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Municipal Stormwater Grant Project Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4)(In-Training)



Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination as part of the hiring process, prior to their start date. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.  

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Municipal Stormwater Grant Project Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) position.
 
This position is located in our Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
 
Please Note: The salary posted above includes the additional 5% premium pay that this position will receive due to this position's location in King County. 

 In this role, you will work with a dynamic team to assess and manage grants and loans that address stormwater projects that benefit Washington State waters and the environment. You will also work with fellow stormwater staff to assess grant applications and the applicability of proposed stormwater BMPs to a range of water quality issues. As a part of Ecology’s stormwater grant and loan project management team, we help provide the funding and guide the work happening on the ground that impacts local and state water quality goals
 
The mission of the Water Quality Program is to protect and restore Washington's waters to sustain healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures that state waters support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health 

 
During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position is not currently required to work in the office on a regular basis. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. Looking ahead, Ecology has recently updated the agency policies on telework and flexible and compressed work schedules. 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.” 
 
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of October 25, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before October 24, 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.

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? 
This role has the opportunity to collaborate with and learn from a team of environmental professionals, while reviewing and assessing stormwater project grant and loan applications. The type of projects and associate grant applications this position will manage typically address the design and/or construction of stormwater treatment facilities and BMPs that utilize low impact development and source control efforts. This position can help guide those efforts and support projects through grant management to have the best benefit on water quality.
 
What you will do: 
 
 In this position, you will manage stormwater grants within specific geographic areas, including the Stillaguamish, Island, Snohomish, and Cedar Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs). This geographic focus will allow you to more closely understand and coordinate with a large number of implementation partners, and build in-depth knowledge of specific stormwater challenges within each area.
 
 You will help guide grant recipients in managing complicated and sometimes controversial stormwater projects. You will help develop, negotiate, implement and monitor terms of agreements for grants and loans that address stormwater improvement projects, all in accordance with state and federal rules and regulations, and Ecology Policy. This includes:
  • Review environmental stormwater grant applications for technical accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements and Ecology’s funding guidelines. 
  • Coordinate with others in the section/other programs with project interest or overlap, and evaluating proposals for feasibility and benefits to water quality.
  • Understand stormwater project phases, objectives, scope of work, and proposed budget and timelines, and how to document and track progress using Ecology software.
  • Negotiate and manage clear scopes of work with recipients. This includes define project tasks, sequences, and time estimates with the recipients.
  • Track project performance against grant or loan agreement obligations, and perform site visits throughout the project, specifically at critical milestone stages, in order to assess adherence with the agreement. Tracking will include assuring relevant information is documented.
  • Ensure project deliverables are completed and received on time, and expected outcomes are met on or before the negotiated agreement completion date.
  • Review and certify grant and loan payment requests and Progress Reports for eligible costs in accordance with agreement terms, state and federal statutes, rules, and Program & Agency policies and procedures.
  • Serve as a team member on the Stormwater Financial Assistance Program (SFAP) workgroup. The SFAP workgroup is multi-disciplinary team of stormwater project managers that will share specialized stormwater-related regulatory and technical skills critical for the identification and execution of cost-effective stormwater improvement projects.
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.
At the Environmental Specialist 3 Level: Salary Range: 49 ($4,213-$5,531 Monthly)

Option 1:

Six (6) years of combined education and experience:
Education: Involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
Experience: In environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
Experience may include a combination of the following:
  • Performing inspections or field investigations
  • Planning, developing, and conducting data collection, and analyzing the results
  • Assisting businesses, and/or governments and/or interest groups with regulatory requirements, and grant deliverable expectations. 
  • Managing or assisting with grants or contracts for environmental or scientific projects

Option 2:

A Bachelor's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
 
AND

Two years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.

Option 3: 

A Master's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field. 

AND

One year of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.

Option 4:

Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3 at the Department of Ecology.

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

Possible CombinationsCollege credit hours or degreeYears of required experienceCombination 1No college credit hours or degree6 years of experienceCombination 230-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.5 years of experience
Combination 360-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).4 years of experience
Combination 490-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.3 years of experience
Combination 5 A Bachelor's Degree2 years of experience
Combination 6 A Master's Degree1 years of experience
Combination 7A PhD0 years of experience
At the Environmental Specialist 4 Level: Salary Range 55: ($4,888-$6,410 Monthly) Goal Class

Option 1:
Nine (9) years of combined education and experience:
Education: Involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.
Experience: In environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
Experience may include a combination of the following:
  • Performing inspections or field investigations
  • Planning, developing, and conducting data collection, and analyzing the results
  • Assisting businesses, and/or governments and/or interest groups with regulatory requirements, and grant deliverable expectations. 
  • Managing or assisting with grants or contracts for environmental or scientific projects
Option 2:
A Bachelor's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field and five years of professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.

Option 3:
A Master's degree in one of the above fields and three years of professional - level experience as required above.

Option 4:
A Ph.D. in one of the above fields and two years of professional-level experience as required above.

Option 5: 
Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3 at the Department of Ecology.

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

Possible CombinationsCollege credit hours or degreeYears of required experienceCombination 1No college credit hours or degree9 years of experienceCombination 230-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.8 years of experience
Combination 360-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).7 years of experience
Combination 490-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.6 years of experience
Combination 5 A Bachelor's Degree5 years of experience
Combination 6 A Master's Degree3 years of experience
Combination 7A PhD2 years of experience

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 
  • Must obtain and maintain a valid State's 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.

  • Experience communicating technical or scientific information with diverse audiences with varying levels of subject matter knowledge.
  • Experience reviewing and understanding complex technical documents.
  • Experience working with water quality-related statutes, regulations, and permits. 
  • Experience applying negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
  • Water quality sampling experience or training.
  • Experience using ESRI Arc GIS mapping tool
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 Danielle DeVoe at: Danielle.DeVoe@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Danielle 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:

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 LinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagram 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.