Toxicologist

Position:
Toxicologist 2 (Nuclear Waste Program)

Location:

Richland Field Office, Richland, WA. Must live within a commutable distance of the duty station.

Schedule:

Eligible for telework and flexible schedule options. Minimum of one day every other week required in office. Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Final date to receive applications:
June 23, 2026; applications received after this date may not be reviewed.

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.

• 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.

• 9 years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position.
• 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.

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

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

Ecology does not use the E‑Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT).

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.

Email: careers.gov;
Email:
Beth.

Rochette.gov