Description

The Shorelands & Environmental Assistance (SEA) program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Floodplain Management Policy Lead (Environmental Planner 5) position. This position can be located in any one of the following offices:

Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.
Central Region Office (CRO) in Union Gap, WA.
Eastern Region Office (ERO) in Spokane, WA.

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

Please Note: If the final location of this position is determined to be in our Northwest Region Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA. there will be an additional 5% pay increase due to its location in King County. In this instance the salary range will be $6,573 - $8,842 per month.

In this position, you will work with the Coastal/Shorelands Section within the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program at the Department of Ecology. Flooding is the most frequent—and usually the most costly—natural disaster in the State of Washington. The Department of Ecology is the state agency responsible for Washington’s floodplain management planning, including statewide policy and implementation. We work with many partners to promote and advance locally led, integrated floodplain management (IFM) approaches such as the Floodplains by Design program that reduce flooding risks to Washington’s communities while also achieving other benefits (restoring habitat and other ecosystem functions of floodplains). . Key priorities for this work include: climate resilience, equity, diversity, inclusion, and environmental justice.

As the Floodplain Management Policy Lead, you will play a significant internal and external leadership role in addressing Washington’s most challenging floodplain management policy and planning issues, especially as they relate to climate change. You will establish priorities, develop and be accountable for program implementation strategies, provide direction to and oversight of initiatives for program growth and enhancements, , build internal and external relationships, and manage staff work.

Partnerships and service to communities continue to be a priority for our floodplain management work. We coordinate and collaborate with:

• Tribes
• Local governments
• Other state and federal agencies with expertise in natural resources management, hazard mitigation, and land use planning
• Nongovernment organizations – in particular, our Floodplains by Design (FbD) partners: The Nature Conservancy, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, and American Rivers

Agency Mission: The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington’s land air and water for current and future generations.

Program Mission: The mission of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) program is to work in partnership with communities to support healthy watersheds and promote statewide environmental interests.

Our Floodplain Management (FPM) Unit was formed in early 2022 as part of a reorganization effort to consolidate floodplain management staff with statewide responsibilities under one Unit Supervisor based at Ecology’s headquarters in Lacey. Housed in the Coastal/Shorelands Section of the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) Program, the FPM Unit currently consists of planning, engineering, scientific, and IT/GIS staff.

Within Ecology, we work closely with other managers and staff throughout the SEA Program, including regional floodplain specialists, a team of financial managers, and communication consultants. This position will also work closely with other SEA policy leads in coastal management, shoreline management, and the Office of Chehalis Basin to ensure coordinated and strategic implementation of floodplain management activities and investments.

Telework options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to a 90% tele-work schedule. 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: The positions will remain open until filled, we will review applications next on May 31, 2023. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before May 30, 2023. 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.

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.
• 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 makes this role unique?

This is a unique opportunity to participate and support work across local, state, and national scales of floodplain management planning and resource management.

In this role, you will serve as Ecology’s most senior, non-supervisory floodplain management staff member. You will be primarily responsible for leading inter-program, interagency, and other external engagement efforts to facilitate resolution of highly complex or sensitive policy and planning issues. We are seeking a candidate who is both capable of and excited about taking responsibility for:

• Sustaining, growing, and improving integration of our existing programs.
• Identifying, analyzing, and developing new opportunities for us to enhance and expand our floodplain management efforts.
• Leveraging sophisticated policy understandings to devise creative and innovative solutions for the people and river systems of Washington State.
• Building strong relationships that support candor and open communication.

What you will do:

• Analyze, interpret, and advise Ecology leadership on highly complex or sensitive floodplain management policy and planning issues, including new and evolving legislation, regulations, policies, programs, initiatives, etc.
• Provide guidance (leadership, training, and mentoring) to other Ecology planning and technical staff to ensure statewide consistency.
• Provide oversight of Ecology’s floodplain management grant programs [Floodplains by Design (Fbd), and the Flood Control Assistance Account Program (FCAAP)].
• Advise and assist external partners (Tribes, other state agencies, local governments, nongovernmental organizations, etc.) on complex floodplain management policy issues, planning principles, actions, etc.
• Lead and/or provide high level support to budgeting and legislative activities, to internal and external working groups, and to other multi-disciplinary teams.
• Work with the Senior Floodplain Management Planner to better integrate National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) implementation with our other floodplain management efforts.

Participate in state, regional, and national floodplain management and related conferences, workshops, and seminars, and represent Ecology and the State of Washington at such events.

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.

Option 1: A Bachelor's degree with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field AND seven years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 2: A Master's degree or above with a major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field AND five years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 3: Two years of experience as an Environmental Planner 4, at the Department of Ecology.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

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.

• Three (3) or more years of experience working in floodplain management or related fields for or with a local government, tribal government, state or federal agency; conservation district or other public district; nongovernmental organization; or as a consultant in support of one of the above (work within Washington State or another west coast state especially desirable).
• Experience working with tribes, the agricultural community, local governments, and/or floodplain restoration practitioners to build consensus on floodplain management issues or advance multi-benefit floodplain management projects (work in Washington State especially desirable).
• Experience developing policy and/or providing written analysis and recommendations of policy.
• Experience supervising, training, and/or mentoring staff.

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?

• 
  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 (no more than 2 pages).
• 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.

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 this position, please email Bobbak Talebi at Bobbak.Talebi@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Bobbak 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.