General Permit Data Specialist/Permit Administrator (Environmental Specialist 3)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a General Permit Data Specialist/Permit Administrator (Environmental Specialist 3) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Join the dynamic team in the Technical Services Unit of the Water Quality Program and help protect water quality by managing and maintaining permit-related data in our water quality databases. Your primary focus will be on construction and industrial stormwater general permits, which serve the largest number of permittees. You will collaborate regularly with a wide range of partners, including permit applicants, consultants, operators, government agencies, Tribes, Ecology staff, and others, to issue permit coverages and manage permit-related data.

Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s 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. This position will be eligible for up to a 90% telework schedule. 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 November 13, 2024. To be considered, please submit an application on or before November 12, 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.

About the Department of Ecology

• 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.

What makes this role unique?

You will join a dedicated team of environmental specialists responsible for managing our two largest general permits statewide. You will provide technical assistance and support to our construction and industrial stormwater permittees. 

You will support our Technical Services Unit by processing and uploading permit documents and data into our water quality databases. To do this, you will:

• Learn our intake processes for routing all mailed, emailed, and electronically submitted permit forms. 
• Enter data into the Permit and Reporting Information System (PARIS) database. 
• Coordinate with Ecology staff and permit applicants to provide technical assistance to construction and industrial stormwater permittees. 
• Review permit-documents for technical accuracy, applicability of the permit, and compliance with regulatory requirements. 
• Assess data utilizing multiple different geographic information systems to apply the correct permit conditions. 
• Prepare final permit correspondence, letters, and permit document materials.
• Manage a high volume of calls, emails, and records.
  

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: 

• Working with and entering environmental data into databases. 
• Using Geographic Information Systems. 
• Explaining complex technical and scientific information to the public. 
• Completing, submitting, or reviewing permit documents. 
• Responding to inquiries.

• 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: 

OR

One (1) year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2, at the Department of Ecology. 

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 Ecology’s databases such as PARIS, Facility Site, and the WQWeb Portal.
• Experience in customer service, such as providing clear explanations and systematic instructions to customers and/or the ability to communicate respectfully in a high stress environment.
• Experience organizing and managing large amounts of data and documents.

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

Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

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.
• 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 Noel Tamboer at: Noel.Tamboer@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Noel 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.

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