Environmental Permitting Coordinator

Environmental Permitting Coordinator

The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates' qualifications within the starting salary range of $79,560 - $111,384 annually. Applications will be reviewed immediately. The hiring authority reserves the right to make a hiring decision at any time. We encourage all to apply as early as possible. Our physical office is located in Olympia, WA. This is a hybrid position with the ability to telework.

However, you will need to attend in-person meetings or community events as required by the position.

Why work for the Office of the Governor? The Office of the Governor of Washington offers a unique opportunity to make a meaningful difference by improving how people and businesses navigate Washington's environmental and business regulatory systems. At the Governor's Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA), you'll be part of a collaborative team dedicated to making government services more accessible, transparent, and effective.

ORIA partners with state agencies, local governments, Tribal governments, businesses, and community stakeholders to strengthen regulatory processes, improve customer service, and support economic opportunity throughout the state. Guided by a commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and respect, ORIA fosters an inclusive workplace where innovation, collaboration, and public service create meaningful outcomes for all Washingtonians.

The Job Opportunity Join the Office of the Governor of Washington and help improve Washington's environmental permitting process. As the Environmental Permitting Coordinator, you will provide senior-level guidance to customers and partners by helping them navigate environmental permitting requirements, coordinating with local, state, federal, and Tribal agencies, and supporting improvements to regulatory tools and processes.

In this role, you will research and interpret environmental regulations, scope customer projects, facilitate collaboration across multiple jurisdictions, and maintain key public-facing permitting resources, including the Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Application (JARPA) and other regulatory information. You will work closely with agency staff, the Governor's policy office, the Legislature, customers, and a broad range of public and private stakeholders to promote efficient, transparent, and customer-focused permitting processes.

If you are a collaborative problem-solver with strong communication skills, sound judgment, and the ability to build productive relationships across diverse groups. If you are passionate about environmental policy, public service, and improving government processes, we encourage you to apply.

What you'll work on

Environmental permitting technical assistance

• Researches, interprets, and explains state environmental permitting requirements for businesses, local governments, industry representatives, citizens, and other customers.
• Identifies applicable permits, regulatory pathways, agency roles, application requirements, decision points, and customer next steps.
• Develops written and verbal guidance, including matrices, summaries, guidance documents, and other plain-language resources, to help customers understand permitting requirements and processes.
• Responds to customer inquiries regarding environmental permitting laws, rules, policies, procedures, and regulatory coordination issues.

Customer inquiry resolution and internal support

• Serves as a technical resource to ORIA customer support staff on environmental permitting and regulatory inquiries.
• Reviews complex or escalated customer inquiries to determine appropriate research, coordination, and response actions.
• Researches and analyzes environmental laws, rules, policies, procedures, and agency guidance to support accurate and timely responses.
• Prepares written and verbal responses and communicates inquiry resolution status and outcomes to customer support staff.
• Monitors changes to environmental permitting requirements and shares relevant updates, guidance, and process information with ORIA staff.

Multi-jurisdictional permit coordination

• Serves as ORIA's point of contact for customers and regulatory agencies on projects involving multiple permits, agencies, or jurisdictions.
• Reviews proposed projects to identify likely permits, sequencing considerations, estimated timelines, responsible agencies, and key decision points.
• Coordinates with local, state, federal, and Tribal agencies to clarify permitting requirements and support resolution of process or coordination issues.
• Assists customers in understanding environmental permitting processes, agency expectations, and project next steps.
• Facilitates communication among agencies, project proponents, and stakeholders to support timely and coordinated permit review processes.

Interagency collaboration and regulatory improvement

• Facilitates and participates in interagency environmental permitting work groups, coordination teams, and process…