Senior Public Involvement Coordinator (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 4)

Company: State of Washington
Location: Olympia
Posted on: June 9, 2021

Job Description:

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Do you have a passion for public involvement, environmental protection, and environmental justice? This position offers a great opportunity to help protect communities most vulnerable to toxic chemical pollution. You'll be directly involved in engaging impacted communities, building partnerships, and leveraging outreach and public involvement opportunities.

The Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program within the Department of Ecology is looking for an Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist to coordinate stakeholder engagement on dangerous waste permitting and corrective action cleanups throughout the state. This position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.

The mission of the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction (HWTR) Program is to foster sustainability, prevent pollution, and ensure safe waste management of the millions of pounds of hazardous substances used and disposed of each year by businesses and households in Washington State. Over the longer term, we work with businesses and governments to achieve a system where waste is viewed as inefficient, and where most waste and unnecessary use of toxic substances have been eliminated. 

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, collaborative, with leadership who embrace 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 for permanent employees 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, and fitness classes; an agency-wide fondness for outdoor meetings
• Opportunities to serve your community and make an impact through meaningful work

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.

During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position will have occasional work in the office associated with development of public involvement presentation materials and with training and on-boarding. Any public meetings or hearings that occur during Stay Home, Stay Safe may be in person or may be able to be accomplished with remote technology. Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.  

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of June 9, 2021. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before June 8, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

What you'll do:

• Support regulatory staff by preparing public outreach materials and coordinating innovative public outreach activities, including:
• Addressing environmental justice for overburdened communities.
• Developing public notices.
• Seeking and responding to public comment.
• Planning public meetings and hearings.

• Developing highly effective public engagement strategies.

• Develop public outreach and communication materials that are easy to understand:
• Explain technical issues so that people living in Washington can engage in a meaningful dialogue with Ecology. 

• Accurately present complex information to audiences who don't have a scientific background.

• Help ensure our public outreach and communication efforts reach our broad audiences.
• Ensure HWTR regulatory activities incorporate environmental justice elements, including Title VI (Civil Rights Act) nondiscrimination compliance, and the Agency and HWTR strategic plan strategies for environmental justice.
• Coordinate efforts to continually improve our communication methods and techniques.
• Work with communities, industry, and public interest groups:
• You will have a significant presence at public meetings and events. 
• As a member of our team, you will become familiar with agency communication and public involvement processes and work with regulatory staff involved in rule development, permitting, and corrective action (cleanup) projects. 

Why join the team?

The HWTR Regulatory Assistance Unit functions as a multi-disciplinary team that provides high quality services to the HWTR program to support our regulation of hazardous wastes. This position is a vital and integrated member of our team, and provides the critical public outreach and communication support that help us do our work more effectively. In this position, you will:

• Have the opportunity to help implement the state's new environmental justice law and work with our agency's senior environmental justice staff. 
• Work with a dynamic group of professionals to provide public outreach support to ensure HWTR is able to meet our strategic objectives for open and inclusive interactions with regulated communities and the public.
• Support our regulatory outreach efforts related to the regulation of hazardous wastes to help ensure the safe handling of these wastes. You will be a critical link to the regulated, impacted, and interested communities. You will help ensure that our environmental protection work supports our environmental justice initiatives.

Required Qualifications:

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

Option 1:

Eight (8) years of education and/ or experience:

• Education: involving major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications or related field.
• Experience: involving environmental analysis or control, regulatory development, permitting, environmental justice, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or community organizing.

Experience may include a combination of the following:

• Developing, promoting, and implementing regulatory compliance, education or outreach programs.
• Overseeing the development and implementation of an organization's environment justice or education outreach strategy.
• Developing environmental education policy, regulations and guidance. 

Option 2:

• A Bachelor's degree or above involving major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications or related field.
• Four (4) years of experience involving environmental analysis or control, regulatory development, permitting, environmental justice, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or community organizing.

 Experience may include a combination of the following:

• Developing, promoting, and implementing regulatory compliance, education or outreach programs.
• Overseeing the development and implementation of an organization's environment justice or education outreach strategy.
• Developing environmental education policy, regulations and guidance.

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

Possible CombinationsCollege credit hours or degreeYears of required experienceCombination 1No college credit hours or degree8 years of experienceCombination 230-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.7 years of experienceCombination 360-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).6 years of experienceCombination 490-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.5 years of experienceCombination 5 A Bachelor's Degree or above4 years of experience

Desired Qualifications:

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

• Experience with environmental justice (EJ) and equity issues, or integrating EJ requirements into regulatory or community outreach programs.
• At least two years of experience with the Dangerous Waste (WAC 173-303) or Model Toxics Control (MTCA) (WAC 173-340) regulations, including corrective action, permitting and rules development that required public noticing regulations, public meetings or hearings.
• Experience using, providing, or coordinating with multi-lingual communication or translation. 

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

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 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

Please to 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 (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 Steve Moore at: Steve.Moore@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Steve 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:

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, 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. 

Keywords: State of Washington, Olympia , Senior Public Involvement Coordinator (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 4), Other , Olympia, Washington