Bellingham Field Office Manager (WMS Band 1)

Apply Now

Company: State of Washington

Location: Bellingham, WA 98227

Description:

Salary : $79,357.00 - $101,400.00 Annually

Location : Whatcom County - Bellingham, WA

Job Type: Full Time - Permanent

Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid

Job Number: 2024-NWRO3516-09017

Department: Dept. of Ecology

Division: Northwest Region Office

Opening Date: 08/07/2024

Closing Date: Continuous

Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Northwest Region Office (NWRO)within the Department of Ecology is looking to fill the Bellingham Field Office Manager (WMS Band 1) position. This position is located in our Bellingham Field Office (BFO) in Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

In this role, you will provide leadership for an office of 40 environmental professionals working in the northwest corner of Washington state. Key work will include coordinating with federal, state, local, and tribal governments to solve complex environmental challenges to protect human health and the environment. You will have the opportunity to work with all eleven of Ecology's environmental programs doing critical work to protect and restore land, air, and water. Government relations work will also include working on transboundary issues with British Columbia, Canada. In addition to supporting Ecology's environmental portfolio, you will be responsible for leading and managing the administrative functions of the field office, ensuring the best possible experience for customers and employees. You will create an inclusive work environment where all employees can thrive and promote a spirit of cooperation and teamwork.

Agency Mission: Ecology's mission is to protect, preserve and enhance the environment for current and future generations.The Bellingham Field Office (BFO) represents most Ecology program disciplines with a focus on Whatcom, San Juan and Skagit counties.

Tele-work options for this position:This position will have flexibility of a hybrid schedule, empowering work from home and office, providing less time in traffic and shrinking your carbon footprint. 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 are subject to change.

Application Timeline: This position will remain open until filled; we will review applications on August 21, 2024. In order to be considered, please submit an application on or before August 20, 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:
, , *, *, , , & , , , , , , , *Click here for more information

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 Strategic Plan.

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? You will be one of only two field office managers in the state. Your work will be highly varied, from coordinating transboundary issues with British Columbia, to meeting with local landowners about pollution concerns, to ensuring the field office is a great environment for customer service and employee experience.

What you will do:
  • Build and support relationships with customers and agencies in the Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan County area to meet Ecology's strategic goals.
  • Support operations of Ecology's environmental programs through management of the field office.
  • Be the agency lead on complex environmental challenges that involve multiple agencies and require problems solving and relationship building to succeed.
  • Represent the region director on committees, workgroups, and other high-profile efforts that require communicating and speaking on behalf of the agency.
  • Represent the agency as project manager for high-profile environmental reviews of proposed projects (e.g. State Environmental Policy Act).
  • Support new and existing transboundary efforts to protect and restore the environment around the border of Canada through coordination with British Columbia and other agencies.


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.

Nine (9) years of experience and/or education.

Experience: Professional level work experience in land use, regional, environmental or natural resource planning and/or program development, or project management, including implementation of environmental regulations.

Three years of the required years of experience must also include serving in a leadership role that involves:
  • Leading multi-disciplinary teams to produce specific outcomes.
  • Communicating goals and strategies in a manner that promotes teamwork and motivation.
  • Establishing credibility by clear and effective communication and effective project management.
  • Ability to pivot and redirect a project when it is determined the current path will not lead to desired results.
  • Ability to maintain effective working relationships and establish trusting partnerships with a wide range of organizations.

Education: With a major study in environmental, physical or natural science, environmental studies, environmental engineering; environmental planning, public policy, public administration, or other related qualifying discipline.

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

9 years of experience

Combination 2

30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter credits.

8 years of experience

Combination 3

60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter credits (AA degree).

7 years of experience

Combination 4

90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter credits.

6 years of experience

Combination 5

A Bachelor's Degree.

5 years of experience

Combination 6

A Master's Degree or higher.

3 years of experience

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

This position requires possessing 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.

  • Knowledge and experience with Washington State and/or Washington local government.
  • Knowledge of project management and planning.
  • Knowledge of Washington environmental protection laws.
  • Experience representing executive leaders and speaking on their behalf.
  • Experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, especially in a region, field, or remote office.

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 Accommodationin the application and/or screening process or this job announcement in an alternative format?

  • If you are deaf or hard of hearing you can reach the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or [redacted].
  • If you need assistance applying for this job, please e-mail 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.
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 Thomas Buroker at: Please do not contact Tom to inquire about the status of your application.

To request the full position description: email

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.

To learn more about The Department of Ecology, please visit our webs

Similar Jobs