SEPA and Environmental Regulation Specialist; Environmental Specialist

The Department of Ecology is hiring a SEPA and Environmental Regulation Specialist (Environmental Specialist
3) within the Nuclear Waste Program.

• Richland Field Office in Richland, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

• Initially, this position requires working in the office five days a week for onboarding and training. Flexible schedule options are available.
• Upon successful completion of the probationary period, a primarily telework schedule may be established with supervisor approval, based on position needs.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

• Apply by October 14, 2026
• Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.

Join the Nuclear Waste Program’s Compliance and Regulatory Assistance team as a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) and Environmental Regulation Specialist, where your work will help protect human health and Washington’s environmental resources for future generations. In this role, you will be responsible for leading technical reviews and coordination under the SEPA, National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA), and other environmental regulations.

Working closely with managers, engineers, scientists, legal staff, and external partners, you will evaluate diverse and complex environmental projects, identify key issues, and ensure regulatory compliance that supports long-term protection of the environment.

This position provides meaningful opportunities to expand your technical expertise while contributing to environmental planning, cleanup activities, and policy development across the Nuclear Waste Program.

• Evaluate SEPA, NEPA, MTCA, and other regulatory notifications to identify environmental issues and ensure compliance with state and federal requirements.
• Prepare, review, and coordinate SEPA documentation, including administrative records, Categorical Exclusions, Environmental Assessments, Environmental Impact Statements, Supplemental Analyses, and related technical materials.
• Manage, sort, and file all documents in established databases and record keeping systems.
• Provide technical and programmatic support for environmental planning and compliance activities under state and federal regulations, including performing technical analysis and review of impacts on the environment.
• Collaborate with project managers, engineers, scientists, environmental specialists, legal staff, and agency staff to collect data, clarify regulatory requirements, and facilitate environmental reviews.
• Apply strong communication, organizational, analytical, and project management skills to support multiple projects while ensuring regulatory compliance and schedule adherence.
• Track project schedules, milestones, deliverables, and action items to ensure timely completion and effective coordination.

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

Six (6) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which must include the following:

• Environmental Policy Experience
  – Ability to apply knowledge of environmental policy frameworks, including SEPA, NEPA, and other laws and regulations, to evaluate proposals and guide staff and agencies to ensure consistent, accurate, and legally defensible environmental decision‑making.
• Scientific and Technical Analysis
  – Ability to apply scientific and regulatory analytical methods to evaluate documents to determine environmental impacts and support defensible agency decisions.
• R…