Job Description

Posting number: 2026-WQ2724-08370

Department: Dept. of Ecology

Division: Water Quality

Job classification: ENVIRONMENTAL SPECIALIST 3

Posting type: Open & Promotional

Categories: Environmental Services, Public Health, Water Treatment, Water Agency, Natural Resources, Wastewater, Sciences, Green-Collar/Environmental, Stormwater

Summary

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an Industrial Permit Data and Compliance Professional (Environmental Specialist 3) within the Water Quality Program.

Location:

• Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• A minimum of two days per week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by October 15, 2026
• Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.
• Employment for this position will begin on December 1, 2026. Earlier start dates cannot be accommodated.

Examples of duties

In this role, you coordinate all administrative processes that support individual permit management and issuance for the thirteen counties in the southwest region of Washington. You are the central point of contact for the unit, making sure permit actions move smoothly from start to finish. This work calls for strong organization, good judgment in setting priorities, and comfort juggling many moving pieces at once. Success in this position also relies on solid skills with databases, especially Ecology’s PARIS system, along with proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Teams.

You will provide technical and administrative support for more than one hundred industrial permits. This includes responding to public inquiries, helping permit writers review draft permits, and confirming that proposed limits are compatible with the PARIS database before permits are finalized. Once a permit is issued, you enter limits and monitoring requirements into PARIS and track permit development, submittals, compliance, and required reviews. Because every permit follows its own timeline, there is a significant amount of tracking and coordination involved in this job. This position is a great fit for someone who enjoys keeping complex processes moving and takes pride in accuracy and clarity.

What you will do:

• Provide professional technical support for over 100 industrial permits. Technical support includes answering questions about submittals and troubleshooting problems in PARIS and the Water Quality Webportal.
• Prepare permit coverages, review draft permits and fact sheets for technical accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements. Ensure limit sets are compatible with the PARIS database.
• Review permit applications for completeness and technical accuracy, and draft correspondence for application acceptance or rejection.
• Finalize and circulate permit documents for acceptance, comment and issuance; arrange for peer review, entity review, public notice; and final distribution.
• Maintain the Industrial Unit SharePoint site used by 13 unit staff and others.
• Create new records in the WebPortal and PARIS database to accept permit-required submittals (e-DMRs).
• Enter or upload data, notifications, reports/submittals, inspections, and compliance/enforcement information to the PARIS database.
• Ensure that regional data stored in PARIS is complete and accurate.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

Six (6) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which must include the following:

• Permit Administration – Ability to apply regulatory and technical knowledge to review and issue permits to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant permit decisions.
• Compliance Evaluation – Ability to review and assess information and submissions to identify issues or discrepancies to support consistent and defensible compliance decisions.
• Data & Database Management – Ability to manage and maintain environmental data systems to ensure accurate records and reliable reporting.
• Technical Assistance – Ability to interpret laws, permit conditions, and reporting requirements to guide staff and permittees to ensure consistent and accurate compliance.
• Technical Communication – Ability to prepare clear and concise written technical documents to convey regulatory decisions and required actions.
• Collaboration & Process Improvement – Ability to participate in workgroups and recommend workflow and system improvements to enhance program efficiency and data quality.

Education involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences; environmental or natural science interdisciplinary studies; environmental planning, or an academic discipline related to the duties of the position.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 6 years of experience.
• 5 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 4 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 3 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 2 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• No experience AND a Master’s degree or above.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience assisting businesses or public agencies with regulatory requirements.
• Training and/or experience using databases and web applications.
• Training and/or experience with data management and quality assurance programs.

Supplemental information

Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

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.

Application Process

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 job seekers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Click “Apply” at the top of this page. Complete the entire application, including full work history and responses to all supplemental questions, and attach:

• Cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
• Resume

Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to complete the application thoroughly. A resume will not substitute for the “work experience” section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete.

For detailed application information, please visit our Recruitment website.

Application Attestation: By submitting an application, you are affirming that the information contained in your application and on all attachments is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information, and any false or misleading answers may result in rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

Need an Accommodation?

If you need reasonable accommodation during the application and/or screening process, including this job announcement in an alternate format:

• Please contact us at 360-407-6186 and select #2 for Recruitment or email careers@ecy.wa.gov
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-833-6384.

Questions?

• For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact John Diamant at John.Diamant@ecy.wa.gov
• If you need assistance applying for this job, are inquiring about the status of your application, would like to request the full position description, or have any other questions, please contact the Recruitment Team at careers@ecy.wa.gov

About the Water Quality Program

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. Water Quality Program’s Goal 3F: PROTECT AND RESTORE OUR STATE’S WATERS requires that we protect surface and ground water by working with our partners to ensure practices are on a path to meet water quality standards; and we restore polluted waters by working with our partners to improve water quality where problems are identified.

About the Department of Ecology

As the State of Washington’s environmental protection agency, we are deeply committed to protecting, preserving, and enhancing Washington’s environment for current and future generations. Joining Ecology means becoming part of a team dedicated to protecting and sustaining healthy land, air, water, and climate in harmony with a strong economy. A career in public service at Ecology 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. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

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 Incentive, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information

To learn more about Ecology, please visit our website, explore Working at Ecology, check out our Strategic Plan, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, 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.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.

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.

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