The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an Aquatic Invasive and Algae Control Financial Assistance Project Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) (In-Training) position.
This position is locatedin our Headquarters Office inUpon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
In this dynamic role, you will oversee and manage two statewide financial assistance programs : Aquatic Invasive Plants and Freshwater Algae Control.
You will collaborate with planners, scientists, subject matter experts, and external partners to address the environmental impacts of freshwater harmful algal blooms and freshwater invasive plant control.
Using your specialized knowledge of aquatic invasive plants and harmful algal blooms, you will provide program oversight, planning, and outreach coordination.
Together with the Water Quality Program Capital Budget Manager, you will ensure the pass-through funding criteria are consistent and complimentary with Water Quality Program’s Combined Financial Assistance program.
Note : This position offers a career path and on-the-job training. This position allows you to progress through the Environmental Specialist (ES) field and achieve the goal class of an Environmental Specialist 4.
Candidates will be considered at the ES3 and the ES4 levels, depending on their qualifications. For salary levels for each, please see the qualifications section.
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 have flexibility of a hybrid schedule, empowering work from home and office, providing less time in traffic and shrinking your carbon footprint.
This position will be eligible for up to a 90% telework schedule.
Applicants with questions about position location options, telework, 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 next review applications on July 8 , 2024 . To be considered, please submit an application on or before July 7 , 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?
This is a multi-faceted role where you will oversee ongoing implementation of the Aquatic Invasive Plants and Freshwater Algae Control financial assistance programs, including updating funding guidance, leading a panel of reviewers for the annual application process, working with funding recipients in developing scopes of work for their projects, and managing those projects through completion.
You will collaborate with the statewide local lakes group to help educate and inform on harmful algal blooms and invasive plant remediation practices.
What you will do :
- Provide comprehensive oversight from funding cycle preparation through individual project completion for the Aquatic Invasive Plants and Freshwater Algae Control financial assistance program.
- Collaborate with internal teams, including statewide natural resource scientists and subject matter experts, and external state and local partners to implement Aquatic Invasive Plants and Freshwater Algae Control grant opportunities.
- Engage in external local lake activities and outreach efforts.
- Ensure the Financial Management section follows Environmental Justice initiatives and Title VI, as well as the requirements of the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act in cleanup projects.
- Confirm project alignment with the Environmental Justice Community Engagement Plan and Tribal Engagement and Consultation Plan.
- Provide guidance to internal and external partners on quality assurance and control coordination for pass-through funding agreements, ensuring the scope of work meets Ecology quality assurance parameters and expectations.
Conduct regular site visits to verify project deliverables and outcomes, which may require being on or near bodies of water and operating watercraft.
Qualifications
This is an In-Training position. The goal class for this position is Environmental Specialist 4 (ES4). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for the ES4 and ES3 levels.
If the finalist meets the requirements for the ES3 level, they will be hired in at that level and placed into a training program to become an ES4 within a specified period of time.
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.
At the Environmental Specialist 3 level : Pay Range 53 ($4,740 - $6,384 monthly) (In-Training)
A total of 6 years of experience and / or education as described below :
Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning. Experience may include a combination of the following : Investigating environmental complaints or violations.
Performing inspections or field investigations. Planning, developing, and conducting data collection, and analyzing the results.
Assisting businesses with regulatory requirements, including explaining options for coming into compliance.
Education : involving a 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 :
Possible Combinations
College credit hours or degree as listed above.
Years of required experience as listed above.
Combination 1
No college credit hours or degree
6 years of experience
Combination 2
30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.
5 years of experience
Combination 3
60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).
4 years of experience
Combination 4
90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.
3 years of experience
Combination 5
A Bachelor's Degree
2 years of experience
Combination 6
A Master's Degree
1 year of experience
Combination 7
A Ph.D.
No experience
One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2, at the Department of Ecology.
At the Environmental Specialist 4 level : Pay Range 59 ($5,501 - $7,400 monthly) Goal Class
A total of 9 years of experience and / or education as described below :
Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning. Experience may include a combination of the following : Investigating environmental complaints or violations.
Performing inspections or field investigations. Planning, developing, and conducting data collection, and analyzing the results.
Assisting businesses with regulatory requirements, including explaining options for coming into compliance.
Education : involving a 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 :
Possible Combinations
College credit hours or degree as listed above.
Years of required experience as listed above.
Combination 1
No college credit hours or degree
9 years of experience
Combination 2
30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.
8 years of experience
Combination 3
60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).
7 years of experience
Combination 4
90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.
6 years of experience
Combination 5
A Bachelor's Degree
5 years of experience
Combination 6
A Master's Degree
3 years of experience
Combination 7
A Ph.D.
2 years of experience
Two (2) years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3, at the Department of Ecology.
Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment :
Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
Desired Qualifications :
- Experience or education in botany, water quality, or other environmental or natural resource protection program.
- Experience or education related to freshwater aquatic plants and harmful algal blooms and control.
Note : Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
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