Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We have a culture that is invested in making a difference. If you want to join a team that is highly effective, collaborative, has leadership that embraces the value of people, Ecology is a good fit.

The Water Resources program (WR) is looking to hire a Compliance Specialist (Environmental Specialist 4) (In Training). The position will be located in our Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Bellevue, WA.

The Compliance Specialist position is the section expert in compliance with water laws and water measurement requirements. The position will process new and change water rights decisions, including pre-application consultations, water rights application investigations, and reports of examination preparation. This position gives you the opportunity to work on diverse activities both in the field as well as in the office.

We are looking for applicants who are detail oriented, have excellent written and verbal communication skills, have the ability to translate complex information into an easy to understand message, and are customer service oriented.

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. Maybe you’ve seen some of our recent stories on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or our blog.

To learn more about our agency, please visit our website at www.ecy.wa.gov.

Local efforts… Diverse people… Statewide impacts

The mission of the Water Resources program (WR) is to manage water resources to meet the current and future needs of the natural environment and Washington’s communities.

At the Environment Specialist 4 level the person in this role will:

• Independently responds to and investigates complex water right complaints or violations in the management of surface and ground water resources according to the laws and regulations of the Washington state, the policies of the agency, and court ordered decrees.
• Performs complex investigations to gather necessary information to make decisions concerning enforcement of rules and regulations.
• Provides guidance and training for junior staff involved with compliance work.
• Coordinates enforcement priorities and assists the section manager in negotiating agreements/settlements.
• May impose on-site enforcement actions and performs follow-up inspections to ensure compliance is achieved.
• Investigates and resolves citizen reported complaints involving alleged water appropriation violations through on-site investigations, interviews with affected parties, collection of necessary information and field data.
• Prepares reports recommending appropriate action on unauthorized or inappropriate use of the public water for the section manager.
• Reviews SEPA filings to identify potential compliance problems and coordinates comments for the section.
• Manages the metering program for the section.
• Independently investigates water rights applications for new and changes to existing water rights by preparing Reports of Exam and other decision documents.
• Represents the section and coordinates with other Ecology programs, agencies, tribes and governments on the management of water supplies related to Habitat Conservation Plans, SEPA, large projects, reservoir storage, mitigation plans, and salmon recovery.

To broaden the candidate pool, we will consider candidates that qualify at the Environmental Specialist 3 and 4 levels. Please read the qualifications section below to learn more about this exciting career growth and in-training opportunity.

At the Environmental Specialist 4 level: Pay Range 55 ($3934 – $5160 – monthly)

A Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other closely related science field AND five years of professional level experience in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning, which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

Additional qualifying experience will substitute, year for year, for education.

OR

A Master’s degree in one of the above fields AND three years of professional level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

OR

A Ph.D. in one of the above fields and two years of professional level experience as required above which includes one year equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above or two years equal to an Environmental Specialist 2 or above.

The 1 year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3 can include a combination of the following: 1) investigating and / or resolving complaints involving science or technology content, 2) performing inspections, 3) drafting technical evaluations and reports, 4) develops plans for researching information used for technical projects, regulatory or policy development, 5) plan and facilitate public meetings and hearings, 6) project work requiring specialized knowledge of industry processes, pollutant sources or natural processes, 7) providing technical assistance for complex scientific content and/ or support for implementing scientific content programs, 8) conducting tests, analyzing and evaluating data, 9) using environmental databases to support technical projects, 10) developing scientific studies and resource management plans, 11) providing environmental technical and administrative assistance to grant/ contract/ loan recipients of environmental protection projects.

The 2 years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2 can include assisting in any of the following areas: 1) performing field surveys or studies, 2) responding to complaints involving scientific or technical content, 3) preparing public meetings and hearings, 4) assistance with routine inspections or investigations requiring specialized knowledge of industry processes, pollutant sources or natural processes, 5) responding to routine inquires or requests for technical assistance involving scientific content, 6) special projects that are scientific in nature, 7) conducting routine sampling and testing analyses, interprets data, writing reports 8) performing basic sampling data review, 9) maintaining an environmental data base to support technical projects, 10) providing routine environmental technical and administrative assistance to grant/ contract/ loan recipients of environmental protection projects.

At the Environmental Specialist 3 level: Pay Range 49 ($3392 – $4452 – monthly) (In-Training)

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.

Additional qualifying experience will substitute, year for year, for education.

A Master’s degree in one of the above fields will substitute for one year of the required experience.

OR

A Ph.D. in one of the above fields.

OR

One year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2.

Desired Qualifications:

• Coursework in hydrology, geology, hydrogeology, geography, geographic information systems, technical writing, public policy, and/or water law.
• Compliance and investigation – Experience in investigating complaints and violations of law.

Knowledge of: field investigative techniques and data gathering and basic research; practices and methods of environmental problem solving; water measuring methods and techniques; principles, practices, and methods of environmental science, natural resource management; applicable state, federal, and local environmental regulations.

For immediate consideration, please apply online at: http://agency.governmentjobs.com/washington/default.cfm?action=viewJob&jobID=1240250