Description
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Nuclear Waste Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Senior Facility Transition Specialist (Environmental Specialist 3 or 4) (In-Training) position. This position is located in our Richland Field Office (RFO) in Richland, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
In this role, you will contribute to the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site. Your work in permitting and decision document review will support the safe management of radioactive and dangerous waste (mixed waste) in Washington. You will collaborate with a variety of diverse groups to protect the state's air, water, and land. You will be responsible for overseeing facilities transitioning to deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination, and demolition, including site visits to ensure compliance with Washington’s dangerous waste requirements and Comprehensive Environmental Response Compensation and Liability Act. You will gain valuable experience with both state and federal hazardous waste regulations, learn how to manage mixed waste safely, and work on one of the largest and most complex cleanup sites in the nation at the Hanford Nuclear Facility.
Note: This position offers a career path and on-the-job training. This position allows you to progress through the Environmental Specialist field and achieve the goal class of an Environmental Specialist 4. Candidates will be considered at the Environmental Specialist 3 and the Environmental Specialist 4 levels, depending on their qualifications. For salary levels for each, please see the qualifications section.
Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations.
Program Mission: TheNuclear Waste Program’smission is to lead the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hanford Site; to ensure sound management of mixed hazardous wastes in Washington; and to protect the state’s air, water, and land at and adjacent to the Hanford Site.
Telework options for this position: This position will have flexibility of a hybrid schedule, empowering work from home and office, providing less time in traffic and shrinking your carbon footprint. This position will be eligible for up to a 90% telework schedule.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.” 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 November 4, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before November 3, 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.
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 *
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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.
- 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?
You will serve as a senior specialist in the deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination, and demolition of facilities and the remediation of waste sites at one of the most significant nuclear waste sites in the United States – the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site.
Hanford presents unique challenges, as the facility is regulated under both the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) and the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA). Because of this, it is essential to ensure that RCRA and CERCLA permit documents, reports, permit applications, and decision documents are not in conflict with each other. You will experience and gain direct insight into the real-world implementation of the documents you manage.
What you will do:
- Review documents, reports, permit applications, and decision documents for technical accuracy and compliance with applicable requirements for assigned Hanford facilities managing radioactive and dangerous waste (mixed waste).
- Understand, apply, and integrate state and federal requirements for permitting and cleanup activities.
- Collaborate with a team to negotiate permit conditions, conduct conflict resolution, and evaluate the technical and scientific merit of proposals related to permitting and cleanup of the Hanford Site.
- Support inspection personnel in overseeing waste management work at permitted facilities and those under transition (e.g. deactivation, decommissioning, decontamination, and demolition), including field work.
- Establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with staff, public officials, community groups, governmental agencies, consultants, and various contractors and subcontractors associated with the Hanford Site.
- Evaluate the completeness of sampling data, site characterization efforts, remedial investigations, and feasibility studies of contaminated sites, providing technical recommendations based on document review in reports.
Qualifications
This is an In-Training position. The goal class for this position is Environmental Specialist 4 (ES4). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for the ES3 and ES4 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements for the ES3 level, they will be hired in at that level and placed into a training program to become an ES4 within a specified period of time.
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, education, and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.
At the Environmental Specialist 3 level: Pay Range 53 ($4,740- $6,384 monthly) In-Training
A total of six (6) years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
- Education: involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning, or other allied field.
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:
Possible Combinations | College credit hours or degree – as listed above | Years of required experience – as listed above |
Combination 1 | No college credit hours or degree | 6 years of experience |
Combination 2 | 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits | 5 years of experience |
Combination 3 | 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree) | 4 years of experience |
Combination 4 | 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits | 3 years of experience |
Combination 5 | A Bachelor's Degree | 2 years of experience |
Combination 6 | A Master's Degree | 1 year of experience |
Combination 7 | A Ph.D. | No experience |
OR
One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2, at the Department of Ecology.
At the Environmental Specialist 4 level: Pay Range 59 ($5,501 - $7,400 monthly) Goal Class
A total of nine (9) years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
- Education: involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning, or other allied field.
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:
Possible Combinations | College credit hours or degree – as listed above | Years of required experience – as listed above |
Combination 1 | No college credit hours or degree | 9 years of experience |
Combination 2 | 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits | 8 years of experience |
Combination 3 | 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree) | 7 years of experience |
Combination 4 | 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits | 6 years of experience |
Combination 5 | A Bachelor's Degree | 5 years of experience |
Combination 6 | A Master's Degree | 3 years of experience |
Combination 7 | A Ph.D. | 2 years of experience |
OR
Two (2) years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3, at the Department of Ecology.
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
- Must qualify for and successfully acquire a United States Department of Energy badge for access to the Hanford Site.
- Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license.
- Must complete 40-hour HAZWOPER certification within 6 months of appointment and annual refreshers.
Desired Qualifications: We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.
- One (1) year of professional experience in wastewater and dangerous waste/RCRA/mixed waste permitting.
Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.
Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visitwww.uscis.gov.
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.
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.
- A list of three professional references.
Note: References will only be contacted during the final steps of the recruitment process for candidates selected as finalists. References will not be contacted without the candidate’s formal authorization.
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 Joseph Lippold at: Joseph.Lippold@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Joseph 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.govand follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn,Twitter, Facebook,Instagramor 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.
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