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Governmental Relations Legislative and Policy Intern (Administrative Intern 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.  


Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen



The Governmental Relations Office is currently looking to fill a Governmental Relations Legislative and Policy Intern (Administrative Intern 2) position. The position will be located at our Headquarters Building in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

This is an excellent opportunity to join the Department of Ecology’s Legislative Team for the 2023 Session. We anticipate a wide variety of environmental issues to be addressed during this upcoming session including topics related to the Climate Commitment Act, Clean Fuel Standard, climate resiliency, recycling and solid waste issues, and managing water resources. In this role, you will work closely with Ecology’s Governmental Relations Director and Agency Legislative Coordinator, executive leaders and employees across the agency on agency request legislation, other legislative proposals, preparing presentations and testimony, and developing informational handouts on a variety of environmental topics. You will receive training from the Governmental Relations Office employees in procedures that promote Ecology’s mission through legislative and governmental relations, and will be assigned meaningful and productive assignments to assist your profession growth, in both skills and knowledge.

The Governmental Relations Office is responsible for the coordination of agency legislative activities, providing legislative analysis for agency regulatory and policy initiatives, and responding to emerging state-wide issues. Our office works closely with Ecology’s environmental programs and offices and with Ecology’s Office of Equity and Environmental Justice on a daily basis.   

Please Note: This is a non-permanent position that will end on May 31, 2023.  

Agency Mission: Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment, and promote the wise management of our air, land and water. The agency’s goals are to prevent pollution, clean up pollution and support sustainable communities and natural resources. 
During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. The position is expected to be in the office 2 days a week to work closely with the Legislative Coordinator. It is possible to telework the other days. It is a requirement that while employed by the State of Washington, employees’ primary residence must be within the State of Washington. 
 
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of October 6, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before October 5, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.


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.

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. 
  • A wellness program that offers education, fitness classes, and an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings.
  • 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

What is unique about this position?
This is an excellent opportunity to learn about the legislative process from the perspective of an environmental agency at the state level. You will receive hands-on experience related to analyzing the impacts of proposed legislation and policies, prepare presentations and testimony, meet with external audiences, and respond to a wide variety of inquiries from Legislators, legislative staff, and others interested in Ecology’s work and related environmental issues. This internship gives you the unique experience of joining Ecology’s Governmental Relations team and working with all of Ecology’s environmental programs and offices on issues ranging from air quality, environmental justice, water resource management, lab accreditation, to waste management and recycling. 
 
What you will do:
  • Participate in Ecology’s legislative team meetings and briefings.
  • Assist in analyzing policy and fiscal impacts of proposed legislation. 
  • Develop and/or edit various products including but not limited to bill analyses and fiscal notes, testimony and presentations for legislative meetings, hearings, and work sessions and agency briefings.
  • Respond to inquiries from legislators and staff, Tribes, other federal, state, local agencies.
  • Review introduced bills, track agency assigned bills and agency responses.
  • Track deadlines for responses to inquiries and edit legislative reports.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
A total of Four years of experience and/or education as described below: 
Experience in legislative, regulatory, or policy analysis; program development or implementation; writing and editing; presenting complex information; communications.
 
Education from an accredited college or university in public administration; political science; public and or environmental policy or other related field.
 
All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position:
 
Possible Combinations
College credit hours or degree – as listed above 
Years of professional level experience – as listed above
Combination 1
No college credit hours or degree.
4 years of experience
Combination 2
30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.
3 years of experience
Combination 3
60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).
2 years of experience
Combination 4
90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.
1 year of experience
Combination 5 
A Bachelor's Degree or higher.
0 years of experience
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?

  • 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.
  • Three professional references.

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 Bari Schreiner at: Bari.Schreiner@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Bari 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.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:

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 LinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagram 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.