Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Air Quality Program (AQP) is looking to fill an Air Quality Communications and Engagement Specialist (Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist 4) (In-Training) position. This position will be located at our Headquarters Building in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Are you passionate about our natural environment and ready to contribute your skills and energy to help protect and preserve it? We’re looking for a strategic communicator with graphic design skills to join our team! You’ll get to develop communication, outreach, and engagement plans and products that connect with the diverse people and communities we serve statewide – helping shape some of Washington’s cutting-edge environmental justice work to improve air quality. You’ll create outreach and education campaigns, researching, writing, photographing and designing materials for media production, as well as writing web content to support our Air Quality Program's work. And you’ll also advise on public interest and community reaction to various programs and policies.

Note: This position offers a career path and on-the-job training. This position allows you to progress through the Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist (COEES) field and achieve the goal class of a COEES4. Candidates will be considered at the COEES2, COEES3 and COEES4 levels, depending on their qualifications. For salary levels for each, please see the qualifications section.

The mission of the Air Quality Program (AQP) is to protect, preserve, and enhance the air quality of Washington to safeguard public health and the environment and support high quality of life for current and future generations.

Tele-work 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 are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

This position will remain open until filled, we will review applications on November 8, 2023. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before November 7, 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.

Please Note: We will review all applications received before the date above. Additional reviews after this date typically only occur if we have a small applicant pool, or if a successful Hire was not made.

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

About the Department of Ecology:

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 and collaborative, with leadership that embraces the value of people. To learn more, check out our Strategic Plan.

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 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.

• 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.

Duties:

What makes this role unique?

As the Air Quality Communication and Engagement Specialist, you will support the program with strategic and proactive communications and community outreach planning and execution. You will help to shape the program and Ecology’s evolving messaging, defining and promoting the agency’s role and responsibilities as presented to the public, stakeholders, Tribes, environmental justice advocates, other governmental entities, and the regulated community. You will create myriad publications for internal and external use, including fact sheets, talking points, blog posts, videos, social media posts and presentations to connect Air Quality’s work with the people of Washington, with an emphasis on informing the public about the impacts of smoke from wildfires and wood stoves.

What you will do:

• Identify and carry-out assignments about opportunities to inform, educate and energize Washingtonians about key Air Quality programs, grants, policies, regulations, and initiatives statewide.
• Collaborate with the Air Quality Communications Manager, subject matter experts, and communications and outreach and engagement colleagues – including across agencies – on high-priority products and campaigns, including those that support grant programs for reducing air pollution in overburdened communities and methane emissions from landfills, and that prepare and inform the public about seasonal air quality challenges due to wildfire and wood stove smoke.
• Create graphic design and infographics for community engagement campaigns and to support communications plans about key programs, policies, and services related to air quality work.
• Develop, advise on and execute external strategic communication and outreach plans to support key programs, projects, and initiatives.
• Write, edit and publish graphics, social media, blogs, videos, presentations, web copy, and other products as part of communication, and community engagement campaigns.
• Determine best medium for promoting program efforts; identify opportunities for improvement and suggests creative solutions.
• Manage and take a leadership role on creating social media content and campaigns to maintain a public air quality presence.

Qualifications:

This is an In-Training Position. The goal class for this position is Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist (COEES4). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements for the COEES2, COEES3 and COEES4 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements for the COEES2 or COEES3 levels, they will be hired in at that level and placed into a training program to become a COEES4 within a specified period of time.

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.

• At the Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 2 level: Salary Range 46 ($3,883-$5,214 monthly) (In-training) 
• At the Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 3 level: Salary Range 49 ($4,174-$5,615 monthly) (In-training)
• At the Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 4 level: Salary Range 55 ($4,842-$6,510 monthly)

At the COEES2, COEES3 and COEES4 levels, examples of experience may include:

• Risk communications via social media.
• Public outreach campaigns, including work with success metrics.
• Document development with heavy graphics components.
• Product development that supports communications strategies.

Desired Qualifications:

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

• A portfolio of published creative work, including graphic design.
• Experience designing and executing successful public outreach campaigns.
• Experience working in a fast-paced, complex organization and/or in government communications.

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 will be declined.

• A one-page cover letter describing why you are qualified for this position.
• A resume outlining your experience and education (if applicable) as it relates to at least the minimum qualifications of this position.
• A list of three professional references (included in your application).
• Three graphic design samples.
• One writing sample, preferably a published work.

Please do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable.

Other Information:

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Susan Woodward at: Susan.Woodward@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Susan 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.

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.

Apply here: https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/washington/jobs/4250739/air-quality-communications-and-engagement-specialist-in-training