ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENTIST III

(3 POSITIONS TO BE FILLED)

River and Floodplain Management Unit
DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES & PARKS
WATER AND LAND RESOURCES DIVISION
Hourly Rate Range: $32.56 - $41.28

OPEN:  7/9/08                      CLOSE:  7/28/08

 

 

WHO MAY APPLY: This is a lateral transfer opportunity for IFPTE, Local 17A employees.

 

FORMS & MATERIALS REQUIRED:

• Resume
• Letter of interest detailing your background and describing how you meet or exceed the requirements
• Answers to the attached supplemental questionnaire

 

SUBMIT REQUIRED FORMS & MATERIALS TO:

Clint Loper, 201 South Jackson St., #600, Seattle, WA  98104.

clint.loper@kingcounty.gov   MS-KSC-NR-0600

 

WORK LOCATION: King Street Center, 201 South Jackson, Suite 600, Seattle, WA, 98104

 

WORK SCHEDULE: These full-time positions are eligible for overtime.  The typical work schedule is 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Monday - Friday.  Attendance at evening meetings and weekend events, and participation in flood warning activities, will be required from time to time. 

 

Job Description:  These positions will be part of a team of river engineers, scientists and planners in the River and Floodplain Management Unit in the Water and Land Resources Division. The positions will perform a broad range and scope of design, permitting, construction management, and technical analyses to support the implementation of projects and programs identified in the 2006 King County Flood Hazard Management Plan in support of the newly formed King County Flood Control Zone District. The positions will be assigned to one of several geographic river basin teams, with the majority of work duties focused geographically. However there also will be opportunities to work across the County supporting the overall Rivers program. Information on the District is available at: http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/wlr/flood/flood-control-zone-district/default.aspx and the adopted 2006 King County Flood Hazard Management Plan is available on King County’s web site.

 

Primary Job Duties Include:

• Serve as key project team member, providing ecological expertise in planning, designing, permitting, constructing, and monitoring capital projects including repair, retrofit, and major reconstruction of levees and revetments, acquisition and home elevation projects, structure demolitions, and floodplain restoration.
• Participate with other professional staff individually or on multidisciplinary teams in scientific investigations and in identifying and implementing solutions to problems related to river and floodplain management.
• Serve as key point of contact for ecological elements of King County Flood Control Zone District projects, studies, and programmatic initiatives, and for ecological elements of Flood Hazard Management Plan recommendations.
• Determine regulatory compliance strategies for CIP projects, and obtain and manage necessary permits from appropriate federal, state, and local agencies (e.g., US Army Corps of Engineers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, National Marine Fisheries Service, US Fish and Wildlife Service, King County Department of Development and Environmental Services, and King County Parks Division). Prepare SEPA and Section 7 documents, and consult and negotiate with regulatory agencies and tribal representatives on ESA issues and other regulatory or cultural resource concerns.
• Develop comprehensive environmental mitigation approaches to address aquatic and riparian habitat impacts of riverine floodplain management programs and projects.
• Assure regulatory compliance and act as “on-site biologist” during construction.
• Design and conduct stream and river habitat assessments to evaluate habitat quantity and quality for aquatic and wildlife species, including federally listed endangered and threatened species.
• Analyze potential and actual impacts of river and floodplain management project actions on critical fish and wildlife species and their habitats.
• Organize and analyze habitat, fisheries, and related resource data using databases, spreadsheets, maps and GIS layers; and conduct data analyses using commonly acceptable statistical techniques and software.
• Develop and implement water quantity, water quality and natural resource (fisheries and habitat) studies, projects and programs that support floodplain management projects and programs.  Provide project management and oversight for these studies, projects and programs. Work may include pre-construction data collection, water quality and erosion control monitoring during construction, and post-construction monitoring.
• Develop and oversee consultant contracts to support environmental and cultural resources investigations; design, permitting, and construction oversight of capital projects; and river- and reach-scale analyses of aquatic habitat related to river and floodplain management.
• Write technical reports and issue papers for various technical and non-technical audiences to summarize and convey project findings.
• Present to and discuss technical information with managers and staff, project teams, tribal biologists and cultural resource specialists, landowners, elected officials, and other jurisdictions and agencies.
• Respond to data and information requests, provide analysis and review of floodplain management projects and proposed policies, and develop recommendations.
• Coordinate with internal King County staff from multiple disciplines and programs to work collaboratively on river and floodplain management issues.
• Develop and support the development of grant applications by providing ecological expertise. Manage and oversee grants and budgets for projects that are primarily associated with river ecology.
• Participate in flood warning and emergency response programs and activities.

 

Required Qualifications – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology, ecology, fisheries, environmental science, natural resource management, or a related technical field; and at least five years of increasingly responsible program and project management work that is applicable to the primary job functions of this position.
• Comprehensive knowledge of river and watershed ecology, including fisheries biology, hydrology, water quality/water chemistry, and geomorphology. Understanding of key natural resource issues currently facing Pacific Northwest rivers and floodplains.
• Knowledge and experience in implementation of flood risk reduction or related capital projects including planning, permitting, monitoring, and construction.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local environmental laws and regulations applicable to river and floodplain management projects and programs in King County. Familiarity with emerging regulatory issues such as new federal process requirements for Section 106 consultation regarding historic and cultural resources.
• Ability to effectively communicate scientific and technical project and program information to various stakeholders with the specific ability to facilitate successful collaboration on politically-sensitive environmental issues.
• Knowledge of construction techniques and erosion control measures used in floodplain management and other river projects.
• Knowledge of environmental monitoring techniques and ability to development monitoring plans related to project impacts on aquatic and wildlife habitat.
• Knowledge and understanding of the 2006 King County Flood Hazard Management Plan, the King County River and Floodplain Management program, and the King County Flood Control Zone District.
• Experience developing and obtaining federal, state, and local permits related to work within rivers and streams, including Hydraulic Project Approvals, Corps 404 permits, and local Clearing and Grading and Shorelines permits. Demonstrated ability to accurately assess permit requirements, prepare permit applications, and develop permit strategies and schedules necessary for successful, timely, and cost-effective implementation of complex river and floodplain management projects.
• Experience developing and carrying out evaluations of river processes and functions, identifying project or program related impacts on salmonid habitat and lifecycle requirements, and designing and directing inventories and studies of aquatic habitat and salmonid populations.
• Experience working with technical aspects of the Endangered Species Act, such as permitting, conducting technical studies, preparing issue papers, and providing technical reviews of plans and projects.
• Experience preparing SEPA documents and responding to SEPA comments and/or appeals.
• Proficiency in reading and interpreting design plans, specifications, drawings, and technical maps and documents.
• Experience serving as technical lead/expert, providing technical guidance to others and working successfully in interdisciplinary and inter-jurisdictional technical teams on highly visible floodplain management and natural resources projects.
• Experience in successfully managing projects, including preparing and monitoring scopes, budgets and schedules.
• Demonstrated ability to develop, analyze, and convey technical information, using common computer software and statistical packages (Word, Excel, ArcView, Access, SPSS, etc.).
• Demonstrated ability to write technical reports for a range of audiences, including permit agencies, fisheries management services, etc., and non-technical individuals such as elected officials, senior management, and landowners and community groups.
• Demonstrated ability to make presentations to a wide variety of audiences including elected officials, agency staff, and citizens on often controversial technical and policy issues associated with aquatic habitat management.
• Ability to exercise initiative, tact and judgment and resolve conflicts effectively in the conduct of work activity.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with other employees, other government agencies, non-profit organizations, Tribes, landowners, consultants, and construction crews.
• Ability to work effectively in a rapidly evolving work environment that requires multi-tasking, planning and organizing work on a daily basis, responding to changing priorities and tight deadlines, and grasping and responding to complex issues quickly.
• Ability to take initiative and function independently on assigned projects, while keeping team members and stakeholders apprised of key issues and developments.
• Ability to work long hours outside conducting field work and occasionally in inclement weather.

 

Desirable Qualifications – Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Masters degree in aquatic biology, ecology, fisheries, environmental science, natural resource management, or a related field.
• Professional certification in ecology, wetland ecology, fisheries biology, erosion and sediment control, or other related field relevant to the design and implementation of projects and programs in river floodplains.
• Knowledge and experience working in one or more of the following King County river basins: Snoqualmie/ South Fork Skykomish, Cedar/ Sammamish, Green River, White River.
• Familiarity with key issues, entities, and agencies – both internal and external to King County government – involved in floodplain management and flood hazard reduction.

 

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: This position requires the ability to conduct occasional physical site inspections and evaluation. There is an intermittent need to walk on uneven terrain, for limited periods of time. Field conditions include brushy, forested environments; river, stream and wetland corridors; and slippery, uneven surfaces and dynamic conditions in the outdoors.  Work tasks also likely will include in-water situations involving wading and the use of rafts or canoes.

 

WORK ENVIRONMENT: Heavy workloads, deadline pressure and interruptions due to changing priorities are not uncommon. Work is performed in an office environment, with occasional time spent performing field site inspections. Participation in flood warning and emergency response programs and activities typically involve work in excess of 12 hours per day and during all hours of the day that may include evenings, weekends and holidays.

 

Necessary Requirements:

Valid Washington State drivers license or ability to travel throughout the County in a timely manner

 

(74-5670-8560-6045)

(74-5672-8560-6046)

(74-5671-8560-6047)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE                 ______________________________

Environmental Scientist III                                                 Print or Type Your Name

 

 

The following questions must be completed and submitted with the application. These questions address important elements of these positions and the information you provide will help to determine your eligibility for further consideration. Please limit your response to no more than one page per question.

 

 

 

• Describe your experience as a key member of a multi-disciplinary project team that planned, designed and implemented a river facility (levee or revetment) repair project, flood risk reduction project, or aquatic habitat restoration project. Give example(s) of how your experience and understanding of riverine aquatic habitat and endangered species needs influenced the project’s design and permitting approach.

 

• Describe your experience in scoping, conducting, and completing a scientific or technical investigation of aquatic or riparian habitat that was used to address a flooding, water quality, or habitat problem. What role did you play and how did you interact with other staff to develop a comprehensive solution?

 

• Describe your experience in preparing environmental permitting documents to comply with the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), the Endangered Species Act, and other environmental regulations.