Career Center

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an Environmental Engineer 3 position. The position is located in our Headquarters office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station. 

As a licensed professional engineer, you will independently plan and conduct investigations of, and propose solutions to, environmental engineering problems relating to pollutant loading capacity, mathematical modeling of water quality, and effluent dilution. This position is directly related to Ecology’s mission of protecting, preserving, and restoring Washington’s environment. 

Note: This position offers a career path and on-the-job training. This position allows you to progress through the Environmental Engineer field and achieve the goal class of an Environmental Engineer 3. Candidates will be considered as an Environmental Engineer 2 or 3 level, depending on their qualifications. For salary levels for each, please see the qualifications section.

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. 

Program Mission: The Environmental Assessment Program  provides a range of scientific, monitoring, laboratory, and quality assurance services. Its mission is to measure and assess environmental conditions in Washington State. The Modeling and TMDL Unit is comprised of a cohesive team of scientists and engineers that work on studies to solve some of the most complex water quality issues in western Washington. 

Tele-work options for this position: Telecommuting is an option. Flexible number of days per week in the office. Applicants with questions about position location options, tele-work, 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 is subject to change.

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with a next screening date of May 22, 2023. In order to be considered for the next screening, please submit an application on or before May 21, 2023. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

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

• 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.

 
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? 

In this role you will work on complex and challenging water quality surface water problems with other Ecology team members and, at times, with external stakeholders and scientists.

What you will do:

• Apply environmental engineering best practices for water quality mathematical modeling and pollutant loading capacity.  
• Provide professional engineering expertise in the field of environmental engineering to understand the hydrodynamics and biochemistry of complex surface water systems including estuaries, lakes, rivers and streams. 
• Independently conduct modeling studies including hydrological and water quality models. 
• Serve as a technical lead for Total Maximum Daily Load projects. This task includes development of Quality Assurance Project Plans, study design and scoping, coordination with Water Quality Program staff, may include field monitoring, data analysis, mathematical modeling, report writing and presentations to peers and lay audiences.
• Develop scripts and code to run models, prepare input files and post-process output data.
• Make recommendations to management for developing and/or changing regulations, policies, and guidelines necessary for pollution abatement. 

Learn more about what it is like to be an Engineer at the Department of Ecology

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
This is an In-Training position: The goal class for this position is an Environmental Engineer 3 (EE3). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for both the EE3 and the EE2 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements at the EE2 level, then they will be hired as an EE2 and will be placed in a training program to become an EE3 within a specified period of time.
    
At the Environmental Engineer 2 level: Pay Range 61 ($5,399 - $7,262 – monthly) (In-Training)

Option 1: An Engineer-In-Training Certificate or a Bachelor's degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND Two years of experience in environmental engineering.

Option 2: A Master's degree or above with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND One year of experience in environmental engineering.
 
At the Environmental Engineer 3 level: Pay Range 67 ($6,260 - $8,421 monthly) (Goal Class) 
  
Option 1: An Engineer-In-Training Certificate or a Bachelor's degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND three years of experience in environmental engineering.

Option 2: A Master's degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND two years of experience in environmental engineering.

Option 3: A Ph.D. degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resources, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND one year of experience in environmental engineering.

Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. 
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington at the Environmental Engineer 3 Level.

Desired Qualifications:

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

• Experience scripting in MATLAB, R, Python or other scripting language. 
• Experience working with  one, two or three dimensional biogeochemical water quality models. 
• Knowledge of principles, practices, methods and techniques for water quality monitoring, data gathering, research and field investigations; technical report writing. 
• Skills and aptitude in data management including attention to detail.

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

NOTE: Requirements for professional registration as an engineer in the state of Washington are eight years of professional experience (which may include up to four years of college-level engineering education) and successful completion of sixteen hours of professional licensing exams.

Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials. These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State: Board of Registration for Professional Engineers: How to get your license: Professional engineer by comity.

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: [email protected] 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 [email protected]. 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. 

Per Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated effective November 4, 2022. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified prior to starting work. Being fully vaccinated means two weeks after you have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed or otherwise authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. If you have questions, please contact [email protected] with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.   

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 Cristiana Figueroa-Kaminsky at: [email protected]. Please do not contact Cristiana to inquire about the status of your application.
 
To request the full position description: email [email protected]

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.