Recycling and Waste Reduction Specialist I (Education and Outreach Specialist I)

Recycling and Waste Reduction Specialist I (Education and Outreach Specialist I)

Salary
$4,354.00 – $5,792.00 Monthly
Location
Thurston County, WA
Job Type
Regular Full-Time Employee
Department
Public Works
Job Number
34R01162
Closing
11/5/2017 11:59 PM Pacific
Summary of Duties
Are you passionate about recycling, waste diversion, and sustainability? Do you enjoy working with the public and working collaboratively to make a real difference? If you have outreach experience in recycling and solid waste diversion programs, we welcome your application for this position!

Thurston County Public Works, Solid Waste Division, located in Olympia, Washington, is seeking a Recycling and Waste Reduction Specialist (Education and Outreach Specialist I) who is outgoing, flexible, and organized with a proven track record of effectively communicating with the public and building working relationships. This position supports program efforts that promote and positively impact recycling and solid waste reduction and diversion. This employee is one of a six-person team that provides community-wide technical assistance and executes plans to achieve waste reduction and recycling goals under the supervision of the Recycling and Waste Reduction Supervisor (Education and Outreach Specialist III).

This position requires a self-disciplined person who is a great listener and has excellent written and verbal communication skills. The successful candidate must also display a professional appearance and demeanor, have a high degree of confidence and adaptability, demonstrate an ability to educate and motivate others, and be capable of exercising sound and ethical judgement consistent with organizational values and direction.

This position is assigned an office at the Public Works campus in Olympia, Washington, but entails extensive interaction with the public throughout Thurston County, and therefore requires driving a County vehicle and working both inside and outside during all weather conditions. The ability to walk long distances, stand for long periods of time, and lift up to 40 pounds is required. Occasional evening and weekend work is also required.

Some specific duties of the position include:

  • Supports residential recycling and waste prevention and diversion projects;
  • Utilizes assessment tools and systems to track metrics to measure projects’ effectiveness;
  • Conducts or assists with site visits, and provides technical assistance and education to customers on best practices in recycling and solid waste;
  • Represents the Solid Waste Division at meetings and community events, delivers presentations, and provides event support and coordination;
  • Assists in development of print materials, exhibits, and other media for delivery to County staff, outside agencies, and the public to promote program efforts; and
  • Works collaboratively to support team efforts to provide community-wide technical assistance and outreach focused on the adoption of waste reduction, recycling, and sustainable practices.

Why you’ll love Thurston County, Washington.

You’ll enjoy a high quality of life here in Thurston County. Housing in the County, which includes the City of Olympia, is more affordable than in Seattle or Portland, and our innovative schools are highly rated. Our county is home to a unique blend of industries including state government, health care, retail, military, education, construction, farming, fishing, and logging. Residents enjoy a wide array of outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, kayaking, biking, and fishing. We are only an hour or two away from major metropolitan areas and some of the most breathtaking scenery the Pacific Northwest has to offer including sandy ocean beaches, powder-filled ski resorts, old growth forests, and alpine meadows. We also offer great employee benefits, including a retirement plan, pre-tax savings accounts, comprehensive health care and dental/vision care for you and your family, paid vacation and sick leave, as well as union representation.

Qualifications
The following are required qualifications for this position:

  • Bachelor’s degree in environmental science, education, environmental or public health, or other closely related field. Additional experience can be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis;
  • At least three years of experience working in environmental issues, public health, or other related field promoting education, outreach, media campaign, public relations, or other comparable experiences to successfully perform duties and responsibilities of the position;
  • Ability to utilize a personal computer with related software to perform the essential functions of the position;
  • Current Washington State Driver’s License, or ability to obtain a Washington State Driver’s license within 30 days of employment, or otherwise meet the travel requirements of the position; and
  • May be required to possess a professional certification applicable to area of assignment.
Desired Skills
While not required, preference will be given to candidates with one or more of the following:

  • Bachelor’s and/or Master’s degree in environmental science or studies, education, or related field;
  • Technical knowledge of solid waste management and recycling and diversion principles and practices;
  • Experience providing education and outreach services to the public;
  • Experience in project management, planning, and implementation;
  • Experience collecting data, performing data analysis, and providing performance evaluation;
  • Advanced level expertise with Microsoft Word, Excel, Access, and PowerPoint;
  • Advanced level experience with graphics design using Adobe Creative Suite;
  • Ability to effectively work and collaborate with teams and diverse audiences using tact, patience, and courtesy; and/or
  • Demonstrated proficiency in communicating technical information to both technical and non-technical audiences, both verbally and in writing, including developing and delivering presentations to large groups.
Other Position Related Information
How To Apply:
You must submit a letter of interest and resume along with your online application and answers to the supplemental questions in order to be considered for this position. Incomplete applications that do not include a letter of interest, resume, and answers to all the supplemental questions will not be considered for this position.

Questions about this Position?
The contact person for this recruitment is Monica Gorman, Solid Waste Manager, (360) 867-2278.

This position is:
– Represented by a Union
– Eligible for benefits
– Eligible for overtime under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)

Items required for consideration:
– Application
– Letter of Interest
– Resume
– Supplemental Questionnaire

Thurston County provides a comprehensive benefits package to all regular employees. The following is a brief summary of available benefits offered to county employees. Benefits are subject to change and may differ according to collective bargaining agreements. Plan documents and eligibility requirements are provided upon hire. This information is subject to change at anytime.

Health Care Benefits:
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Thurston County provides medical, dental, vision and life insurance coverage for all regular full-time employees enrolled in the County’s standard plans. For regular part-time employees, who work less than 75% of an FTE, the county pays a pro-rated portion of the cost for medical, dental, vision and life insurance.

Medical
Thurston County provides medical benefits through the Washington State’s Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB). Plan availability is based on county of residence. Each year the County determines the standard and non-standard plans. For standard plans, the County pays the full employee premium.

Dental
Dental plans are provided through the Washington Counties Insurance Fund (WCIF). Employees have the opportunity to choose between two plans, Delta Dental, a preferred provider plan or Willamette Dental, an HMO plan.

Vision
Thurston County employees have Vision Service Plan coverage through the Washington Counties Insurance Fund (WCIF). Employees also have additional vision coverage through their medical plan.

Life Insurance
The County provides each regular, full-time employee with a basic, term life plan of $36,000 life insurance and $36,000 accidental death and dismemberment (AD&D) coverage. Additional voluntary, supplemental life insurance and AD&D insurance is available as a payroll deduction.

Dependent Coverage
Eligible dependents may be added to all coverage listed above. Depending upon the bargaining unit, the County pays up to a specific maximum amount toward dependent coverage with the employee paying any amount above the County maximum contribution.

Pension Plans:
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Retirement
Eligible Thurston County employees participate in the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems’ pension plans (PERS, PSERS, or LEOFF). With the exception of PERS plan 3, all of these plans are “defined benefit” plans with retirement benefits based on your average compensation and earned service credits. PERS Plan 3 is a hybrid plan incorporating both “defined benefit” and “defined contribution” elements. These plans are funded by both employer and employee contributions.

Deferred Compensation
The County offers three voluntary deferred compensation plans for employees who would like to set aside additional deferred tax dollars into a retirement savings plan. Deferred compensation plans are 457 plans as defined by IRS regulations.

Holiday and Leave Programs:
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Paid Leave
Thurston County offers two leave plans, Alternative leave and Traditional leave. In the Alternative Leave program, leave is accrued monthly and may be used for vacation and/or sick leave purposes. Employees in the Traditional Leave program accrue both sick leave and annual leave each month.

Thurston County Observed Holidays
Ten paid holidays are observed by Thurston County. Regular employees receive one floating holiday and one Community Service Day each calendar year.

Other County Paid Benefits:
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Long Term Disability (LTD)
The county’s long term disability plan provides a monthly benefit of 60% of your monthly base salary up to $6,000 per month after a waiting period of 90 days of disability.

Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
Employees and immediate family members are eligible to receive confidential, professional counseling assessment and referral services through First Choice Health.  The employee assistance program can assist and respond to all kinds of requests for counseling assessment and life concerns, such as, relationship concerns, family problems, alcohol and drug abuse problems, financial crisis, identification theft, general stress, caregiver burnout, depression, etc.  Services are available 24-hours per day, 7-days per week.

Additional Voluntary Benefits:
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Flexible Spending Account (FSA)
Employees can take advantage of Section 125 flexible spending accounts for out-of-pocket health care and daycare expenses. Section 125 FSAs allow you to pay for allowable health-related and/or dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

Electronic Payroll Savings with TreasuryDirect
County employees can invest in TreasuryDirect electronic savings bonds (Series I and EE) by requesting a payroll deduction. Monthly deductions are forwarded to the Federal Reserve, which enables employees to buy and redeem electronic savings bonds directly from the United States Treasury Department.

Additional Benefits
The County also offers direct deposit, credit union memberships, a Commute Trip Reduction Program, and other miscellaneous benefits.

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Please click here for more information or visit the Thurston County Benefits website:  http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/hr/benefits/index.htm

01
Which of the following best describes your level of education?

  • High School or equivalent
  • Some College
  • AA or 60 semester hours (90 Quarter hours)
  • BA/BS required by position
  • BA/BS not related to position
  • Graduate work related to position
  • Graduate work not related to position
02
How many years of progressively responsible, full-time, professional experience do you have in working in solid waste management, recycling and diversion, waste prevention, or other directly-related area?

  • None
  • Less than 6 months
  • 6 to less than 12 months
  • 1 to less than 2 years
  • 3 to less than 4 years
  • 4 to less than 5 years
  • 5 years or more
03
As a follow-up to question #2, describe your experience and indicate the areas of your experience. If no experience, put “N/A.”
04
How many years of progressively responsible, full-time, professional experience do you have in working in education and outreach, environmental policy/planning/sciences, sustainability, or other directly-related area?

  • None
  • Less than 6 months
  • 6 to less than 12 months
  • 1 to less than 2 years
  • 3 to less than 4 years
  • 4 to less than 5 years
  • 5 years or more
05
As a follow-up to question #4, describe your experience and indicate the areas of your experience. If no experience, put “N/A.”
06
Briefly describe your project management, planning, implementation, or evaluation experience. If no experience, put “N/A.”
07
Briefly describe your experience presenting technical information to various audiences. If no experience, put “N/A.”
08
Indicate if you have experience in any of the following by checking all that apply. Note that any experience checked below must be substantiated in your application and/or resume.

  • Experience educating or instructing the public on program information or regulations
  • Experience engaging one-on-one with the public
  • Experience or training in environmental policy and/or regulations
  • Experience in data gathering and data management
  • Experience in performance evaluation, data analysis, and/or process improvement
  • Experience working and collaborating with teams and diverse audiences
  • Experience writing and designing outreach materials and presentations
  • None of the above
09
Please indicate your proficiency level with Microsoft Word.

  • Never used
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
10
Please indicate your proficiency level with Microsoft Excel.

  • Never used
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
11
Please indicate your proficiency level with Microsoft PowerPoint.

  • Never used
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
12
Please indicate your proficiency level with Microsoft Access.

  • Never used
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
13
Please indicate your proficiency level with Adobe Creative Suite.

  • Never used
  • Beginner
  • Intermediate
  • Advanced
14
Do you possess a valid motor vehicle operator’s license from your state of residence?

  • Yes
  • No
15
I confirm that I have attached a copy of my resume and letter of interest to my online application.

  • Yes
  • No

Required Question

Agency
Thurston County
Address
Thurston County
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW
Olympia, Washington, 98502.
Phone
(360) 786-5498