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Northwest Region Section Manager

Washington State Department of Ecology
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Per Governor Inslee’s Proclamation 21-14.2 (Download PDF reader), Washington State employees must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. As a condition of employment, the successful candidate will be required to provide proof of their COVID-19 vaccination as part of the hiring process, prior to their start date. Requests for medical and religious exemptions will be considered. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line.  

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Has your career focused on protecting, preserving and enhancing the environment? Do you want to play an important role within our environmental leadership team?

Our Water Resources (WR) program is looking to hire a Northwest Region Section Manager (WMS Band 2) position. This position is located in our Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA. To learn more about Washington State's job classification system, please visit this link.
 
During Healthy Washington Roadmap to Recovery, employees are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. This position is eligible for a telework agreement in compliance with Ecology guidance. Your assigned duty station will be the Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, where this position will work an average of at least two or three days per week. You will sometimes work from the Bellingham Office, the Ecology headquarters office in Lacey, another Ecology facility, or in the field as needed to engage with staff and other internal and external partners. Ecology is following current state guidance regarding mask requirements, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing. Looking ahead, Ecology has recently updated the agency policies on telework and flexible and compressed work schedules. Applicants with questions about position location options, telework, and flexible or compressed schedules are encouraged to reach out to the contact person listed below in “other information.”

You will lead a dynamic team of 18 professionals with responsibilities spanning from groundwater analysis and streamflow monitoring to inspecting groundwater wells, issuing permits, and enforcing state water law.
 
The Northwest Region includes the most densely populated area of the state with some of the most difficult water challenges spanning Island, King, Kitsap, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties. The Section Manager’s decisions affect access to water for individuals, businesses, local governments, other state agencies, and the federal government, with opportunities to improve the well-bring of citizens and the natural environment.
 
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.

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. 
  • A wellness program that offers education, fitness classes, and 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. 

Please Note: The salary posted above includes the additional 5% premium pay that this position will receive due to this position's location in King County.   
 
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with an initial screening date of April 11, 2022. In order to be considered for initial screening, please submit an application on or before April 10, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
Duties


What makes this role unique? 
The Northwest Region overlaps with many waterbodies with treaty-recognized usual and accustomed fishing grounds, and many of the tribal governments within the region are heavily involved with water resources management decisions.
Most watersheds within the region have an instream flow rule limiting new water resource allocations. The region also includes the largest number of municipal water suppliers (in terms of size and overall quantity), and the Water Resources Section Manager faces continuous challenges of balancing uses of water for communities and economies with protection of streamflows and senior water rights.

What you will do: 

  • Support Ecology’s mission by working closely with communities and partners to oversee effective management of water resources within the region. 
  • Assure that water uses in the region are regulated, allocated, conserved, and protected consistent with laws, rules, policies and procedures, and achieve the maximum net benefit to citizens of the state. 
  • Represent Ecology's water resources interests with local government, state and federal agencies, business, industry, agriculture, tribes, and in administrative appeals board hearings and State and Federal Courts. 
  • This position is one of four positions in the Water Resources Program with similar duties in four different regions of the state, representing the Northwest Region as a member of the Water Resources Program Leadership Team, and representing the Water Resources Program on the Regional Management Team. 



Qualifications

Required Qualifications:
A total of Nine (9) years of experience and/or education combined as described below:
Please note: Experience in each of the areas may have been gained concurrently.
 
  • Experience in professional level management, which includes the following: 
  1. Five (5) years of significant leadership and problem-solving experience related to complex water, environmental, or natural resource objectives. 
  2. Five (5) years of providing oversight and direction of a program's diverse functions to meet overall program objectives. 
  3. Five (5) years of strong communication, meeting management, and consensus building in a dynamic environment addressing complex issues, demonstrating the ability to maintain professional demeanor and be calm, respectful and composed in stressful situations. 
  4. A minimum of two (2) years of budget management experience. 
  5. A minimum of two (2) years of strategic planning experience including the ability to conceptualize and articulate the future direction of a program.
  • Education: involving a major study in public administration, business administration, environmental management, natural sciences, natural resources, environmental sciences, physical sciences, engineering, planning, or other related field.
 
See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position: 


Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 
Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license and be eligible to drive Ecology fleet vehicles.

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

  • Advanced degree in engineering, environmental science, public administration, a law degree, or other closely aligned field. 
  • Two or more years’ experience supervising a work unit. Advanced knowledge of state water resources laws and issues. 

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 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.
  • Three professional references.

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 Mary Verner at: mary.verner@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Mary 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:

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.

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.