- Salary: $82,872.00 – $111,504.00 Annually
- Location: Thurston County – Lacey, WA
- Job Type: Project (limited duration)
- Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
- Job Number: 2025-WQP1067-05662
- Department: Dept. of Ecology
- Division: Water Quality
- Opening Date: 08/14/2025
- Closing Date: Continuous
- Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step
Description
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Department of Ecology is hiring a Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead (Environmental Planner 5) within the Water Quality Program.
This is a project position that is funded until June 30, 2028.
Location:
- Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
- Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
Schedule:
- This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
- A minimum of one day per pay period is required in the office.
- Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.
Application Timeline:
- Apply by September 8, 2025
- This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after the above date may not be considered.
Duties
In this dynamic role, you will serve as the principle planning consultant in Ecology’s Water Quality Program on the Puget Sound National Estuary Program and the Stormwater Strategic Initiative which is funded through a cooperative agreement with the Environmental Protection Agency’. You will provide high profile, environmental planning expertise on the implementation policies and funding opportunities to address water quality threats to Puget Sound. You will work closely with the Habitat Strategic Initiative Leads at Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources, the Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead at the Department of Health, and also the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP), other state agencies, and federal agencies with the goal to reduce the impacts from stormwater in Puget Sound.
What you will do:
- Advise on programs, policies, and regulations that reduce stormwater pollution in Puget Sound and assist in coordinating Agency-wide ongoing work related to projects that eliminate or reduce stormwater pollution, improve water quality, protect the environment, or increase community knowledge and engagement.
- Provide planning consultations to managers and coordinate the development and implementation of a comprehensive plan that identifies and prioritizes actions to reduce pollution in Puget Sound and garners agency feedback regarding project status and accomplishments.
- Ensure compliance with the cooperative agreement with the EPA by meeting all agreement deliverables and assigning work to other project staff.
- Plan and coordinate the development and implementation of the Stormwater Strategic Initiative and supporting Implementation Plans. Select project consultants and manage contracts needed to complete and implement the plans.
- Develop and oversee a subaward program that includes funding decisions for projects that improve water quality in Puget Sound.
- Organize and coordinate multi-disciplinary teams assigned to the Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead.
- Build relationships with Tribes, environmental and community organizations, and the public, creating opportunities for their engagement, participation, and input in implementation efforts.
- Collaborate with interagency partners, experts, and other interested parties to ensure that implementation is coordinated, technically sound, and represents shared priorities for the Puget Sound recovery community.
Qualifications
For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.
Required Qualifications:
Eleven (11) years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in Land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience.
- Education involving a major study 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.
Examples of how to qualify:
- 11 years of experience.
- 10 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
- 9 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
- 8 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
- 7 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
- 5 years of experience AND a Master’s degree or above.
- 2 years of experience as an Environmental Planner 4, at the Department of Ecology.
Desired Qualifications:
- Knowledge and experience working with state and federal grant programs for water quality improvement and protection.
- Knowledge and experience working with Puget Sound Action Agenda implementation strategies.
- The best qualified applicants will have a total of three years working with state and federal grant programs for water quality improvement and protection and working with Puget Sound Action Agenda implementation strategies.
If you are excited about this role but not sure if your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.
Supplemental Information
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.
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.
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.
Application Process
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 job seekers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
How to Apply
Click “Apply” at the top of this page. Complete the entire application, including full work history and responses to all supplemental questions, and attach:
- Cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
- Resume
Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to complete the application thoroughly. A resume will not substitute for the “work experience” section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete.
For detailed application information, please visit our Recruitment website.
Application Attestation: By submitting an application, you are affirming that the information contained in your application and on all attachments is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information, and any false or misleading answers may result in rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.
Need an Accommodation?
If you need reasonable accommodation during the application and/or screening process, including this job announcement in an alternate format:
- Please contact us at 360-407-6186 or careers@ecy.wa.gov
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-833-6384.
Questions?
- For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact Leslie Connelly at Leslie.Connelly@ecy.wa.gov
- If you need assistance applying for this job, are inquiring about the status of your application, would like to request the full position description, or have any other questions, please contact the Recruitment Team at careers@ecy.wa.gov
About the Water Quality Program
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. We carry out the federal Clean Water Act for the state, setting limits on pollution to make sure that water supports: recreation, business activities, aquatic life, and public health. Our vision is that Washington’s communities work together and with us to sustain healthy, thriving watersheds and provide cool, clean water to fish, shellfish, wildlife, people, and businesses. Future generations have improved access to clean water even as our climate changes.
About the Department of Ecology
As the State of Washington’s environmental protection agency, we are deeply committed to protecting, preserving, and enhancing Washington’s environment for current and future generations. Joining Ecology means becoming part of a team dedicated to protecting and sustaining healthy land, air, water, and climate in harmony with a strong economy. A career in public service at Ecology 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. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.
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
To learn more about Ecology, please visit our website, explore Working at Ecology, check out our Strategic Plan, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or our blog.
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.
Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.
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.
#LI-Hybrid
Employer: State of Washington
Address: View Job Posting for Agency Information, View Job Posting for Location, Washington, 98504
Website: http://www.careers.wa.gov
