Senior Environmental Inspector

The (TCP) within the Department of Ecology (Ecology) is looking to fill a Senior Environmental Inspector (Environmental Specialist 4)  position. This position is located in our Southwest Region Office  in Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.
 
As a Senior Environmental Inspector, you will work to protect the land, water, and air of the state by preventing environmental contamination through regulatory oversight of underground storage tank (UST) facilities. In this role, you will ensure the proper operations and maintenance of USTs to prevent releases of hazardous substances to the environment through conducting UST inspections, completing initial investigations, and enforcement actions on UST facilities. You will also provide training, technical review, and expert analysis in one of five International Code Council (ICC) certified areas:

Tank Installation and Retrofit Tank Decommission Cathodic Protection Site Assessment Tank Tightness You will have the opportunity to obtain a certification in one of the ICC areas above within your 6-month probationary period in the position. You’ll serve as the section’s expert in one of the above areas and provide technical expertise in the specific area of certification. As a senior UST inspector, you will advise and train junior UST inspectors as needed.

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

Program Mission:  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. 

Tele-work options for this position: This position will be eligible for up to a 90% 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 are subject to change. Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled; we will review applications on May 29, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before May 28, 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:
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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? 
As a Senior Environmental Inspector, you will conduct UST system inspections following the Environmental Protection Agency's Technical Compliance (TC) guidance and apply sound professional judgment to identify and resolve violations of UST regulations. You will also provide technical assistance and education on UST-related topics for the Toxics Cleanup Program. In this role, you’ll also coordinate with owners and operators of UST systems, UST service providers, local government agencies, and others on complex UST sites.
 
As a  Senior Environmental Inspector , your duties will include:
 
Complete UST inspections, promptly responding to UST complaints. Conduct UST installation/retrofitting and decommission inspections. Conduct initial investigations in response to spills of petroleum products. Issue the appropriate enforcement action(s) to Responsible Parties (RPs) when violations are observed and documented. Resolve enforcement actions and supply RPs with guidance to correct violations. Provide testimony for Pollution Control Hearing Board hearings, case reviews, and court cases involving UST regulations and inspections. Create new guidance documents and develop new tools to assist UST inspectors. Provide technical expertise of the ICC area that you have obtained and maintained a certification.

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  nine  years of combined experience and education: Experience: professional-level experience in environmental analysis or control or environmental planning. Education: involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning, or other allied 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 1No college credit hours or degree9 years of experience Combination 230-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.8 years of experienceCombination 360-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).7 years of experienceCombination 490-119 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 7A Ph.D.2 years of experience
OR
Two years of experience as an Environmental Specialist 3, at the Department of Ecology, conducting Underground Storage Tank (UST) inspections and an expert working knowledge of and .

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. Must pass and maintain International Code Council’s Certification in one of the following areas.Tank Installation and RetrofitTank DecommissionCathodic ProtectionSite AssessmentTank Tightness 
Desired Qualifications:

Knowledge of underground storage tank (UST) systems. Compliance and enforcement experience. Strong capacity for scientific data assimilation and analysis. Experience in regulation interpretation and reporting. Routine work with database and spreadsheet software for data management and interpretation. Note:  Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

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