Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Policy Manager (WMS Band 2)

The(SEA) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Policy Manager (WMS Band 2) position .

This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

The Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) Program at the Department of Ecology is looking for an individual interested in working in a fast paced, highly collaborative position.

This position coordinates legislative analysis, rulemaking, and policy development, and is based at Ecology Headquarters in Lacey, Washington.

This key position gets in front of the issues, is vested in the value of outreach and serves as the Legislative Liaison for SEA and is the Growth Management Act (GMA) coordinator for the Department of Ecology.

The position also coordinates federal legislative issues for the SEA Program and leads implementation on emerging program initiatives.

This position reports directly to the SEA Program Manager. The SEA Program consists of seven (7) unique policy areas (floodplains, coastal / ocean, shoreline management, wetlands, clean energy, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), GMA and multiple sections with strong federal nexuses (NW Straits, Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Coastal Zone Management, Aquatic Protection and Washington Conservation Corps / AmeriCorps).

The Policy Manager engages regularly with the policy leads and managers in these respective areas.

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

Program Mission : The mission of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program is to create community conservation partnerships to protect and restore our shorelands, wetlands, and floodplains.

Telework options for this position : This position will be eligible for up to a 60% 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 17, 2024 . In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before June 16, 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.

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 and challenging?

In this role, you'll thrive in a fast-paced environment, needing robust written and verbal communication skills. Your success hinges on your capability to collaborate and coordinate across various programs, agencies, and demographics.

You'll be an integral part of a vibrant, creative management team that offers support and encouragement.

What you will do :

• Analyze pending legislation, develop legislative testimony, and testify at Legislative hearings on SEA program authorities.
• Coordinate policy and legislative work in partnership with policy managers, including developing draft agency request legislation, authoring position papers, contributing to and performing final review of budget proposals, developing internal control and accountability measures related to policies and procedures, performing legislative analyses, and coordinating policy impacts around rulemaking.
• Strategically direct Program legislative policy development.
• Coordinate agency-wide engagement with proposed GMA legislative and policy initiatives that intersect with Ecology authority.
• Serve as Department of Ecology point of contact for Growth Management Act and related land use statutes
• Coordinate with program experts on federal policy and budget initiatives.
• Research and analyze emerging statewide, national, and international shoreline, coastal, wetland, floodplain management, clean energy siting, and youth corps programming policy issues.

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, educational 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 with legislation and policy work.
• Education : involving a major study in an environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental engineering, environmental planning, environmental law, public policy, management, or other closely allied field.

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

Possible Combinations

College credit hours or degree - as described above

Years of required experience - as described 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 or higher

5 years of experience

Additional Required Knowledge and Skills :

• Skills that promote a productive and supportive work environment.
• Ability to understand and resolve complex planning and policy issues related to the project.
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
• Knowledge of local government planning processes.
• Strong knowledge of environmental regulation and planning.
• Strong collaboration and facilitation skills.
• Skills in creative problem solving.
• Ability to focus on priorities.
• Ability to be flexible and open to change.
• Ability to manage multiple projects / issues.
• Ability to work effectively on teams.
• Ability to promote teamwork and lead, coach, and mentor professional staff.
• Ability to appreciate and value individual needs and diversity.

Desired Qualifications :

• Experience with state legislative processes.
• Experience with Shorelands and Environmental Assistant (SEA) Program policy areas such as shoreline, wetland and floodplain management, and / or implementation of Statement Environmental Policy Act (SEPA).
• Experience with the Growth Management Act.
• Experience with federal policy.

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