Senior Ecologist

Job Description:

Senior Ecologist

Description

Summary

Are you a passionate ecologist looking for a chance to engage in flood control and habitat improvement projects across King County? Look no further than Water and Land Resources Division's (WLRD) River and Floodplain Capital Unit within King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP).

About the Role :

We are looking for two (2) Senior Ecologists (Environmental Scientist III) that can help design, permit, build, monitor, mitigate and adaptively manage great flood control and habitat improvement projects. Recent projects include large capital flood projects such as the Lower Russell, Jan Road and Countyline Levee Setback Projects. Our ecologist team also contributes to many smaller bank repair and flood reduction projects (that also significantly improve habitat conditions for fish and wildlife) including the Reinig Road Revetment and Shake Mill Left Bank projects.

These Senior Ecologists will work with creative multi-disciplinary teams that includes other ecologists, geomorphologists, engineers, hydraulic modelers and capital project managers to implement the goals of the King County Flood Management Plan while integrating other innovative King County initiatives including Clean Water Healthy Habitat Strategic Plan, Strategic Climate Action Plan and Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan.

More information about these projects and plans can be found at the following websites:

• Lower Russell : https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/flood-services/capital-projects-studies/lower-russell-levee-setback-project
• Jan Road: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/flood-services/capital-projects-studies/jan-road-levee-setback
• Countyline: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/flood-services/capital-projects-studies/countyline-levee-setback-project
• R einig Road: https://kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/reducing-flood-risk-a-look-back-at-completed-flood-mitigation-projects-4/
• S hake Mill Left Bank: https://kingcountyfloodcontrol.org/reducing-flood-risk-a-look-back-at-completed-flood-mitigation-projects-6/
• F lood Management Plan: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/nature-recreation/environment-ecology-conservation/flood-services/flood-management-plan/about-plan
• C lean Water Healthy Habitat Strategic Plan: https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/dnrp/about-king-county/about-dnrp/sustainability-commitments/clean-water-healthy-habitat
• S trategic Climate Action Plan: https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/services/environment/climate/actions-strategies/strategic-climate-action-plan
• Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan: https://kingcounty.gov/en/legacy/elected/executive/equity-social-justice/strategic-plan

This position performs work remotely and onsite.

About the Team:
King County's Water and Land Resources Division is a leader in diligently working to reduce destructive flooding in the County while also improving habitat for salmon and other aquatic and terrestrial species. The County also considers many other benefits in its flood control projects including equity and social justice, clean water, recreation, and open space conservation (among others) and closely coordinates with regulators, tribes and other interested parties to implement the best flood control projects possible. This coordination and attention to multiple benefits creates great projects that improve conditions for people and animals. The Senior Ecologist position provides a unique opportunity to lead habitat enhancement projects from cradle to maturity - from inception through implementation, post-construction monitoring, maintenance, retrofit and long-term stewardship. Your biological expertise and collaboration skills will be utilized to help build effective habitat and to devise and implement monitoring that will test whether your project accomplished its goals and objectives. When objectives are not fully met, you will help devise adaptive management and maintenance actions to help get the project back on-track and headed for long-term success.

Commitment To Equity 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 Senior Ecologist , 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 and Land Resource Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP) or Wastewater Treatment Division. 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:

• Coordinate and collaborate with multi-disciplinary design teams to provide ecological expertise and ensure equity in planning, designing, permitting, constructing, monitoring and adaptively managing capital (or other large environmental) projects including repair, retrofit, and major reconstruction of flood control levees and revetments.
• Analyze impacts of river and floodplain project actions on fish, wildlife, cultural and natural resources; Devise creative solutions to reduce and mitigate impacts, and work with in-house staff and consultants, local, state and federal regulators and tribes to collect necessary data and devise regulatory compliance strategies to obtain necessary environmental permits.
• Lead project effectiveness monitoring work including the development of plans, data collection, analysis, report writing , estimating and tracking budgets ; Adaptively manage projects when they are not meeting goals and objectives.
• Assure regulatory compliance and act as the “on-site biologist” during construction.
• Participate in flood warning, flood patrol and emergency response programs and activities.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Bachelor's degree in biology, ecology, fisheries, environmental science, natural resource management, or a related technical field AND at least 3 years of specialized experience which provides the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform all the duties described. A master’s degree in a related field is an acceptable substitute for the required specialized experience.
• Experience collecting and analyzing scientific data and technical information and writing detailed reports and experience relating this data and analysis to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Knowledge of river and watershed ecology, including fisheries biology, geomorphology, riparian restoration and invasive plant management with comprehensive knowledge and experience in at least one of these areas.
• Construction management experience and/or in-the-field experience with implementing natural resource enhancement projects that involve planning, permitting, monitoring and construction.
• Communicates and collaborates effectively and efficiently with diverse individuals and groups to solve complex problems. Handles conflicts with a minimum of noise.
• Flexible and adaptable: Can operate effectively in the absence of clarity or certainty; can adapt approach or demeanor to match shifting demands and situations; actively learns through experimentation and rebounds quickly from setbacks or adversity.

Competencies You Bring:

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Manages Complexity: make sense of complex and contradictory information to solve emerging problems and simultaneously produce high-quality deliverables and outcomes.
• Interpersonal Savvy: Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Plans and Aligns: The ability to develop and execute strategic plans that align with an organization's goals and objectives, ensuring effective and coordinated efforts across teams and functions.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Advanced degree, professional certification, and/or license in a relevant field.

• Experience with vegetation, fisheries and/or geomorphological research and/or maintenance / monitoring.
• Local, state, and federal environmental and cultural permitting experience.
• In-depth knowledge of Puget Sound salmon species, their life histories, habitat needs and threats from construction impacts.

Supplemental Information

Supplemental Information:

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements typically 1-2 days per week . Work will also require travel to project locations throughout King County as needed. 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 department’s vision of Green Where We Work .
• Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to meet workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible. The typical work schedule is 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday- Friday. The typical work schedule is 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday- Friday. Attendance at evening meetings and weekend events may be required from time to time including for staffing of the Flood Warning Center or Flood Patrol during flood emergencies.
• Union Representation: These positions are represented by PROTEC Local 17A bargaining unit.
• Physical Requirement: These positions will be required to traverse uneven terrain including embankments in all weather conditions including possible inclement weather. This position may also be required to participate in flood patrol.

Application and Selection Process:

We welcome applications from all qualified candidates , but first consideration will be given to all current King County PROTEC Local 17A bargaining unit employees eligible for a lateral transfer (transferring within the Environmental Scientist III classification and having passed probation). We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. This posting may be used to create an eligibility list for future vacancies in similar positions over the next six months.

Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness and alignment with the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills essential for this role to determine which candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. The final candidate will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment physical.

Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Online Application with response to supplemental questions.
• Resume.
• Cover letter.

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

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Isaac Good at (206) 848-0576 or igood@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 recently 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.

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

Closing Date/Time: 2/16/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$108,638.40 - $137,716.80 Annually