Toxicologist 2

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Toxicologist 2 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:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• A minimum of one day every other week is required in the office. You may telework most of your work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline: 

• Apply by June 23, 2026
• Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.

Duties

Join our team and help shape the future of environmental cleanup at the Hanford Site. In this role, you will support environmental risk assessments that protect human health and the environment and ensure regulatory compliance throughout cleanup activities. You will provide toxicological expertise on study design, risk analysis, and the development of soil and water cleanup levels, working closely with the program’s senior toxicologist and project teams to build a holistic understanding of human and ecological risks across the site. Your work directly informs decisions at one of the nation’s most complex cleanup sites, offering the chance to make a meaningful impact on public health, environmental protection, and long-term site recovery.

This position integrates the risk assessment requirements of Washington state regulations with federal Superfund cleanup and hazardous waste regulations. You will translate complex toxicological findings into clear recommendations that guide cleanup decisions, promote regulatory consistency, and support communication with technical staff, managers, and other involved groups. As part of this work, you will have opportunities to deepen your expertise by staying current with evolving toxicology and risk-assessment methods, participating in professional development, and collaborating with state and federal technical experts across multiple disciplines.

What you will do:

• Lead the regulatory review of the Department of Energy’s risk assessment and performance assessment activities

• Provide consultation on risk and performance assessment issues, including the development and evaluation of constituent cleanup levels within the program and agency.

• Coordinate with tank farm and environmental restoration chemists on sample design, analysis, and data quality to ensure usability in risk assessments.

• Perform calculations and collaborate with agency toxicologists and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to develop and recommend cleanup levels for environmental media.

• Review documents for technical merit, regulatory compliance, and consistency with established risk assessment guidance.

• Evaluate and prepare professional comments on the appropriateness and adequacy of physicochemical properties, environmental fate and transport characteristics, environmental models, bioavailability issues, dose-response functions, and toxicokinetic and toxicodynamic characteristics of toxic agents in hazardous waste.

• Represent the Program on task groups within the department and in coordination with external agencies and other partners.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Nine (9) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which includes the following:

• Risk Assessment – Ability to evaluate chemical and radiological hazards to provide clear, science-based conclusions that support protective environmental and public health decisions.

• Environmental Data Interpretation – Ability to evaluate environmental sampling data to ensure the information is reliable and appropriate for decision-making.

• Regulatory Application – Ability to apply state and federal environmental requirements to determine cleanup levels and assess compliance to support consistent and defensible regulatory decisions.

• Critical Thinking – Ability to analyze information, evaluate assumptions, and identify uncertainties to support well-reasoned and defensible recommendations.

• Technical Communication– Ability to explain technical information in clear, understandable terms to support informed decision-making by managers, partners, and the public.

• Planning & Prioritization – Ability to plan and manage work tasks, timelines, and commitments to successfully meet program and project expectations.

Education involving a major study in toxicology or a health or ecological related science with a major emphasis in toxicology.

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.
• 1 year of experience AND a Ph.D.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

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

Desired Qualifications:

• Ph.D. in toxicology or a health or ecological related science with a major emphasis in toxicology and one year of toxicology experience.

  OR

• Master of Science degree in toxicology or a health or ecological related science with a major emphasis in toxicology and three years of toxicology experience.

If you are excited about this role and meet the required qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Desired qualifications reflect additional knowledge, skills, or experience that are nice to have but not required. Studies have shown that some applicants, especially women and people of color, are less likely to apply unless they meet every listed qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging, and we welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and unique perspectives.

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 Beth Rochette at Beth.Rochette@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 (NWP) enforces regulatory compliance and cleanup at the Hanford Site and at other facilities managing nuclear waste statewide. It also promotes public involvement, congressional and federal contact, and interstate activities in order to enhance nuclear waste management, compliance, and cleanup of the Hanford Site. This position is in NWP's Cleanup Section.

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

For this position, personal protective equipment will be provided by the program along with reimbursement for required footwear.

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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