Description
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an OCB Public Involvement and Project Planner (Environmental Planner 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 dynamic role, you will collaborate with planners, internal subject matter experts, and external partners dedicated to implementing the Chehalis Basin Strategy to restore aquatic species habitat, enhance local economies, and mitigate flood damage. As the primary planner, you will lead the development of environmental justice resource documents and provide public involvement expertise to OCB senior planners and staff. This will involve supporting OCB staff and the OCB Board in community outreach and public involvement efforts.
This role requires specialized knowledge in guiding public involvement with local and state environmental and conservation groups, as well as other non-profits. You will be responsible for developing and carrying out OCB’s public involvement communication and outreach strategies related to salmon recovery, property acquisition, and flood damage reduction. You will need to creatively problem-solve and find innovative ways to support our work, demonstrate flexibility and rapidly respond to emerging issues, and collaborate effectively with a wide range of partners.
Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations.
Program Mission: The Office of Chehalis Basin and the Chehalis Basin Board’s legislative directive is to aggressively pursue implementation of an integrated strategy and administer funding for long-term flood damage reduction and aquatic species restoration in the Chehalis River Basin.
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:
- Apply by: December 4, 2024
- This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after December 4, 2024 may not be considered.
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?
Together with other Office of Chehalis Basin (OCB) team members, you will assist internal and external partners in developing plans and materials for the the Director and senior planners that support OCB’s high-priority objective of engaging rural residents, landowners, farmers, Spanish speakers, and people with disabilities. Your work will directly contribute to OCB’s mission to implement the Chehalis Basin Strategy for aquatic species habitat restoration, flood damage reduction, and land acquisitions.
You will collaborate closely with Ecology’s Office of Equity and Environmental Justice and provide expertise in OCB’s environmental justice assessment efforts required by the HEAL Act, including developing communications and outreach plans and engaging directly with affected community groups, Tribes, and residents in the Basin.
What you will do:
- Collaborate with state and local partners to facilitate regular communication, identify shared objectives, and align strategies around public involvement and outreach.
- Engage with internal colleagues to provide outreach, including development of detailed project plans.
- In consultation with OCB’s Director and Principal Planner, provide expertise in planning, outreach plans and documents, and offer consultation to senior-level planners on improvement projects addressing the Chehalis Basin watershed and related economic issues.
- Integrate the goals of the Chehalis Basin Strategy with existing public involvement efforts from state and local partners, fostering collaboration with entities such as Ecology, Tribes, American Rivers, Salmon Lead Entity, and others.
- Lead OCB’s equity and environmental justice work in coordination with Ecology’s Office of Equity and Environmental Justice to ensure OCB’s funded projects meet all state HEAL Act requirements.
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
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.
A total of eight (8) years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in:land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience.
- Education: involving a major study in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:
Possible Combinations | College credits or degree – as listed above | Years of required experience – as listed above |
Combination 1 | No college credits or degree | 8 years of experience |
Combination 2 | 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits | 7 years of experience |
Combination 3 | 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree) | 6 years of experience |
Combination 4 | 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits | 5 years of experience |
Combination 5 | A Bachelor's Degree | 4 years of experience |
Combination 6 | A Master's Degree or higher | 2 years of experience |
OR
One (1) year as an Environmental Planner 2, at the Department of Ecology.
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
- Must 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.
- Experience working with Tribal governments and small local communities.
- Experience with interpreting state agency policy, and urban or regional planning.
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 visit www.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 Jeff Zenk at: Jeff.Zenk@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Jeff 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 atwww.ecology.wa.govand follow, like or visit us onLinkedIn, 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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