Water Quality Program Manager (EMS Band 3)

Protecting Washington State’s environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. If you want to lead a highly effective, collaborative team that is dedicated to protecting Washington’s waters, this may be the position for you.
 
Our Mission at the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment, for current and future generations.
 
Our Water Quality Program contributes to that mission by working to protect and restore Washington’s waters to support healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures state waters can support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health.

The Water Quality Program Manager is an Exempt Management Service Band 3 position that reports to Ecology’s Deputy Director, and is located at our headquarters building in Lacey, WA.

We are seeking a motivated and innovative problem-solver, with both strategic and operational experience, to lead and manage our Water Quality Program. Our new Program Manager will be a forward facing problem-solver who builds strong relationships with our various stakeholders in order to achieve results through technical and financial assistance and regulation.
 
At Ecology, you’ll be a part of a team that is invested in making a difference. We’re engineers, environmental scientists, planners, geologists, communication specialists, administrative professionals, and more, all working toward our common goals. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

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.

What will you be doing?

You’ll manage a team of over 270 staff who are working within five major activity areas: Preventing point source water pollution, reducing nonpoint source water pollution, controlling stormwater, providing water quality financial assistance, and cleaning polluted waters. To help us succeed, you will:

• Set the strategic direction of the program.
• Guide the implementation of statutes, legislative directives, and water quality standards for our state.
• Use advanced management principles to address the various and often conflicting views of numerous stakeholders.
• Oversee the water quality financial assistance program, which helps local communities, watershed organization, and tribes develop and implement projects to improve water quality.
• Effectively communicate with public groups, public health agencies, individual businesses and business groups, the legislature, the media, and individuals residing in Washington State.
• Manage the program’s diverse budget and human resources.

• Problem solve and adjust strategies to capture emerging opportunities or unexpected challenges.
• Have a clear understanding of larger state and federal policies which impact the work and direction of the Water Quality Program, as well as an ability to translate those larger imperatives into appropriate actions.
• See and understand the opportunities and challenges of how the work impacts people and what is needed to ensure durable outcomes to protect the environment.

• Represent the Director with federal, state, local, tribal and elected officials, the general public, environmental groups, and the business community.
• Develop credibility as a problem solver and a source of water quality information for decision-makers and the public.
• Make recommendations to the Executive Leadership Team on how to implement programs and develop policies including agency direction for work procedures to ensure responsive service delivery and consistency.

Required Qualifications:

A bachelor’s degree or above in engineering, environmental science, public administration, law, or other qualifying discipline.

A minimum of five (5) years of professional level supervisory responsibility, including experience managing supervisors.
 
A minimum of five (5) years of professional level management experience, including:

• Providing direction to mid-level managers and supervisors in scientific and/ or public health fields which included coaching, training, recruitment, evaluation and performance.
• Providing oversight of a program’s diverse functions combining and directing all aspects to meet overall program objectives.

 A minimum of five (5) years of budget management experience.
 
A minimum of three (3) years of strategic planning experience (annual or biennial based business plan) including the ability to conceptualize and articulate the future direction of a program.

Please note: Experience in each of the areas may be gained concurrently.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience managing diverse fund sources.
• Experience as a member of a leadership team.
• Experience in an environmental, natural resource, public health, or similar field.

Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment

Must have a valid driver’s license.