Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) within the Department of Ecology (Ecology) is looking to fill a Public Outreach Coordinator (Community Outreach & Environmental Education Specialist 3) position. This position is located in our Southwest Region Office in Lacey, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

As the Public Outreach Coordinator, you’ll provide education and outreach specific to the Tacoma Smelter Plume (TSP) environmental remediation project. Working collaboratively with the project team, other communications and community engagement colleagues at Ecology, as well as the local health department, you’ll develop, implement and oversee outreach activities to educate the community and raise awareness about the contamination from the Tacoma Smelter Plume, and healthy actions individuals can take to reduce risk from the contamination.

Educating property owners, residents, and childcare providers throughout the affected communities will be a critical function of your position, to ensure their understanding and knowledge around the cleanup process under the TSP Yard Program and Soil Safety Program.

The mission of the Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) is to protect Washington’s human health and the environment by preventing and cleaning up pollution and supporting sustainable communities and natural resources for the benefit of future and current generations.

Please Note: This is a project position that is funded until June 30, 2027. The funding for this position has a high probability of being renewed for the next bi-annual budget.

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to an 80% 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 March 13, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before March 12, 2024. 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 *Click here for more information

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?

The Tacoma Smelter Plume (TSP) project is a complex, high-priority environmental cleanup site due to pollution from the Asarco smelter in Tacoma, WA. This position plays an integral role in helping those living in affected communities with remediating and cleaning their properties, as well as learning about practices to minimize risk from the pollution.

You’ll play a critical role in connecting the cleanup work directly with members of affected communities. You’ll engage residents about opportunities for soil sampling and remediation of their properties through soil replacement and provide ongoing updates and support throughout the process. You’ll also connect with community members, schools, daycares, camps, public housing residents, and public park users about soil safety and healthy practices that can be incorporated in daily life to minimize risk of contamination. This is accomplished through education sessions and presentations and generating handouts and posters for public meetings.

What you will do:

• Coordinate Tacoma Smelter Plume project outreach activities. Provide input on outreach documents and strategies.
• Develop and update education and outreach materials for the Yard and Soil Safety Programs. This includes brochures, fact sheets, pamphlets, displays, and more.
• Design, manage, organize, and maintain websites, listservs and blog; provide website technical assistance.
• Consider environmental justice compliance and best practices throughout TSP project work. Evaluate environmental justice and Title VI obligations as part of outreach to communities. This includes using online mapping tools and data including DOH’s Environmental Health Disparities (EHD) map and EPA’s EJScreen mapping tool.
• Ensure compliance with Title VI nondiscrimination obligations by continuously evaluating and addressing barriers to information and engagement and striving to reach all members of the community through tailored outreach practices that include accessibility and language considerations.
• Oversee local health department outreach activities for the TSP project. Coordinate with local health departments to answer health questions from the public.
• Make oral presentations of environmental information to various groups such as property owners, neighbors, teachers, students, employees, and the community.
• Be a point of contact for property owner, resident, and childcare provider concerns.

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.

A total of seven years of experience and/or education as described below:

Experience: involving environmental analysis or control, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or communications activities and conflict resolution. Experience may include:

• Coordinating project work with many interested parties;
• Managing contracts, grants, or local agreements with consultants, contractors, or local government;
• Communicating complex technical information to the public and impacted communities.
• Education: with a major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications or closely related field.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Must possess 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.
• Knowledge of Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) public involvement process.
• Understanding of public involvement, risk communication, behavior change, Title VI requirements, and environmental justice obligations and best practices.
• Experience with environmental and/or public health outreach and education planning and implementation.
• Experience with outcome evaluation and tracking.
• Writing and editing skills.

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.

Apply here: 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.
• A list of three professional references.
• A writing sample -- such as a fact sheet, or a newsletter.

Note: References will only be contacted during the final steps of the recruitment process for candidates selected as finalists. References will not be contacted without the candidate’s formal authorization.

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 the position, please email Marian Abbett at: Marian.Abbett@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Marian 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.