Find Water Quality Planner|Project Manager II (PFAS Specialist) Job in Seattle, Western Australia | Snaprecruit

Summary

Come join our team as we protect our most vulnerable communities and aquatic life, such as fish and orca, from toxic chemicals in the environment. As a Water Quality Planner Project Manager II, your work as a PFAS Specialist will help King County identify PFAS contamination in our wastewater system, groundwaters and landfills. In doing so, youll help us better protect people and waters of King County. You will help us accomplish our goals in the following ways:

• Investigate PFAS in groundwater at landfills.
• Collaborate with other team members to interpret wastewater and biosolids PFAS data and prioritize risks to people and the environment.
• Assist with planning investigations of PFAS in the wastewater conveyance system.
• Helping to develop waste acceptance criteria for PFAS-containing wastes at transfer stations.
• Helping to identify alternative disposal methods for PFAS-containing materials.

We need a PFAS Specialist who is driven to apply their scientific training to understand contamination in our wastewater and landfill systems. If you love to work collaboratively with other scientists and utility managers to protect people and the natural environment from the hazards of PFAS, this job is for you.

About the Role:
King County is committed to reducing toxic chemicals in waters, sediments, and aquatic food webs to make the environment safer for people, and improve the health of salmon, orca, and other wildlife in King County waters. Our Clean Water Healthy Habitat (CWHH) strategy provides our guiding principles on reducing toxic chemicals in aquatic ecosystems. King County has developed a strategic work plan to target forever chemicals (PFAS) and we need your help to implement this plan.

About the Team:
The Science and Technical Support Section is a unique workplace where scientists build the scientific frameworks informing evidence-based policies and management decisions. We are a Seattle-based team of more than 40 technical staff producing credible and innovative, applied science and technical guidance to benefit people and the environment. We lead environmental investigations, manage monitoring programs, and support clients and partners with technical services. We collaborate with many County sections, local jurisdictions, universities, and state agencies.

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice:
King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive. We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a PFAS Specialist, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity .

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Water Land & Resources Division with King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks. Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits, and growth opportunities.

Job Duties

What You Will Be Doing:

• Serve as technical liaison to Division on intergovernmental planning groups and cross-division teams, and coordinate with other divisions/departments on joint research and planning.
• Interpretation of PFAS data in wastewater influent, effluent, biosolids and groundwater relative to regulatory standards and potential risk to the environment, and human health.
• Assist with planning investigations of PFAS in the wastewater conveyance system.
• Groundwater sampling at landfills.
• Writing sampling and analysis plans and quality assurance project plans for groundwater sampling
• Assist with developing waste acceptance criteria for PFAS-containing wastes at transfer stations.
• Assist in identifying alternative disposal methods for PFAS-containing materials.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Education or experience equivalent to a bachelors degree in ecotoxicology, geology, hydrology, environmental science, environmental engineering, or closely related discipline.
• Work experience or education on PFAS as an environmental contaminant.
• Experience sampling groundwater.
• Experience writing sections of sampling and analysis plans.
• Excellent writing skills with experience writing about science in plain language.
• Experience working in a team.

Competencies You Bring:

• Communicates Effectively - developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Manages Complexity - making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Strategic Mindset Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Collaborates Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Manages Ambiguity Operating effectively, even when things are uncertain, or the way forward is unclear.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Education or experience equivalent to a masters degree in soil geochemistry, environmental toxicology, or environmental engineering
• 1 year of experience in groundwater sampling.
• Work experience or training in evaluating ecological risk from toxic contaminants.
• Experience leading authorship of sampling and analysis plans and/or quality assurance project plans.
• Education or experience in water chemistry data analysis.
• Education or work experience in wastewater or solid waste facility operations or management.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements typically 3-4 days per month. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104). This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the departments vision of Green Where We Work.

• Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.

• Union Representation: This position is represented by Teamsters Local 117.

• Duration: This recruitment aims to fill a Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position with an anticipated 1 year duration. If the position is filled by a King County employee who has successfully completed their initial probation, they will be offered the role as a Special Duty Assignment

Application and Selection Process:
We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.
Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness including online application, cover letter and resume, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

• King County application
• Resume
• Cover Letter detailing your background and what you can bring to this position.
• Responses to supplemental questions

Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
William Herbert
Human Resource Analyst
206-477-5494
wherbert@kingcounty.gov

Discover More About the Water Land & Resources Division: Visit our website .

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our website, explore an interactive map of our recent accomplishments and check us out at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Keeping King County Green News.

Sign up for Job Alerts to be notified of additional career opportunities with King County. Select the Natural Resources category for DNRP opportunities and explore other categories of interest.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our \"True North\", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation, and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.