Municipal Unit Supervisor (Environmental Engineer 5)
Agency Mission: The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve and enhance Washington's environment, for current and future generations.
Program Mission: The mission of the Water Quality Program is to protect and restore Washington's waters to support healthy watersheds and communities. Our work ensures state waters can support beneficial uses including recreational and business activities, supplies for clean drinking water, and the protection of fish, shellfish, wildlife, and public health.
What will you do?
You will lead the Municipal Operations Unit in their work to protect water quality by implementing federal and state water pollution control laws and regulations for nearly 100 municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
Staff in this unit write waste discharge permits, review wastewater treatment plans, review general sewer plans, oversee pretreatment, verify compliance, review discharge monitoring reports, review treatment system engineering reports, and recommend enforcement actions.
As a Unit Supervisor, you will:
- Work with the team to set unit goals. Assign work and projects to staff, track progress, and evaluate performance.
- Promote professional development within the team.
- Ensure the unit is resourced appropriately. Develop budget requests for the work of the unit, and recruit for, hire, and train staff.
- Participate as a key member of the regional Water Quality Program Operation and Management Team. Provide input on section operations, strategic planning, work load assignments, and human resources planning.
As a Professional Engineer, you will:
- Serve as the southwest section's authority on municipal wastewater treatment facilities.
- Represent the southwest section as a registered Professional Engineer at technical negotiations to resolve complex environmental engineering issues involving regulatory compliance, wastewater treatment feasibility, permit limits, conditions, and applicability, water quality investigations, and pollutant sampling.
- Review engineering reports, plans, and specifications for wastewater treatment systems.
- Oversee staff engineering decisions and negotiations on wastewater management, treatment, or disposal programs to ensure compliance with regulations and policies.
- Support other engineers in the unit with particularly complex projects or engineering problems.
- Serve as an expert witness in legal proceedings.
How will you do it?
To be successful in this position, you will need to be able to:
- Connect frequently and collaboratively with other supervisors and staff in other regional offices and headquarters
- Engage in program-wide, long-term planning efforts to help build a strong Water Quality program
- Communicate effectively with diverse audiences
- Promote inclusivity and contribute to an organizational culture of belonging
Why join the team?
Our team of professionals is highly experienced and knowledgeable. We regulate domestic wastewater discharged from nearly 100 wastewater treatment plants. We work with the locals communities who run the plants, some of which are very large facilities treating millions of gallons of wastewater per day and some treat wastewater from only a few homes. We ensure that our groundwater, rivers, lakes, and Puget Sound are all protected.
Please note: During Stay Home, Stay Healthy, staff are working a combination of in-office and/or telework based on position and business need.
Ecology is maintaining less than maximum building occupancy, and requiring masks, health screening questions before entry, and social distancing.
Required Qualifications:
A Master’s degree with major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary water resource, civil, geotechnical, environmental, chemical, mechanical, or related field AND Registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND four years of experience in environmental engineering.
OR
An Engineer-In Training Certificate or a Bachelor’s degree with a major study in one of the following engineering fields, sanitary, civil, geotechnical, water resource, environmental, chemical, mechanical or related field AND Registration as a professional engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington AND five years of experience in environmental engineering.
Note: A Ph.D in one of the above engineering fields will substitute for two years of the environmental engineering experience.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience supervising, hiring, managing, and leading professional staff.
- Experience leading teams and projects involving multiple staff.
- Experience in the domestic wastewater treatment field.
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:
- Must possess a valid driver’s license
- Licensed as a Professional Engineer in the State of Washington.
NOTE: Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials. These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State Licensing (DOL) Official Site: How to get your license: Professional engineer by comity