Address
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SalaryDescription
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP)within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Senior Staff Scientist (Natural Resource Scientist 3) position. This position is locatedin our Headquarters Office inLacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
In this role, you will plan and lead environmental monitoring studies to assess sources of toxic contaminants in the environment statewide. These studies are used to develop cleanup plans and regulations necessary to reduce toxics contaminants in marine and freshwater aquatic systems. In addition, you will help lead the Toxics Technical Coordination Team (TTCT) which is charged with coordinating toxics monitoring activities statewide in the Environmental Assessment Program.
This position is located within Ecology’s Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) under the Statewide Coordination Section (Toxics Studies Unit or TSU). EAP’s mission is to measure, assess, and communicate environmental conditions in Washington. We work to improve the environment for current and future generations through innovative and excellent science and thriving partnerships. The Toxics Studies Unit conducts long-term monitoring and source identification and environmental forensics studies for toxics across the state.
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:
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 *Click here for more information
About the Department of Ecology
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.
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?
In this role, you will provide technical guidance on the assessment of toxic contaminants to help address statewide water quality impairments. You will also need to effectively communicate and work effectively and successfully with stakeholders with varying perspectives.What you will do:
- Prepare quality assurance project plans (QAPPs), standard operating procedures (SOPs), and scientific reports.
- Work closely with analytical laboratories to coordinate analysis of environmental samples including developing Request for Proposals for externally contracted analyses and work.
- Conduct surveys, analyzes and records conditions for collection of environmental samples for toxics chemical analysis.
- Communicate sampling results to partners, public, industry, and other agency in an understandable manner.
- Manage large datasets, assist with data reduction, and oversee entry of project data into Ecology’s EIM System.
- Research, develop, and coordinate toxics approaches to address impaired water bodies and TMDLs.
- Conduct the technical assessment for toxics in tissue and water using Ecology’s Water Quality Assessment Automation (WQAA) application.
- Transform, sort, clean and filter toxics assessment data files for upload into Ecology’s Water Quality Assessment Tracking System database (WATS).
- Perform testing on the WQAA application to implement enhancements and bug-fixes.
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
Option 1:
A Bachelor’s of science degree with major study in chemistry, environmental science, physical, or one of the natural sciences, or other closely allied fieldAND
Four years of professional research work experience in the evaluation of toxic chemicals or evaluating the effects of toxic chemicals on organisms in the environment.
Option 2:
A Master’s degree or higher with a major study in chemistry, environmental science, physical, or one of the natural sciences, or other closely allied field.
AND
Two years of professional research work experience in the evaluation of toxic chemicals or evaluating the effects of toxic chemicals on organisms in the environment.
Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.
- Experience designing and managing projects in the environmental sciences.
- Experience collecting environmental samples of water, sediment or fish tissue for contaminant analysis.
- Experience writing technical reports or publishing findings in scientific journals.
- Experience presenting scientific findings at conferences.
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 Accommodationin 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.
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.
- A list of 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 James Medlen at:James.Medlen@ecy.wa.govPlease do not contact James 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.
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.
