The Water Quality Program within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Watershed Outreach and Education Specialist (Community Outreach and Environmental Education Specialist 2) position.

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

Can you picture yourself developing and implementing outreach and education strategies for stream health and fish habitat improvements?

How about using a variety of outreach tools to showcase successful water quality work, including the restoration of rivers and streams?

Would you like to work with a fabulous team of passionate and dedicated Watershed Implementation Leads on water quality improvements?

If so, this position could be for you!

In this role, you will collaborate with watershed and agency partners as well as Ecology implementation leads to inform the public on the where, why, and how of our water quality efforts in Eastern Washington, including stream restoration.

You will spend a lot of time working in the Hangman Creek watershed to successfully implement a 10-year agreement to make major improvements in riparian health and aquatic habitat.

The Eastern Region of Washington is a beautiful place to live and work. Our 13-county region incorporates the Selkirk Mountains to the north and the Palouse hills and Walla Walla wine country to the south.

Your work in this role will have a lasting impact on cleaning up nonpoint pollution, restoring streams, and protecting aquatic habitats throughout the region!

Agency Mission : Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Program Mission : 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.

Tele-work options for this position : This position will be eligible for up to an 80% tele-work schedule, with the requirement of working in the office one day per week.

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 May 6, 2024 . To be considered, please submit an application on or before May 5, 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 :

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 .

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?

This exciting position will empower you to come up with creative ways to inform the public on nonpoint water quality efforts.

You will coordinate our educational outreach aimed at addressing various challenges related to nonpoint and toxic pollution throughout the Eastern Region.

As part of a 3-person Hangman Watershed implementation team, you will take the lead on outreach and education work within this watershed.

What you will do :

• Create outreach materials in collaboration with other Ecology staff to build public support and engagement for nonpoint pollution improvement efforts.
• Help successfully implement TMDL and Straight to Implementation strategies informing the public on what actions are needed and why to restore stream health and aquatic habitat.
• Develop watershed workshops, educational videos, story maps, mailings, social media and blog posts, interactive surveys, educational signs, classroom activities, and more.
• Actively engage in stream restoration work in order to educate the public on water quality improvements and create success stories.
• Coordinate outreach efforts with the Spokane Riverkeeper and attend regular settlement agreement meetings.
• Develop, organize, and facilitate public participation processes and events including public workshops and meetings.
• Collaborate with Hangman Creek partners such as the Spokane Conservation District, Spokane River Forum, the Spokane Tribe, and the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.
• Create opportunities for small communities in the watershed such as Tekoa, Rockford, and Fairfield to learn about implementation actions needed for both nonpoint and point source pollution.
• Coordinate on outreach efforts and help obtain resources to implement effective outreach and education actions throughout the Eastern Region.

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 5 years of experience and / or education as described below :

• Experience in environmental analysis or control, environmental planning, environmental education, community outreach, or communications activities.
• Education : involving a major study in environmental, physical, or natural science, education, communications, or closely related field.

All experience and education combinations that meet the requirements for this position :

Possible Combinations

College credit hours or degree as listed above.

Years of required experience as listed above.

Combination 1

No college credit hours or degree

5 years of experience

Combination 2

30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits

4 years of experience

Combination 3

60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree)

3 years of experience

Combination 4

90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits

2 years of experience

Combination 5

A Bachelor's Degree

1 year of experience

Special Requirements / Conditions of Employment :

Must obtain and maintain a valid driver’s license.

Desired Qualifications :

• Experience or education in water quality protection and / or stream restoration strategies.
• Experience in organizing or hosting events or public meetings.
• Public speaking.
• Creating outreach materials.

Last updated : 2024-05-17