TSDF Compliance Expert – Hanford Tank Waste (Environmental Specialist 5)(In-Training)

Per Governor Inslee’s Directive 22-13.1, state employees must be fully vaccinated effective November 4, 2022. Providing proof of being fully vaccinated is a condition of employment and your vaccine status will be verified prior to starting work. Being fully vaccinated means two weeks after you have received the second dose in a two-dose series of a COVID-19 vaccine or a single-dose COVID-19 vaccine authorized for emergency use, licensed or otherwise authorized or approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or listed for emergency use or otherwise approved by the World Health Organization. If you have questions, please contact Careers@ecy.wa.gov with “COVID-19 vaccination” in the subject line. 

The Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a TSDF Compliance Expert – Hanford Tank Waste (Environmental Specialist 5) (In-Training) position. TSDF stands for Treatment, Storage and Disposal Facilities. This position is located in our Richland Field Office (RFO) in Richland, WA. Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

This job will give you the opportunity to learn and do something a little bit different every month. Our team of 6 inspectors rotates responsibility for inspecting more than 35 different facilities at the US Department of Energy Hanford site. Each of those facilities treat, stores or disposes (TSD) of a different kind of waste or does a different step in the TSD process. You’ll get to learn about each facility when you inspect it for the first time. You’ll also get to build your inter-personal skills because we switch up your team-mates both within the inspection team, and within the teams that write permits for each of the 35 facilities. We have a great program for training you in the Dangerous Waste Regulations and in inspection tools.

The Nuclear Waste Program's mission is to lead the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site, ensure sound management of mixed hazardous wastes in Washington, and protect the state's air, water, and land at and adjacent to the Hanford site. 

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to a 40% tele-work schedule. 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 is subject to change. 

 

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, with a next screening date of November 21, 2022. In order to be considered for the next screening, please submit an application on or before November 20, 2022. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

Ecology cares deeply about employee wellness; we go beyond traditional benefits, proudly offering:

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? 

One of the challenging aspects for this job is that Hanford stores very large volumes of waste for decades. This is unique to the United States. The types and variety of wastes that we inspect also make this job challenging.

What you will do: 

Qualifications

This is an In Training opportunity: The goal class for this position is an Environmental Specialist 5 (ES5). We will consider applicants who meet the requirements at the ES4 and ES5 levels. If the finalist meets the requirements at the ES4 level, they will be hired at that level and will be placed in a training program to become an ES5 within a specified period of time.

  

At the Environmental Specialist 4 level (Salary Range 55: $4,656-$6,105 Monthly) (In-Training) 

 

A total of Nine (9) years of experience and/or education as described below: 

 

 

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position:

 

                                            Possible Combinations.College credit hours or degree - as described above. Years of professional level experience - as described above. Combination 1No college credit hours or degree9 years of experienceCombination 2I have 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.8 years of experienceCombination 3I have 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).7 years of experienceCombination 4I have 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.6 years of experienceCombination 5 A Bachelor's Degree5 years of experienceCombination 6 A Master's Degree3 years of experienceCombination 7   A Ph.D. 2 years of experience 

OR

 

Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3, at the Department of Ecology.

 

At the Environmental Specialist 5 level (Salary Range 59: $5,136-$6,746 Monthly) (Goal Class) 

 

A total of Ten (10) years of experience and/or education as described below: 

 

 

See chart below for a list of ways to qualify for this position:

 

                                            Possible Combinations.College credit hours or degree - as described above. Years of professional level experience - as described above. Combination 1No college credit hours or degree10 years of experienceCombination 2I have 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.9 years of experienceCombination 3I have 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).8 years of experienceCombination 4I have 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.7 years of experienceCombination 5 A Bachelor's Degree6 years of experienceCombination 6 A Master's Degree4 years of experienceCombination 7   A Ph.D. 3 years of experience 

OR

 

One year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 4, at the Department of Ecology.

 

 

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

 

Prior experience regulating or working at a hazardous waste Treatment, Storage, and Disposal (TSD) facility is desirable.

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?

It's in the applicant's best interest to submit all of the documents listed below. Applications without these documents may be declined.

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.):

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.

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. 

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

To request the full position description: email careers@ecy.wa.gov

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:

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 Incentives (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *See the Benefits tab in this announcement for more information 

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 LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram 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.