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Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program Lead


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

Would you like to contribute to reducing the displacement and gentrification that often follow the cleanup of contaminated sites? Do you have the project management skills needed to lead the expansion of our new Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program? Our ideal candidate will have a passion for reducing environmental and health disparities, a creative mindset, demonstrated experience building relationships and managing workgroups or stakeholder processes, and the ability to conduct research and policy analysis to support program development and enhancement.

The Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill an Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program Lead (Environmental Planner 4) position. This position can be located at any of the following locations statewide:

Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
Northwest Regional Office (NWRO) in Shoreline, WA.
Central Regional Office (CRO) in Union Gap, WA.
Eastern Regional Office (ERO) in Spokane, WA.

In this role, you will focus a lot of your time in areas that communities desperately need: contaminated site cleanup, affordable housing, and environmental justice. You do not need previous experience in these areas, only a desire to work in them. You will lead implementation and program enhancements for our grant program to clean-up contaminated sites that redevelop into affordable housing. Developing policy for this new program and connecting the work to our Brownfields Program’s efforts will play an important part of your role. To do so, you will get to conduct research and build relationships with state agencies, as well as with other states that may have similar programs. You will also collaborate with stakeholders from private, government, non-profit groups, and the community to obtain feedback on the grant development and implementation.

The mission of the Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) is to protect Washington’s human health and the environment by preventing and cleaning up pollution and supporting sustainable communities and natural resources for the benefit of future and current generations.

Ecology’s AHCGP provides grants for the cleanup of contaminated sites for affordable housing development. The program supports communities by:

• Cleaning up environmental contamination for residential use;
• Providing meaningful community engagement that informs and shapes decisions throughout the cleanup process; and
• Integrating longer-term goals of shared economic and community asset building across a diverse population

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. 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, the initial screening date is May 2, 2022. In order to be considered for the initial screening, please submit an application on or before May 1, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.
 
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 not currently required to work in the office on a regular basis. 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.” 
Duties


What makes this role unique? 
This role is a unique opportunity for you to take something good and positive for a community – the cleanup of contaminated sites - and combine it with a state and national priority: increasing the supply of affordable housing. This combination has the potential to exponentially help build sustainable communities, address environmental justice by reducing gentrification, and protect human health and the environment by cleaning up contaminated sites. 
 
What you will do: 
  • Lead the development of policy, eligibility criteria, and requirements for the Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program.
  • Lead stakeholder and partner engagement. 
  • Manage the rulemaking process for the Affordable Housing Cleanup Grant Program. 
  • Conduct public outreach to announce availability of grants and the purpose of the grant program. 
  • Act as the project manager for the development of the grant application materials in Ecology’s Administration of Grant and Loans. 
  • Continually research other affordable housing programs across the state to ensure that Ecology’s grant requirements are synchronized with other programs for better maximization of benefits. 
  • Provide support to regional cleanup sections, as needed, in the development of grant agreements and grant management for sites receiving affordable housing cleanup grants.
  • Evaluate the project’s potential impact on communities with high risk of environmental health disparities. Work with others in TCP and at Ecology to implement the HEAL Act as it relates to affordable housing projects. 
 
Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Option 1:
A Bachelor's degree with major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, environmental sciences, environmental policy or closely related field 
AND 
Five (5) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 2: 
A Master's degree or above with major emphasis in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, environmental sciences, environmental policy or closely related field 
AND 
Three (3) years of professional experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Option 3:
One year of experience as an Environmental Planner 3, at the Department of Ecology.
 
Desired Qualifications:

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

  • Lead multidisciplinary teams.
  • Communicate clearly verbally and in writing. 
  • Facilitate meetings and find common ground in the event of an impasse.
  • Consider and manage and the potential ramifications of different decision paths. 
  • Welcome constructive criticism.

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 Valerie Bound at: valerie.bound@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Valerie 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 LinkedInTwitterFacebookInstagram or our blog.

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

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. 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.