Bellingham Field Office Manager (WMS Band 1)

The Northwest Region Office (NWRO)within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill the Bellingham Field Office Manager (WMS Band 1) position.

This position is located in our Bellingham Field Office (BFO) in . Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

In this role, you will provide leadership for an office of 40 environmental professionals working in the northwest corner of Washington state.

Key work will include coordinating with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to solve complex environmental challenges to protect human health and the environment.

You will have the opportunity to work with all eleven of Ecology’s environmental programs doing critical work to protect and restore land, air, and water.

Government relations work will also include working on transboundary issues with British Columbia, Canada. In addition to supporting Ecology’s environmental portfolio, you will be responsible for leading and managing the administrative functions of the field office, ensuring the best possible experience for customers and employees.

You will create an inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive and promote a spirit of cooperation and teamwork.

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

The Bellingham Field Office (BFO) represents most Ecology program disciplines with a focus on Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties.

Tele-work 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 40% tele-work 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 August 21, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before August 20, 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 be one of only two field office managers in the state. Your work will be highly varied, from coordinating transboundary issues with British Columbia, to meeting with local landowners about pollution concerns, to ensuring the field office is a great environment for customer service and employee experience.

What you will do :

• Build and support relationships with customers and agencies in the Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan County area to meet Ecology’s strategic goals.
• Support operations of Ecology’s environmental programs through management of the field office.
• Be the agency lead on complex environmental challenges that involve multiple agencies and require problems solving and relationship building to succeed.
• Represent the region director on committees, workgroups, and other high-profile efforts that require communicating and speaking on behalf of the agency.
• Represent the agency as project manager for high-profile environmental reviews of proposed projects (e.g. State Environmental Policy Act)
• Support new and existing transboundary efforts to protect and restore the environment around the border of Canada through coordination with British Columbia and other agencies.

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.

Nine (9) years of experience and / or education.

Experience : Professional level work experience in land use, regional, environmental or natural resource planning and / or program development, or project management, including implementation of environmental regulations.

Three years of the required years of experience must also include serving in a leadership role that involves :

• Leading multi-disciplinary teams to produce specific outcomes.
• Communicating goals and strategies in a manner that promotes teamwork and motivation.
• Establishing credibility by clear and effective communication and effective project management.
• Ability to pivot and redirect a project when it is determined the current path will not lead to desired results.
• Ability to maintain effective working relationships and establish trusting partnerships with a wide range of organizations.
• Education : With a major study in environmental, physical or natural science, environmental studies, environmental engineering;

environmental planning, public policy, public administration, or other related qualifying discipline.

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 or higher.

3 years of experience

Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment :

This position requires possessing and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Desired Qualifications :

• Knowledge and experience with Washington State and / or Washington local government
• Knowledge of project management and planning
• Knowledge of Washington environmental protection laws
• Experience representing executive leaders and speaking on their behalf
• Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, especially in a region, field, or remote office

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