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Product Testing Prep Room Lead (Environmental Specialist 3)

Washington State Department of Ecology
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Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen


The Environmental Assessment Program (EAP) within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill a Product Testing Prep Room Lead (Environmental Specialist 3) position. The position is located in our Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
In this role, you will be working with a team of scientists who are passionate about the work we do to protect Washington’s residents and environment. You will be responsible for coordinating the prep room schedule and resources, and leading various prep room and field activities for product testing. We are looking for applicants that want to apply their laboratory and field sampling backgrounds, along their understanding of data quality, and data analysis, and database management to this unique role within Ecology’s product testing program.  

Tele-work options for this position: Due to the nature of the work, this position is expected to work in the office 4 - 5 days per week. 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.

Agency Mission: Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment, and promote the wise management of our air, land and water. 
Program Mission: The mission of the Environmental Assessment Program is to measure, assess, and communicate environmental conditions in Washington State for the purpose of providing credible science to guide environmental decisions.  
 
Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled, we will review applications on March 28, 2023. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before March 27, 2023. The agency reserves the right to make an appointment any time after the initial screening date.

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.

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.

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? 
Washington State is a leading expert in consumer product testing, and works and coordinates with a number of stakeholders and scientists nationwide to help identify toxic threats to consumers and the environment. This position serves a vital role to support a team of five product testing scientists in their cutting-edge work to measure lead, cadmium, PFASs, PCBs, flame retardants, and 6PPDQ in consumer products and the environment. Studies may include, but are not limited to the testing of consumer electronics, food wrappers and packaging, children's school supplies, children's jewelry, brake pads, turf fields, and many other products.

What you will do:
  • Perform data entry, data analysis, and quality assurance review activities.
  • Deconstruct and process consumer product samples for further laboratory analysis, including coordinating shipping and chain of custody activities.
  • Coordinate the prep room schedules and resources, and maintain supply inventory.
  • Coordinate and facilitate sampling events for both consumer products testing and environmental testing.
  • Perform screening of consumer projects samples with x-ray fluorescence (XRF) and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) instrumentation.
  • Maintain standard operating procedures and other prep room guidance.  
  • Ensure adherence to and understanding of agency health and safety requirements, purchasing practices, and good laboratory practices.
  • Serve as the PT database business lead for the unit.



Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Experience for both required and desired qualifications can be gained through various combinations of formal professional employment, educational and volunteer experience. See below for how you may qualify.
Six (6) years of experience and/or education: 
Experience in: Environmental sampling, testing or analysis. 
Education: Involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, 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 1
No college credit hours or degree
6 years of experience
Combination 2
30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.
5 years of experience
Combination 3
60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).
4 years of experience
Combination 4
90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.
3 years of experience
Combination 5 
A Bachelor's Degree
2 years of experience
Combination 6 
A Master's Degree
1 year of experience.
Combination 7
A Ph.D.
No experience required.

OR
One year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 2, at the Department of Ecology.
 
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
Must possess and maintain a valid Driver’s License.
 
Desired Qualifications:
We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below. 
  • Experience with consumer product testing or environmental project management is preferred.
  • Experience with preparing or analyzing samples for laboratory analysis, interpreting laboratory analytical results, and familiarity with x-ray fluorescence or FTIR technology is desired.
  • Ability to organize multiple assignments, sometimes of a complex nature or involving competing priorities, to produce work products that are timely, accurate, and complete. 
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. 
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.  

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 Sara Sekerak at: Sara.Sekerak@ecy.wa.gov. Please do not contact Sara 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 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.