Grant and Contract Financial Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) (2 positions)

The Office of Chehalis Basin within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill two Grant and Contract Financial Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) positions.

The positions are locatedin our Headquarters Office inUpon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

In this dynamic role, you will collaborate with planners, internal subject matter experts, and external partners dedicated to implementing the Chehalis Basin Strategy to restore aquatic species habitat, enhance local economies, and mitigate flood control.

You will provide project financial oversight on grants and contracts awarded to local governments, state agencies, Tribes, and non-government partners and oversee the planning, design, and implementation and construction of projects focused on restoring critical aquatic species habitat and protecting residents from flood damage.

This role requires specialized knowledge of fiscal accountability, salmon recovery, property acquisition, and floodplain management.

You will need to creatively problem-solve and find innovative ways to support our work, demonstrate flexibility and rapidly respond to emerging issues, and collaborate effectively with a wide range of partners.

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

Program Mission : The Office of Chehalis Basin and the Chehalis Basin Board’s legislative directive is to aggressively pursue implementation of an integrated strategy and administer funding for long-term flood damage reduction and aquatic species restoration in the Chehalis River Basin.

Telework options for this position : These positions 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 : The positions will remain open until filled, we will review applications on July 12, 2024 . In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before July 11, 2024 .

If your application isn't received by this date, it may not be considered. The agency reserves the right to make hires 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 successful hires were 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?

As a senior-level financial project specialist, together with other Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) team members, you will oversee complicated and highly complex aquatic species habitat restoration projects and floodplain management projects.

Your direct experience and knowledge in fiscal accountability, aquatic species habitat restoration, floodplain management, and land acquisitions will help inform funding and implementing the Chehalis Basin Strategy.

You will work closely with the OCB Management Analyst to support OCB strategy implementation and forward planning efforts.

Additionally, you will collaborate with the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program contracts and grants managers to refine and develop contract and grant processes that support the unique structure of the OCB implementation funding mechanisms.

What you will do :

• Provide comprehensive financial oversight of Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) funding agreements and contracts awarded to local governments, state agencies, Tribes, and non-government partners for Chehalis Basin Strategy improvement projects to ensure Ecology’s grant and contract recipients comply with state statutes, rules, policies, and guidelines.
• Collaborate with internal teams including planners, natural resource scientists, and subject matter experts to provide oversight on the planning, design, and implementation of restoration and construction projects aligned with the Chehalis Basin Strategy.
• Engage with internal colleagues to provide outreach and training for OCB planning and implementation projects.
• Ensure OCB funded projects follow Environmental Justice initiatives and Title VI.
• Confirm project alignment with the Environmental Justice Community Engagement Plan and Tribal Engagement and Consultation Plan.
• Provide oversight and fiscal accountability knowledge to internal and external colleagues on quality assurance and control coordination for funding agreements, ensuring the scope of work and budget meets Ecology’s quality assurance parameters and expectations.
• Participate in site visits with internal colleagues to observe project deliverables and outcomes.

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 nine (9) years of experience and / or education as described below :

• Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
• 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 credits or degree as listed above

Years of required experience as listed above

Combination 1

No college credits or degree

9 years of experience

Combination 2

30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits

8 years of experience

Combination 3

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

7 years of experience

Combination 4

90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college 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.

Desired Qualifications :

• Skills with Microsoft SharePoint, Excel, and Word.
• Grant / loan and / or other related financial management experience.

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