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NWRO/SWRO & Air Quality Operations Unit Manager

Washington State Department of Ecology
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The Department of Ecology's priority during the Covid-19 health crisis is to keep our staff, candidates, and the public safe. We are still hiring and encourage you to apply to open positions. The majority of our staff are currently working from home; we have transitioned to a virtual recruitment process, to include web-based interviews. 

 
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Protecting Washington State's environment for current and future generations is what we do every day at Ecology. We have a culture that is invested in making a difference. If you want to join a team that is highly effective and collaborative, with leadership that embraces the value of people, Ecology is a great fit.

The Air Quality Program (AQP) is looking to fill our NWRO/SWRO & Air Quality Operations Unit Manager (WMS Band 1) position. This position is located in our Headquarters Building in Lacey, WA. To learn more about the state's management classification system, please visit this link.

The NWRO/SWRO and Air Quality Operation Unit Manager ensures that resources go to the most important work consistent with overall agency and Air Quality Program priorities, staff are focused to do their work better, and solutions to air quality problems are effective and balance the needs of staff, the public, and decision makers. This position helps the Air Quality Program protect air quality by providing operational support, policy advice, planning, and direct services in the following areas: air quality monitoring, calibration and repair, quality assurance, data analysis, publications coordination, public process and accessibility.

We are seeking a highly motivated individual who will lead and empower successful teams in a collaborative and creative environment. The successful candidate will have a commitment to environmental stewardship, be curious and compassionate and have a solution focused mind set.

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.

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.
 
Local efforts... Diverse people... Statewide impacts
 


 
Duties
 
 
Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment and to promote the wise management of our air, land and water for the benefit of current and future generations.
 
Program Mission: The Air Quality Program's mission is to protect and improve air quality in Washington State. This position helps the AQP measure and report air pollution levels, prevent unhealthy air and violations of air quality standards and support sound policy decisions. This position also helps the AQP advance the public's understanding of the benefits of clean air and increase their commitment to reducing air pollution.
 
Some of the key work activities of the NWRO/SWRO & Air Quality Operations Unit Manager position include:
  • Plans, leads, organizes, and controls the work performed by the unit. 
  • Assures appropriate and optimum use of resources.
  • Provides support, management, coordination, and supervision of staff. 
  • Enhances the effectiveness of employees through timely appraisal, ensuring accountability, and professional development. 
  • Supports effective communications throughout the organization. 
  • Maintains the highest standards of personal/professional and ethical conduct. 
  • Recruits, evaluates, trains, mentors, and promotes career development of staff and supports the state's goals for a diverse workforce.
  • Builds and maintains positive working relationships with the statewide-regulated community; other state, federal, regional, and local governments; tribes; and the public to ensure that agency and program goals are met.
  • Provides advice and recommendations to program management.
  • Leads a highly collaborative and effective team of environmental professionals and scientists.
  • Ensures the effective and efficient operation of the statewide ambient air monitoring network through thoughtful and conscientious oversight of the Calibration & Repair team.
  • Oversees the implementation of the Air Quality Program quality assurance system for the Washington State Ambient Air Monitoring Network.
  • Ensures accurate and reliable ambient air monitoring data collection in Ecology's Northwest and Southwest regions.
  • Ensures timely submittal of air monitoring data to Ecology's public website and to EPA.
  • Plays a key role in the oversight and implementation of the Critical Business Activity of ambient air monitoring as part of the agency’s Continuity of Operations Plan
  • Ensures Air Quality Program documents:
  1. Meet Accessibility requirements.
  2. Are published in a timely fashion.
This is a challenging and extremely rewarding position that is a key collaborator in characterizing air quality in Washington State. The air monitoring work that this position oversees is fundamental to providing critical information in support of the Air Quality Program's efforts to identify and reduce air pollution in Washington State.
 
The Culture of the team:
 
This position leads a highly collaborative and dynamic team of incredibly talented, dedicated, and smart environmental specialists and scientists. The team works collaboratively across the Air Quality Program and with external partners on some of the most interesting field work and environmental sampling projects done by the Department of Ecology.

The Air Quality Program is a highly collaborative and effective team of environmental professionals and scientists dedicated to enhancing and preserving air quality in Washington State. We embrace diversity and understand that it is a source of great strength. We are dedicated and we work hard. We also embrace a healthy work-life balance because we know that a good overall quality of life for our managers and staff is critical to our success as a program and as an agency. We are looking for a smart, creative, dedicated, and collaborative leader to join our team!


Please note: During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, staff are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need. 

This recruitment will remain open until filled. The initial screening will be April 26, 2021. In order to be considered for the initial screening, please submit an application on or before April 25, 2021. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:

A bachelor's degree in physical or natural science, engineering, law, planning, public policy, environmental studies, or other related field.
 
AND
 
Five years of environmental experience, with at least two years air quality-related experience.
 
Additional qualifying experience at or above the Environmental Specialist 4 or equivalent will substitute for education on a year for year basis.

Possible CombinationsCollege credit hours or degreeYears of required experienceCombination 1No college credit hours or degree9 years of experienceCombination 2I have 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.8 years of experience
Combination 3I have 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).7 years of experience
Combination 4I have 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.6 years of experience
Combination 5 A Bachelor's Degree5 years of experience

Supervisory experience managing policy and technical staff.
 
Knowledge of advanced principles of management, budget planning, strategic planning, air quality science, and personnel administration.
 
Ability to decipher multiple local, state, and federal laws and regulations regarding air quality management and administrative procedure requirements.

Experience as an Environmental Specialist 4 can include a combination of the following: 1) Serves in the teaching, training and mentoring of junior staff. 2) Is assigned responsibility for more complex and difficult projects and permits. 3) Is assigned multiple regulatory responsibility. 4) Directs or coordinates non-agency employees at large spills or complex sites. 5) Represents agency and testifies at legal or public hearings or conferences. 6) Serves as a historical resource or technical expert in one or more subject areas. 7) Serves as project manager and coordinator on complex projects. 8) Project administration and environmental technical assistance on high priority environmental issues requiring technical expertise.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
  • Must possess a valid driver's license.
  • Extensive knowledge of quality assurance practices and principles, extensive knowledge of air pollution monitoring techniques and instrumentation. 


Why work for Ecology?

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 the health and financial security of you and your family a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to work/life balance.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following:
 

Student debt and how working for Ecology can help
Employees may be eligible for the Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) Program, which forgives the remaining balance on your Direct Loans after you have made 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer. See https://studentaid.ed.gov/sa/repay-loans/forgiveness-cancellation/public-service for more details.
 
*See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information


 
Supplemental Information

Application Instructions:

Please complete the short on-line application, supplemental questions and upload:
  • Your current chronological resume; 
  • A cover letter explaining how you fit the requirements of the position;
  • College transcripts showing that a Bachelor’s degree was awarded.
Important Note: 
When attaching documents to your application (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. 
Please to do NOT include your salary history. Wage/salary depends on qualifications or rules of promotion, if applicable. 

It is in the candidate's best interest to submit all of the documents requested above. Applications without these documents may be declined.

Department of 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.

If you are reading this announcement in print format, please visit www.careers.wa.gov to access the online recruitment system. Click on "Look for Jobs" and select Dept. of Ecology under the "Department" search list. Click "Apply Search."

Other Information:

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 the status of your application. You can view the latest status of your application on your profile's main page.

If you have specific questions about the position, please email Sean Lundblad at: slun461@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Sean to inquire about the status of your application.

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.

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.

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.