Regional Shoreline Planner; Environmental Planner

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Regional Shoreline Planner (Environmental Planner
3) within the Shorelands & Environmental Assistance (SEA) program.

• Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the selected duty station.

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• You may telework most of your work time, with required fieldwork and occasional in‑office time.
• Schedules are dependent upon onboarding schedules, position needs and are subject to change.

• Apply by February 24, 2026
• This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after the date above may not be considered.

In this position, you will serve as an associate‑level planner, providing planning, technical, and regulatory support to local governments in an assigned geographic area in the development and administration of Shoreline Master Programs under the Shoreline Management Act. You will assist local government partners with Shoreline Master Program code amendments, review the assigned jurisdiction’s shoreline permits, administer Shoreline Master Program and Coastal Zone Management grants, conduct training, and support Shoreline Management Act compliance.

• Understand shoreline planning principles and authorities.
• Understand environmental legislation and regulations at the federal, state, and local level, by independently reviewing, analysing, developing, and recommending wetland and shoreline management policies, guidelines, and regulations or other government authorities involved in the administration of local, state, or federal regulations.
• Testify at legal proceedings or public meetings or negotiate resolution in the development or implementation of policies and regulations.
• Review and understand complex shoreline regulatory or technical documents through expert review of materials prepared to support SMP amendments or shoreline permits.
• Apply negotiation and conflict resolution skills, by independently serving as a shoreline expert in enforcement actions, hearings, and legal proceedings; conduct field investigation and analysis and make recommendations to agency management and other involved in shoreline regulation and management.

For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.

Eight (8) years of experience and/or education as described below.

Experience in land and use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development.

Experience mentioned above must include demonstrated competence in the following skill sets:

• Planning & Regulatory Knowledge: Leading or co‑managing environmental or shoreline planning projects, such as developing or amending Shoreline Master Programs (SMPs), leading code updates, or managing land use projects from inception to completion.
• SMA & Related Laws: Applying a working knowledge of the Shoreline Management Act (SMA), Growth Management Act (GMA), and Critical Areas Ordinances (CAO) to regulatory decisions, permit reviews, or compliance guidance.
• Negotiation & Conflict Resolution: Leading or mediating complex, multi‑stakeholder negotiations and resolving conflicts between agencies, citizens, or consultants through collaborative problem‑solving.
• Intergovernmental
  
  Collaboration:
  
  Collaborating with local, state, tribal, or federal partners to manage intergovernmental projects, agreements, or land use programs.
• Technical & Analytical Review: Independently reviewing and interpreting complex environmental technical documents, including permits, mitigation plans, or environmental impact statements.
• Communication & Training: Producing clear technical writing and delivering presentations or training to public audiences, stakeholder groups, or in legal proceedings.

Involving a major study in Land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public…