Facility Transition Project Manager (Nuclear Waste Program Specialist)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Facility Transition Project Manager (Nuclear Waste Program Specialist) within the Nuclear Waste Program.

Location:

• Richland Field Office in Richland, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Schedule:

• After new employee orientation and training, this position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options. 
• At that point, a minimum of one day per week is required in the office, in addition to any necessary in-person meetings, training, field work, travel, or tasks that cannot be accomplished from a telework location. 
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by August 26, 2025
• 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.

In this impactful role, you will support the mission of the Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) as the Project Manager for the Facility Transition Project. You will guide efforts to ensure that contaminated buildings and other cleanup sites at the Hanford site are properly characterized, evaluated, and remediated to protect human health and the environment. You will be responsible for Ecology’s regulatory oversight of several Hanford facilities and four State Waste Discharge Permits. You will also oversee three non-Hanford mixed waste facilities: Perma-Fix Northwest, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, and Energy Northwest’s Colombia Generating Station. 

This is a challenging but rewarding position. The work is integral to Ecology’s role and will have extensive influence and impact on the cleanup efforts at the Hanford Site. You will provide vision and direction for state and nationally significant activities, ensuring coordinated service delivery, cross-program cooperation, and the consistent application of various, sometimes competing, regulations. You will represent Ecology as a subject matter expert and have the opportunity to work with experts from national laboratories, state and federal agencies, and industry – opening up a multitude of career advancement opportunities.

What you will do:

• Manage, plan, organize, coordinate, and direct the administrative and technical work scope of the Facility Transition Project for the NWP.
• Lead a diverse team of permit writers, chemists, engineers, toxicologists, scientists, and regulatory experts in making technically and scientifically sound decisions for permitting and cleanup of the Hanford Site.  
• Collaborate with affected staff to prepare milestone change packages and agency position papers, participate in dispute resolution and negotiations, and contribute to policy development.
• Keep current with developments in the field.
• Represent the Agency to local government, private industry, and other external groups.
• Develop professional networks.

For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

Eleven (11) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences; engineering; environmental regulation; environmental planning; or other allied field.
• Education involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences; engineering; environmental regulation; environmental planning; or other allied field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 11 years of experience.
• 10 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 9 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 8 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 7 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• 5 years of experience AND a Master’s degree.
• 3 years of experience AND a Ph.D.

Additional Requirements:

Knowledge of: 

• Principles, practices, and methods of environmental or resource management and environmental pollution prevention and pollution control. 

• Application of emerging technologies to existing methods and of techniques of environmental sampling, testing, data gathering, basic research, and field investigations. 

• Applicable state, federal, and local environmental regulations and policies. 

• Multimedia environmental principles and practices. 

Ability to: 

• Provide technical direction to staff for complex or controversial studies or projects. 

• Design and develop guidelines for enforcement activities, field studies, and siting surveys. 

• Provide final review for technical reports, permit evaluations, and conclusions reached by staff. 

• Work and communicate effectively with other government officials, the regulated community, and other clientele groups on complex or controversial environmental issues or problems. 

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver’s license. 

• Must meet U.S. Department of Energy requirements to acquire and maintain a badge for access to the Hanford Site within six months. 

• HAZWOPER 40-hour certification is required. Must be able to meet the physical activity requirements for this certification and obtain it within six months of hire. 

Desired Qualifications:

• Project management, agency contracting procedures, state/federal environmental regulation implementation, and permitting or enforcement experience.

If you are excited about this role but not sure if your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.

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 Process

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 job seekers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Click “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 position
• Resume

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.

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.gov
• If 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 John Temple at John.Temple@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.gov

About the Nuclear Waste Program

The Nuclear Waste Program enforces regulatory compliance and oversees cleanup at the Hanford Site and other facilities managing nuclear waste statewide. It also promotes public involvement, congressional and federal contact, and interstate activities to enhance nuclear waste management, compliance, and cleanup of the Hanford Site.

About the Department of Ecology

As 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 (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information 

For this position, personal protective equipment, including work boots and eyeglasses, will be provided by the program.

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.

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