Research and Development Supervisor jobs in Olympia, WA

The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Permit Development Unit Supervisor (Environmental Engineer 5) position. 

This position is located in our Eastern Region Office (ERO) in Spokane, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Join our dedicated team of water quality professionals in Eastern Washington. You will serve as a Supervising Engineer for our Permit Development Unit. In this position, you will supervise a team of specialists tasked with preparing legal, enforceable, and implementable water quality permits (National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and State Waste Discharge Permits). 

About the Department of Ecology

• 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.

What makes this role unique? 
You will serve as a unit supervisor for the newly created Permit Development Unit to manage permit quality assurance. This unit writes and provides technical expertise for our water quality permits. In your role, you will work closely with the Permit Management Unit to ensure that permits are implemented in a way that protects Washington State waters. You will be supervising a dedicated staff of 12 professional including hydrogeologists, engineers, and environmental specialists.

What you will do: 

• Provide leadership to the Permit Development Unit staff tasked with writing and updating a portfolio of approximately 180 water discharge permits. 
• Manage the permit development process and engage with the Permit Management Unit in quality assurance activities that support permit implementation and process improvement. 
• Supervise the region’s water quality experts. Provide technical expertise to permittees and Ecology staff, including engineering review, hydrogeology, land treatment, reclaimed water, and funding guidance.
• Plan and schedule unit workload, coordinate annual planning, establish priorities, assign tasks, facilitate intra­ and inter-program project teams, monitor status of unit tasks and commitments, and ensure timeliness of employee assignments. Support staff learning and professional development opportunities. 
• Manage recruiting and hiring of staff, with guidance from the program’s Human Resources consultant.
• Support effective communications throughout the agency. 
• Maintain the highest standards of personal/professional and ethical conduct and support the state's goals for a diverse, equitable, and inclusive workforce. Earn the trust, respect, and confidence of coworkers and customers through consistent honesty, forthrightness, and professionalism in all interactions. 
• Build and maintain cooperative relationships characterized by a high level of acceptance and cooperation.

Learn more about what it is like to be an Engineer at the Department of Ecology.

• 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

Option 1:

An Engineer-In-Training Certificate or a Bachelor's degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field.

 AND

Registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND five (5) years of experience in environmental engineering.

Option 2:

A Master's degree with major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field. 

 AND

Registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND four (4) years of experience in environmental engineering.
 

Option 3:

A Ph.D. with a major study in one of the following engineering fields: sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field.

 AND

Registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND three (3) years of experience in environmental engineering.

 
NOTE: Requirements for professional registration as an engineer in the State of Washington are eight years of professional experience (which may include up to four years of college-level engineering education) and successful completion of sixteen hours of professional licensing exams. Applicants qualifying through the licensing equivalency option must achieve professional registration as an engineer in the State of Washington within six months of appointment to this class.

Note:  Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials.  These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State: Board of Registration for Professional Engineers: How to get your license: Professional engineer by comity.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Must have registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington.

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

• Two years of supervisory experience.
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport and partner with others.
• Education or experience in negotiation and conflict resolution.

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

• 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.   

• 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.

• 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:

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Adriane Borgias at: adriane.borgias@ecy.wa.gov Please do not contact Adriane 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.

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.