Please see the following website for application link: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/2412972/outreach-education-specialist-community-outreach-and-environmental-education-s

Salary: $51,000.00 – $66,888.00 Annually

Job Number: 2019-HWTR3581-03673

Closing: Continuous

Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology’s Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction (HWTR) Program is looking for an Outreach & Education Specialist in our Headquarters building in Lacey, WA.

The position serves as a lead strategist for statewide communications and outreach to our program’s key stakeholders. The goal of this position is to improve customer experience while encouraging compliance with the Dangerous Waste Regulations through developing and leading effective communication and outreach activities.

To do this, this position organizes the program’s website content strategy, leads program efforts on user-centered design, and develops and conducts usability studies for program products and services used by our stakeholders.

Our top candidate will have excellent people skills, the ability to communicate with a diverse audience, have natural curiosity, and be a great listener with a high level of emotional intelligence.

As an agency, we invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our website at www.ecology.wa.gov.  Check us out on TwitterFacebookInstagram or our blog.

Local efforts… Diverse people… Statewide impacts

Duties

The HWTR Program enforces many of Washington’s toxics laws. This includes hazardous waste laws that Washington businesses, both large and small, must follow. We also offer technical assistance to businesses to reduce or eliminate their use of hazardous chemicals, work to identify safer chemical alternatives, support the development of green chemistry, manage cleanup sites, and test consumer products for toxic chemicals.

What does the Outreach & Education Specialist do?

  • Writes, edits, and maintains web content for the program.
  • Reviews and approves content created by other staff.
  • Works with other members of HWTR’s Communication and Outreach team to ensure web, print, and other outreach materials complement each other and support HWTR’s goals.
  • Plans user-centered improvements to web navigation and content.
  • Represents the program at web coordinator meetings and acts as the program’s liaison.
  • Identifies, tracks, and shares metrics that assess the success of web communications efforts.
  • Gauges public interest and reaction to proposed or current programs.
  • Plans, organizes, conducts, and analyzes usability studies to understand how customers interact with our documents, web content, and applications.

Who are we looking for?

  • An experienced writer and editor who has exceptional attention to detail and organization skills, is actively engaged in their work, has a positive attitude, is not afraid to jump into a project, works well with a diverse set of teams and customers, and is excited to give and receive feedback on outreach materials.
  • This position is an opportunity to collaborate and develop strong relationships while building the program’s capacity for usability testing. You must have a strong communications background. Plain Talk/Plain Language writing techniques are desired.

Why join the team?

Join a collaborative group of communicators in the HWTR Communication and Outreach team. We write and edit outreach materials, develop communication plans, and bring the customer perspective to HWTR. Together, we:

  • Protect the environment and workers by helping businesses manage hazardous waste safely.
  • Support compliance and technical assistance staff by providing outreach materials that effectively convey HWTR’s messages.
  • Translate complex rule language into instructions businesses can follow.
  • Help businesses transition to safer alternatives to hazardous chemicals they use in their products or processes.
  • Plan and coordinate communications efforts.
  • Support the public participation process for cleanup sites.
  • Provide communication support to HWTR’s initiatives, including product testing, chemical action plans, and the Children’s Safe Products Act.

Thinking about applying?

This position focuses on maintaining and creating web content. You will work in a content management system and don’t need experience with coding or website development.

This recruitment will remain open until filled. The initial screening will be on May 8, 2019. In order to be considered for the initial screening, please submit an application on or before May 7, 2019. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Qualifications 

Required Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications, or closely related field.

AND

Four years of professional experience involving environmental analysis or control, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or communications activities.

AND

  • Experience writing plainly and clearly for a variety of audiences.
  • Experience creating written and visual content for web, blogs, social media, or other outreach materials.

Desired Qualifications:

  • Experience managing team projects from beginning to end.
  • Experience planning and implementing a communications strategy.
  • Experience using web analytics tools such as CrazyEgg, Google Analytics, or Optimal Sort.
  • Experience training or coaching others to write plainly and clearly for a variety of audiences.

Why work for Ecology?

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 the health and financial security of you and your family a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to work/life 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 ForgivenessTuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life InsuranceDeferred Compensation ProgramsDependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA)Employee Assistance ProgramCommute Trip Reduction Incentives (Download PDF reader)Combined Fund DriveSmartHealth

Student debt and how working for Ecology can help
Employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information

Supplemental Information 

Application Instructions:

In order to be considered, please:

  • Attach the following documents to your application:
    • A cover letter describing how your experience, skills and abilities meet the required/desired qualifications of this position.
    • A resume outlining your experience.
  • Complete the applicant profile. Or you may paste the text of your resume within the profile’s resume text field.
  • Read the supplemental questions carefully and answer completely. Incomplete responses, including “please see resume”, may disqualify you from further consideration.
Department of 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.

If you are reading this announcement in print format, please visit www.careers.wa.gov to access the online recruitment system. Click on “Look for Jobs” and select Dept. of Ecology under the “Department” search list. Click “Apply Search.”

Other Information:

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 the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile’s main page.

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

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.

This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.

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 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.