Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Water Quality Data Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 3) position. This position is locatedin our Headquarters Office inLacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Join our team as the Environmental Information Management (EIM) Data Coordinator, overseeing all water quality data submitted for Washington’s Water Quality Assessment. This Assessment provides an important overview of water quality throughout the state and helps ensure that the goals outlined in the federal Clean Water Act are achieved. You will be responsible for conducting quality assurance reviews of water quality monitoring datasets and providing scientific analysis and support for the management of several internal databases and related GIS mapping projects. You will also provide quality customer service and user assistance for EIM data systems to Ecology staff and external users, including the general public and other state and federal agencies. Additionally, you will represent the Water Quality Program on the EIM Information Technology Service Office data team.

Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Program Mission: The mission of the Water Quality Program is to ensure that all aquatic life and communities in the watershed experience cool, clean water to refresh and sustain us in a changing climate.

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. Initially, this position will be required to work in the office at least two to three days per week for onboarding and training. After successful completion of the initial trial period, it will then be eligible for up to an 80% telework schedule with the expectation of working in the office at least one day per week.

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 September 6, 2024. To be considered, please submit an application on or before September 5, 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 *Click here for more information

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

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What makes this role unique?

You will play a key role in ensuring data quality objectives are met before the data is used for important decision-making. You will gain a comprehensive understanding of the studies Ecology performs and collaborate with other agency environmental programs. In addition to managing environmental monitoring data for the Water Quality Program, you will also serve as a representative on the agency’s Environmental Information Management (EIM) users work group, develop user guidelines, provide training, and conduct system testing as needed.

What you will do:

Serve as the primary point of contact and technical lead for assisting external clients and/or program staff with EIM data submittal requirements and processes. Provide quality customer service and technical assistance to Ecology staff and external users, including other local, state, and federal agencies, and the general public.
Perform quality assurance checks on Water Quality Program data submittals by reviewing data submittals for technical accuracy and ensuring that the data meets Credible Data Act requirements.
Establish contacts with local counties, cities, and other public entities to encourage data submittals to EIM for the Water Quality Assessment.
Collaborate with the EIM Agency Data Coordinator and other Program Data Coordinators to develop and maintain user guidelines, business rules, and self-help training materials. Make recommendations to senior staff regarding technical operating procedures for the EIM data submitters.
Support EIM application development by collaborating with IT Services Office staff to perform system testing, including data analysis, data maintenance, and updates to scientific analysis methods accepted by the database.
Communicate regularly with the Water Quality Assessment team about EIM submissions for the Water Quality Assessment. Work together to address any quality control concerns regarding submissions.

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 six (6) years of experience and/or education as described below:

Experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning. Experience may include a combination of the following:

Geographic information system (GIS) mapping.
Manipulation and management of large database using programs such as Microsoft Excel and Access, or similar.

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 credits or degree – as listed above	Years of required experience – as listed above
Combination 1	No college credits 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

One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 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 environmental or scientific data and quality assurance plans.
Ability to use spreadsheet, databases, and GIS programs (such as MS Excel, MS Access, ArcMap) to manipulate and perform analysis on numeric and spatial datasets and develop maps.
Water quality monitoring and field data collection experience.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

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 Leanne Weiss at: Leanne.Weiss@ecy.wa.gov do not contact Leanne 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.gov and follow, like or visit us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram or 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.

Washington State Department of Ecology jobs

Water Quality Data Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 3)