Hydrogeologist 4

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Hydrogeologist 4 position within the Environmental Assessment Program (EAP). 

Note: The salary listed includes 7.5% assignment pay due to the required licensure.

Location Options:

This position can be based at any of the following duty stations:

• Central Region Office in Union Gap, WA.
• Eastern Region Office in Spokane, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the selected duty station. 
  

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• This position requires both field work and office work. A minimum of two days per week is required in the office, Monday and Wednesday. This position may telework during the other office hours.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline: 

• Apply by December 17, 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.

Duties

In this role, you will serve as a senior licensed hydrogeologist and technical expert in hydrogeologic investigations. You will independently conduct and manage complex hydrogeologic projects, including collecting, analyzing, and modeling environmental data, and preparing technical reports. A key challenge of this position is balancing complex, technical hydrogeologic analyses with the need to clearly communicate findings—and sometimes defend them as expert testimony—to diverse audiences including managers, policymakers, other scientists, and non-technical interested parties. This requires maintaining scientific rigor while navigating legal or regulatory implications and managing high-stakes communication under scrutiny. In addition, you will develop, prepare, and present expert testimony; perform technical peer review of hydrogeologic activities, Quality Assurance Project Plans, reports, and policies; and report the status and results of hydrogeologic issues and analyses. You will also be responsible for developing and implementing scientifically credible, well-coordinated groundwater monitoring programs that support multiple agency objectives related to the management and regulation of Eastern Washington’s freshwater resources.

What you will do:

• Collect, analyze, model, and interpret hydrogeologic and groundwater quality data, and develop technical reports.
• Design and manage major hydrogeologic studies, including conceptual models, monitoring networks, field logistics, and data collection.
• Perform technical peer review of complex hydrogeologic, water quality, and modeling reports, QAPPs, and study designs.
• Develop and maintain groundwater monitoring networks in collaboration with other programs and agencies.
• Manage multiple groundwater monitoring projects simultaneously, reporting status and results regularly.
• Prepare and deliver expert testimony in court or administrative hearings.
• Train and mentor staff in hydrogeologic research, investigative methods, and QA/QC procedures.
• Communicate scientific findings through written reports, presentations, and briefings to technical and non-technical audiences.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Note: This position requires possession of a valid Washington State Geologist and Hydrogeologist Specialty license. 

Nine (9) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience hydrogeology, hydrology, geology or closely allied profession.
• Education involving a major study in hydrogeology, hydrology, geology or closely allied field.

Knowledge, Skills, Abilities & Professional Expectations:

• Advanced knowledge of hydrogeology, including groundwater flow, geologic formations, contaminant transport, groundwater–surface water interactions, and monitoring network design.
• Strong quantitative and analytical skills, including environmental data analysis, groundwater modeling, and QA/QC procedures.
• Ability to design and execute hydrogeologic field studies, including data collection, logistics, instrumentation, and operation of relevant field equipment.
• Expert technical writing skills, producing accurate, objective, and clear scientific reports.
• Effective verbal communication, including the ability to present technical information to diverse audiences and provide expert testimony.
• Project management skills, including planning, prioritizing, managing multiple long-term projects, and meeting deadlines.
• Physical capability for fieldwork, including lifting equipment, navigating rugged terrain, working in adverse weather, and traveling to remote locations.

Examples of how to qualify:

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

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Possession of a valid Washington State Geologist and Hydrogeologist Specialty license. 

Must possess or become a Licensed Hydrogeologist in the State of Washington within 6 months after hiring. 

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: Geologists, engineering geologists, or hydrogeologists by reciprocity.

Desired Qualifications:

• Ability to deliver oral presentations on technical subject-matter.
• Ability to perform high-level technical peer review of hydrogeologic and water quality data, models, and documents.
• GIS mapping skills.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively, exercising sound professional judgment and recognizing when to seek guidance.
• Ability to maintain professional relationships, work effectively on teams, resolve conflicts, and collaborate across programs and agencies.

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.

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 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.

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.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 Scott Tarbutton at scott.tarbutton@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

The mission of the Environmental Assessment Program (EAP), within the Department of Ecology, is to measure, assess, and communicate environmental conditions in Washington. EAP works to improve the environment for current and future generations through innovative, excellent science and thriving partnerships.

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, 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.

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