English, marketing, humanities, or closely allied field.

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

Possible Combinations

College credits or degree as listed above

Years of required experience as listed above

Combination 1

No college credits or degree

6 years of experience

Combination 2

30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits

5 years of experience

Combination 3

60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree)

4 years of experience

Combination 4

90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits

3 years of experience

Combination 5

A Bachelor's Degree

2 years of experience

Combination 6

A Master's Degree or higher

No experience

Desired Qualifications :

• Experience with the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) or similar public involvement process.
• Experience in Environmental Justice and ADA accessibility communications, or in reaching communities with barriers to obtaining information.
• Experience with Microsoft Office, SharePoint, and the Adobe Creative Suite products.
• Experience with Zoom or similar virtual meeting platforms, social media, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
• Experience in graphic design, video recording, and editing.

Note : Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.