Lead Spill Responder/Dangerous Waste Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 4)

JOB
Keeping Washington Clean and EvergreenThe Department of Ecology is hiring a Lead Spill Responder/Dangerous Waste Coordinator (Environmental Specialist 4) within the Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response program. Location: Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.The salary listed includes 5% premium pay due to the position location in King County.Must live within a 60-minute commuting distance of the Northwest Region Office.This position is eligible for a 10% Spill Response Assignment Pay once all training requirements and certifications are met and maintained. This position also has periods of mandatory overtime. Additionally, this position is required to participate in an after-hour on-call duty rotation. Schedule: This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.This position requires field work and emergency response, while there is some office work and you may telework most of your office work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities.Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.Application Timeline: Apply by March 16, 2026.This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after the date above may not be considered.

EXAMPLE OF DUTIES
In this role, you will respond to and clean up spills of oil and hazardous materials – including removing chemicals and waste from illegal drug manufacturing facilities. You will recognize tangible environmental results and public safety improvements will be made every day. If you enjoy an ever-changing dynamic work environment and seeing immediate environmental benefits as a result of the work you and our team perform, we believe you would enjoy this great opportunity.Preventing spills is always our first goal, but despite our efforts, spills still happen. The goal of our spill preparedness work is to reduce environmental impacts of spills. We require oil handlers in Washington to be ready for a rapid, aggressive, and well-coordinated response to spills. We also require those responsible for spills to compensate the state for spill damages by restoring natural resources.What you will do: Emergency Response to Spills & Threats: Respond to high-priority and complex environmental and human health emergencies, including oil spills, hazardous substances, abandoned waste, pressurized cylinders, fish kills, and illegal drug labs.Incident Command & Coordination: Serve as Initial Incident Commander / State On-Scene Coordinator, directing spill containment, cleanup, resource deployment, and multi-agency coordination.Hazardous Materials Operations: Perform hands-on cleanup and field operations: opening containers of unknowns, sample collection, field testing and hazard categorization, overpacking, and preparing waste for shipment.Dangerous Waste & Drug Lab Leadership: Lead regional coordination with law enforcement for clandestine drug lab responses and oversee dangerous waste management compliance, disposal, and emergency planning.Enforcement & Cost Recovery: Initiate enforcement recommendations, issue Short-Form Penalties up to $5,000, support cost recovery actions, and testify in administrative or legal proceedings as needed.Team Leadership, Training & Readiness: Provide training, mentoring, scheduling, equipment readiness oversight, HAZWOPER compliance tracking, and ensure readiness of personnel and response assets.Equipment, Vehicle & Instrument Management: Manage operation, calibration, maintenance, and safe use of response equipment, vehicles, boats, and monitoring instrumentation.Documentation, Reporting & Data Analysis: Prepare incident reports, regulatory records, waste tracking documents, enforcement documentation, and support regional data analysis and report preparation.

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. Application ProcessEcology 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 ApplyClick “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 positionResume 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 or careers@ecy.wa.govIf 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 Robert Walls at: Robert.Walls@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.govThe Spills Program’s mission is to protect, preserve, and restore Washington’s environment. Our vision is to create a zero spills world. About the Department of EcologyAs 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. 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. 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.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, 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. #LI-Hybrid