Salary: $63,216.00 – $82,896.00 Annually
Location: Thurston County – Lacey, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Department: Dept. of Ecology
Job Number: 2022-EAP4391-17258
Description
Per Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated effective November 4, 2022. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified prior to starting work. Being fully vaccinated means two weeks after you have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed or otherwise authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Watershed Health Monitoring Project Lead (Natural Resource Scientist 3) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Building (HQ) in Lacey, WA. EAP provides a range of scientific, monitoring, laboratory, and quality assurance services. Its mission is to measure, assess, and communicate environmental conditions in Washington State.
In this role, you will serve as the project lead on the watershed health monitoring program. As the project lead, you will implement research on physical processes to support status and trend monitoring of freshwater ecosystem health and climate in WA rivers and streams. You will perform duties related to the collection, analysis, and interpretation of water quality, biological and habitat data.
We are seeking applicants who have excellent attention to technical details, possess the ability to work independently and take initiative, are flexible, team-oriented, and can communicate and work effectively with diverse audiences.Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for field work, tele-work and in office 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 is subject to change.
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of December 20, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before December 19, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
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 Strategic Plan.
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.
- A wellness program that offers education, fitness classes, and an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
- 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? The Watershed Health Monitoring Project Lead position works directly with activities in Stream Biological and Habitat Assessment and Effectiveness Monitoring studies as well as participates in policy and program development of applied environmental monitoring design activities. In this role, you will be critical to the agency’s understanding of our freshwater resources and will be responsible for ensuring that staff findings are scientifically defensible. You will represent Ecology’s water quality interests when meeting with local government, state and federal agencies, business, industry, conservation districts and tribes regarding Stream Biological and Habitat Assessment and Effectiveness Monitoring studies.
What you will do:
- Define the research project and consults with agency management to determine needs, goals and objectives.
- Serve as the Section’s Watershed Health Monitoring (WHM) coordinator.
- Design, organizes, and conducts sampling that support evaluation of physical, chemical, and biological integrity of Washington’s rivers and streams.
- Develope and defines the record keeping and reporting procedures.
- Train and manage other personnel in sampling, field evaluation and reporting work.
- Work with colleagues to manage WHM data in EIM, its database editors, and electronic field forms.
- Prepare/reviews quality assurance project/management plans (QAPPs/QAMPs), Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Protocols for project, field and database methods.
- Manage and validates water quality, habitat, and biological data generated from the research.
- Coordinate sampling and data activities among statewide annually-sampled sentinel sites.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
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.
Option 1:A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, biological, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field AND Four years of professional-level research work experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
Option 2:
A Master’s degree one of the above fields and two years of professional- level research work experience.
Option 3:
A Ph.D. in one of the above fields will substitute for all the required experience, provided the field of major study was in the specific specialty.
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
Obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license
Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.
- Coursework in Environmental Science, Natural Science, Stream Ecology, Fisheries Biology, Chemistry, Forestry or related field would be advantageous.
- Ability to conduct field work under a variety of conditions.
- Environmental sampling techniques and, environmental data analysis techniques including statistics.
Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.Supplemental Information
Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Need an Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?
- Please call: (360) 407-6186 or email: careers@ecy.wa.gov and we will be happy to assist.
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
- If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail careers@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not send an email to this address to follow-up on the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile’s main page.
- If you are reading this announcement in print format, please enter the following URL to your search engine to apply: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Get-to-know-us/Jobs-at-Ecology.
Application Instructions:
It’s in the applicant’s best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.
- A cover letter describing why you are interested in this position.
- A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to the minimum qualifications of this position.
- Three professional references.
Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.
For Your Privacy:
When attaching documents to your application (such as Resume, Cover Letter, Transcripts, DD-214, etc.):
- Please be sure to remove private information such as your social security number, date of birth, etc.
- Do not attach documents that are password-protected, as these documents may not be reviewed and may cause errors within your application when downloaded.
Additional Application Instructions for Current Ecology Employees:
Please make sure to answer the agency-wide questions regarding permanent status as a classified employee within the Washington General Service or Washington Management Service. Do not forget to select Department of Ecology as a response to question 2, and type your personnel ID number for question 3. If you are not sure of your status or do not know your personnel ID number, please contact Human Resources.
Application Attestation:
The act of submitting application materials electronically is considered affirmation that the information is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information and any untruthful or misleading answers are cause for rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.
Other Information:
If you have specific questions about the position, please email Scott Collyard at: Scott.Collyard@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Scott to inquire about the status of your application.
To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov
Why work for Ecology?
As an agency, our mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.
Joining Ecology means becoming a part of a team committed to protecting and restoring Washington State’s environment. A career in public service allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance.
Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave*, 11 Paid Holidays per year*, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP), Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information
Student debt: how working for Ecology can help
The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.
To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.
Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.
Equal Opportunity Employer: The Washington State Department of Ecology is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, military spouses or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application/testing process or this job announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 407-6186. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.
