ChemAction Outreach Specialist (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 2)

Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination as part of the hiring process, prior to their start date. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.  

The Hazardous Waste Toxics Reduction program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a ChemAction Outreach Specialist (Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist) position. 

This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.

This position is located in our Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.

This position is located in our Central Region Office (CRO) in Union Gap, WA.

This position is located in our Eastern Region Office (ERO) in Spokane, WA. 

Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Are you interested in supporting the reduction of hazardous chemicals in Washington State? Do you thrive off community engagement and getting people involved to be a part of the solution? We are seeking a candidate who wants to help build community relationships to get the public involved in our hazardous chemical reduction efforts. 

 

In this position, you would take an active role in supporting inclusion of environmental justice (EJ) and nondiscrimination laws and policies in our hazardous chemical reduction work. This position supports the public outreach and education activities associated with the development and implementation of hazardous chemical plans and rule making, including strategies for outreach and education support.

Please Note: The salary posted above does not include the additional 5% premium pay that this position will receive if this position is located in King County.  

The mission of the HWTR Program is to protect Washington’s residents and environment by reducing the use of toxic chemicals, safely managing dangerous waste, preventing new contaminated sites, and cleaning up contamination. The HWTR vision is to be national leaders in minimizing and eliminating the impacts of toxic chemicals and hazardous waste.   

During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position is not currently required to work in the office on a regular basis. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. Looking ahead, Ecology has recently updated the agency policies on telework and flexible and compressed work schedules. 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.” 

 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of October 4, 2022 . In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before October 3, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

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? 

This position is the Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist responsible for providing outreach and meaningful engagement opportunities to the public, Tribes, and stakeholders on Chemical Action Plans (CAPs) and Action Plans (APs) development and implementation. Additionally, this position is responsible for providing outreach to the public, Tribes, and stakeholders on rule making. 

 

Work in this position will provide unique challenges and opportunities to engage the public, Tribes, and stakeholders through relational engagement to promote two-way conversations with stakeholders and the Tribes to provide meaningful engagement opportunities on the work that we do. You will have the opportunity to develop and create outreach materials and tools tailored for specific audiences. Much of our work involves public participation and this position will work with project leads to facilitate public participation opportunities as well as the sharing of information with the communities of Washington State.

 

What you will do: 

Qualifications

Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.

Five years of combined education and professional experience.

Education: involving a major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications or related field 

Professional Experience: involving environmental analysis or control, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or communications activities.

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:

Possible Combinations College credit hours or degree per above

Years of required experience as per above

Combination 1 No college credit hours or degree 5 years of experience

Combination 2 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits. 4 years of experience

Combination 3 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree). 3 years of experience

Combination 4 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits. 2 years of experience

Combination 5 A Bachelor's Degree 1 years of experience

Combination 6 A Master's Degree no experience required

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.

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 Accommodation in the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

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.):

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.

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. 

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

 

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

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.

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 *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information 

Student debt: how working for Ecology can help

The Department of Ecology is a qualifying employer for the Public Service Forgiveness Program (PSLF). See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.

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.