Senior Geologist (Hydrogeologist 4)

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.   

The Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) is looking to fill a Senior Geologist (Hydrogeologist 4) position. This position will be based in our Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) located 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. 

 

As Senior Geologist, you will be responsible for reviewing and evaluating the cleanup of contaminated sites. You will oversee the investigation of site geology as a site leader or technical expert to other site cleanup teams. You will also provide expert opinions and direction to improve plans, and provide technical assistance, oversight and approval on professional geological analysis of contaminated cleanup sites. In this role, your focus will be on cleaning up contaminated sites in favorable locations to increase the development of affordable housing to help combat gentrification and displacement that often follows cleanup activities.

 

As the technical expert you will review regulatory and technical documents for completeness and will provide final professional geology review and approval of associated remedial investigations.

 

Program Mission: The mission of the Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) is to protect human health and the environment for the people of Washington by preventing, reducing, or eliminating exposure to contamination to support the development of environmentally, economically sustainable communities and address environmental justice issues within our highly impacted communities.

 

During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. While onboarding in your first two weeks, you will be expected to work in the office three days per week. After that, you will have the opportunity to telework 90% of the time. 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 November 8, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before November 7, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

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:

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

The Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) has a supportive work environment of open communication, innovation, and collaboration. We strongly believe that professional growth and development supports a healthy and productive workforce. We have an inclusive and clearly defined professional development program that can help all staff reach their full potential. This professional development program shifts TCP’s focus from simply meeting CORE training requirements, to investing in the long-term growth and development of its staff. In this role, you will become an essential member of our amazing team.

 

In Washington State, we've identified over 13,000 contaminated sites in need of cleanup and oversight by our professional teams. Over 7,000 of those sites have been cleaned up, and 200 to 300 new sites are reported every year. Most of these sites are large and complex, with multiple sources of contamination, many in soil and groundwater. Most contaminated sites in Washington are handled by TCP and are cleaned up under Washington’s environmental cleanup law, the Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA). The Department of Ecology cleans up sites but can also provide supervision to property owners who clean-up sites independently.

 

The Affordable Housing group works on a variety of projects that are usually fast paced compared to standard cleanup sites. The speed is based on redevelopment. We do standard site cleanup work with motivated developers. If the redevelopment project is on a contaminated site and the project will be adding affordable housing to the community, we assist them with cleanup funding and technical assistance. The cleanup sites can have complicated histories with multiple contaminants which makes for interesting work.

Qualifications

Option 1: A Bachelor's degree involving a major study in hydrogeology, hydrology, geology, or closely allied field AND five years of professional experience as a hydrogeologist, hydrologist, geologist, or closely allied profession.

 

Option 2: A Master's degree with a major study in hydrogeology, hydrology, geology, or closely allied field AND three years of professional experience as a hydrogeologist, hydrologist, geologist, or closely allied profession. 

 

Option 3: A Ph.D. with a major study in hydrogeology, hydrology, geology, or closely allied field AND two years of professional experience as a hydrogeologist, hydrologist, geologist, or closely allied profession. 

 

Registration as a licensed Professional Geologist in the State of Washington.

NOTE:  Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials. These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State Licensing (DOL) Official Site: How to get your license: Geologists, engineering geologists, or hydrogeologists by reciprocity.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

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?

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

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.):

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.

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. 

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Dhroov Shivjiani at: Dhroov.Shivjiani@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Dhroov to inquire about the status of your application.

 

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

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.