Municipal Stormwater Permit Planner; Environmental Planner

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Municipal Stormwater Permit Planner (Environmental Planner
3) within the Water Quality Program.

Location:

• Headquarters Office in Lacey, 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 per week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by October 26, 2026
• Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.

As a Municipal Stormwater Permit Planner, you will be responsible for guiding the development and implementation of municipal stormwater programs run by city and county governments and special purpose districts. You will be assigned to permit tees in Thurston, Lewis, Grays Harbor, Lewis, Cowlitz and Clark County. If you have experience in urban planning, stormwater program planning or implementation, or working collaboratively with local governments, we’d love to hear from you!

Join a dedicated group of people who are committed to protecting Washington’s waters for current and future generations.

What you will do:

• Provide stormwater planning technical assistance to local governments.
• Assist counties and municipalities in developing, planning, and coordinating stormwater programs that benefit water quality.
• Contribute as a member of a statewide team to continually adapt permit requirements in response to new information, population demands, and technological advancements.
• Respond to inquiries, environmental reports, and other requests for technical assistance from permit tees, other agencies and programs, and the public.
• Review, comment, and approve permit submittals.
• Conduct compliance assurance activities including inspections and audits of permittee programs, and initiate enforcement actions as needed.

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

Eight (8) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which must include the following:

• Program Planning – Ability to plan and coordinate projects and initiatives to achieve program goals and improve environmental outcomes.
• Policy Development – Ability to develop clear and practical policies, procedures, and standards to support consistent and effective permit and program implementation.
• Technical Evaluation – Ability to evaluate technical documents, program materials, and local codes to determine whether they meet required standards and support program objectives.
• Compliance & Enforcement Support – Ability to assess compliance through audits, inspections, and document reviews to identify issues and support appropriate corrective or enforcement actions.
• Communication & Outreach – Ability to communicate technical and program information clearly and provide outreach and education to support understanding and engagement among partners and the public.
• Collaboration & Relationship Building – Ability to work collaboratively and maintain effective relationships with agencies, local governments, organizations, and the public to support coordinated and successful program delivery.
• Independent Judgment – Ability to use professional judgment to make sound decisions and manage complex tasks with minimal supervision to ensure effective program outcomes.

Education involving a major study in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, civil engineering, environmental law, public administration with an environmental…