WR/OCR Grant and Contract Planner (Environmental Planner 4)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Grant and Contract Planner (Environmental Planner 4) within the Water Resources Program.

Location:

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

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• Upon completion of initial onboarding and training, you may telework most of your work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by December 15, 2025
• 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.

Duties

In this role, you will serve as a member of a team of planning consultants to the Office of Columbia River (OCR) Director, Water Resources (WR) Program Director, WR and OCR Financial Services Section Manager, and Grants and Contracts Unit Supervisor, with responsibility for assisting with contract and grant financial services to implement water supply solutions directed through OCR. You will contribute to projects that tap into stored water from existing reservoirs, improve and build needed infrastructure, restore habitats, and develop enhanced water conservation projects to make water available for people, farms, and fish. This position will provide you with wide-ranging and valuable water resources management experience in WA, working with a variety of partners who possess a diversity of goals and interests.

What you will do:

• Serve as a Financial Manager for a wide variety of water resource-oriented grants and contracts.
• Develop and implement grant application policies and procedures.
• Support staff and others, including local governments, in providing grant and contract assistance to recipients.
• Track and monitor agreements from the Water Resources (WR) Program and Office of Columbia River (OCR) bond accounts.
• Work with staff to plan, negotiate, and develop grant scopes of work, budgets, and project timelines.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Nine years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public and/or financial administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience.
  Experience must include 3 or more of the following:
  
  • Grant and Contract Management Expertise – Demonstrated experience developing, implementing, and administering complex grants and contracts, including budget oversight, amendments, and compliance monitoring.
    
  • Knowledge of Public Funding and Regulatory Requirements – Understanding of state and federal laws, regulations, and procedures governing grant and bond-funded programs.
    
  • Project Management – Ability to develop project scopes, budgets, and timelines; track expenditures; and ensure fiscal accountability throughout project lifecycles.
    
  • Collaboration and Communication Skills – Demonstrated ability to coordinate and communicate effectively with program and agency staff, local governments, tribal entities, grant applicants, and other partners and reach consensus regarding complex and prominent projects.
    
  • Compliance Oversight and Problem Solving – Demonstrated skill in reviewing deliverables, verifying eligibility of expenses, addressing non-compliance, and resolving grant or contract issues.
• Education involving a major study in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, business administration, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 9 years of experience.
• 8 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 7 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 6 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 5 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• 3 years of experience AND a Master’s degree.

Desired Qualifications:

• Two years of professional experience in full-time budget analysis and planning.
• Technical Knowledge - Familiarity with water resources and water rights issues

If you are excited about this role but not sure if your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.

Supplemental Information

Ecology does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Our Commitment to DEIR

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Respect (DEIR) are core values central to Ecology's work. We strive to be a workplace where we are esteemed for sharing our authentic identities, while advancing our individual professional goals and collaborating to protect, preserve, and enhance the environment for current and future generations.

Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.

Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.

Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.

Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.

We believe that DEIR is both a goal and an action. We are on a journey, honoring our shared humanity and taking steps to demonstrate our commitment to a vision where each of us is heard, seen, and valued.

Application Process

Ecology seeks diverse applicants: We view diversity, equity, inclusion, and respect through a broad lens including race, ethnicity, class, age, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity, immigration status, military background, language, education, life experience, physical disability, neurodiversity, and intersectional identities. Qualified job seekers from all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.

How to Apply

Click “Apply” at the top of this page. Complete the entire application, including full work history and responses to all supplemental questions, and attach:

• Cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
• Resume

Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to complete the application thoroughly. A resume will not substitute for the “work experience” section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete.

For detailed application information, please visit our Recruitment website.

Application Attestation: By submitting an application, you are affirming that the information contained in your application and on all attachments is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information, and any false or misleading answers may result in rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

Need an Accommodation?

If you need reasonable accommodation during the application and/or screening process, including this job announcement in an alternate format:

• Please contact us at 360-407-6186 or careers@ecy.wa.gov
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-833-6384.

Questions?

• For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact Mike Noone at Mike.Noone@ecy.wa.gov
• If you need assistance applying for this job, are inquiring about the status of your application, would like to request the full position description, or have any other questions, please contact the Recruitment Team at careers@ecy.wa.gov

About the Water Resources Program

The mission of the Water Resources Program is to support sustainable water resources management to meet the water needs of people and the natural environment, in partnership with Washington's communities.

About the Department of Ecology

As the State of Washington’s environmental protection agency, we are deeply committed to protecting, preserving, and enhancing Washington’s environment for current and future generations. Joining Ecology means becoming part of a team dedicated to protecting and sustaining healthy land, air, water, and climate in harmony with a strong economy. A career in public service at Ecology allows you to help solve some of the most challenging problems facing our state, while keeping your health and financial security a priority. We combine one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation with a strong commitment to life/work balance. We invest in our employees to create and sustain a working environment that encourages creative leadership, effective resource management, teamwork, professionalism, and accountability.

Ecology employees may be eligible for the following: Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), Vacation, Sick, and other Leave, 11 Paid Holidays per year, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver,  Long Term Disability & Life Insurance, Deferred Compensation Programs, Dependent Care Assistance Program (DCAP),  Flexible Spending Arrangement (FSA), Employee Assistance Program, Commute Trip Reduction Incentives, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information

To learn more about Ecology, please visit our website, explore Working at Ecology, check out our Strategic Plan, and connect with us on LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, or our blog.

Equal Opportunity Employer: 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.

Collective Bargaining: This is a position covered by a bargaining unit for which the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) is the exclusive representative.  

Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency. Once all the position(s) from the recruitment announcement are filled, the recruitment may only be used to fill additional open positions for the next sixty (60) days.

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