Senior Engineer (Environmental Engineer 5)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Senior Engineer (Environmental Engineer 5) within the Solid Waste Management (SWM) program.

Location:

This position will be based out of the following duty stations:

• Central Region Office in Union Gap, WA.
• Eastern Region Office in Spokane, WA.

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• A minimum of one day per week is required in the office. This role will also in include field work as needed.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline: 

• Apply by April 5, 2026
• 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 manage the landfill disposal of 70% of the state’s municipal solid waste and work across all of Eastern Washington on different solid waste handling facilities to ensure their compliant and safe operation. This includes compost facilities, working with landfills with underground fire issues, and potentially being a site manager to manage the cleanup of contaminated properties under the Model Toxics Cleanup Act (MTCA) to prevent, contain, and cleanup environmental pollution. Lastly you will help to ensure that financial assurance accounts for solid waste facilities are adequately funded, so that funding is available for facility post-closure care.

What you will do:

• Provide the final quality assurance review on technical and engineering documents to maintain high technical standards. Assure all work produced by the section is consistent with existing legislation, regulations, and agency policy.
• Review engineering documents for compliance with laws, regulations, and standard engineering practices associated with solid waste handling and biosolids facilities. These include but are not limited to landfills, transfer stations, surface impoundments, tanks, and waste tire storage facilities.  
• Serve as the Solid Waste Management (SWM) statewide lead engineer with expertise in lagoons, surface impoundments, emissions from organic wastes, and innovative emerging recycling process technologies.
• Conduct construction site visits to ensure construction quality assurance, operations and engineering plans are followed where needed for large or significant projects (e.g. new solid waste facilities) and assist other jurisdictions in conducting inspections.
• Serves as the SWM statewide lead engineer with expertise on internal/external technical workgroups as they occur to assess organic waste emissions.
• Serve as a cleanup site manager for contaminated properties under MTCA authorities.
• Monitor and track financial assurance requirements and ensure that facilities remain compliant to cover long-term financial assurance needs.

Learn more about what it is like to be an Engineer at the Department of Ecology

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

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: 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 Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: How To Get Your Professional Engineer License When Licensed in Another Jurisdiction.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Maintain registration as a professional or environmental engineer in the State of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington.
• Must hold a valid Washington State Driver’s License, or be able to obtain one, and be eligible to drive state vehicles within the first month of employment.
• Obtain and maintain landfill operator certification.
• Obtain and maintain compost facility operator certification.

Desired Qualifications:

• Manager of Landfill Operator Certification. 

• Proficiency with HELP and LandGEM models. 

• Compost Facility Operator Certification, or similar training or experience. 

• Completion of an Environmental Remediation Course, or similar training or 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.

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.

Please include the following documents as an attachment to your application:

• A cover letter describing how your experience, skills and abilities meet the required qualifications of this position.
• A resume outlining your professional experience.

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 James Rivard at: James.Rivard@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 Solid Waste Management Program

The mission of the Solid Waste Management Program is to reduce wastes through prevention and reuse, keep toxics out of the environment, and safely manage what remains.

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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