Spill Responder; Environmental Specialist ; In-Training; Two Positions

Spill Responder (Environmental Specialist
3) (In Training)

The Department of Ecology is hiring two Spill Responder (Environmental Specialist
3) (In Training) positions within the Spill Prevention, Preparedness, and Response program.

Location:

Southwest Region Office (SWRO) in Lacey, WA. Must live within a 60-minute commuting distance of the SWRO. These positions are eligible for a 10% Spill Response Assignment Pay once all training requirements and certifications are met and maintained. These positions also have periods of mandatory overtime. Additionally, they are required to participate in an after-hour on-call duty rotation.

Schedule:

These positions are eligible for telework and flexible schedule options. These positions require field work and emergency response, while there is some office work and you may telework most of your office work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities. Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:
Apply by August 2, 2026. Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.

In these roles, you will work with a multi-disciplinary team and use science to solve complex environmental challenges. Working with other federal, state, local and tribal response partners, you will serve as Ecology's State On-Scene Coordinator leading the response and cleanup of complex environmental spills. Your efforts will result in immediate improvements to the safety of Washington residents and our environment.

Conduct responses to spills of oil and hazardous substances, abandoned waste, fish kills and other environmental and human health emergencies.

Serve as initial incident commander and State On-Scene Coordinator for spills of petroleum products and hazardous materials on water and land.

Conduct operations to control, contain and cleanup spills, investigate the cause of spills and response actions taken by parties responsible for spills, directs environmental response contractors, and coordinates responses with appropriate private, local, state and federal representatives involved.

Perform hands-on clean-up work, including opening containers of unknowns, taking samples, over packing and transporting abandoned chemical wastes for final disposal.

Offer technical assistance and limited regulatory interpretation to parties involved in spill incidents and drug lab cleanups.

Prepare and complete all documentation and reporting associated with such incidents.

Participate in an after-hours and weekend on-call duty rotation that responds to spills 24/7/365.

To qualify at the Environmental Specialist 2 level (In-Training):
Pay Range $4,300 - $5,779 monthly. Five (5) years of combined experience and/or education. Experience performing environmental-based work, OR work related to any of the following:

Spill Response and Hazardous Materials Operations Experience performing hands-on response actions for oil spills, hazardous substance releases, abandoned waste, and illegal drug manufacturing facilities, including containment, cleanup, and mitigation in high-risk environments.

Emergency Spill Response or Disaster Response Operations Experience responding to oil spills, hazardous substance releases, abandoned waste, natural disasters, and other environmental and human health emergencies, performing containment, control, and cleanup actions in accordance with established procedures.

Hazard Identification, Sampling, and Field Analysis Knowledge of hazardous substance identification, sampling techniques, field testing, and hazard classification, including safe handling of unknown materials and interpretation of monitoring data against health-based and regulatory standards.

Hazard Identification and Field Safety Knowledge of hazardous materials recognition, site safety principles, and hazard assessment, including safe work practices and proper use of personal protective equipment.

Sampling, Monitoring, and Waste Handling Experience in collecting environmental samples, operating field monitoring instruments, interpreting results using established guidance, and safely packaging, labeling, and transporting hazardous and dangerous waste for disposal.

Incident Command System Participation Skill in functioning effectively within the Incident Command System as an Incident Commander for routine incidents or as a Command/General Staff member or technical specialist during complex responses under direction.

Regulatory Knowledge and Application Knowledge of applicable state and federal regulations, with the ability to apply regulations, guidance, and standard operating procedures to incident response and compliance activities.

Technical Communication and Documentation Skill in preparing clear, accurate, and timely incident documentation, reports, and data entries, and communicating technical information effectively to supervisors, response partners, and regulated parties.

Equipment Operation and Readiness Demonstrated ability…