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Senior Coastal Scientist and Unit Supervisor (Natural Resource Scientist 4)
State of Washington
People & HR, Operations
Multiple locations · Washington, USA
USD 7,040-9,472 / month
Posted on Apr 4, 2025
Description
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Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Department of Ecology is hiring a Senior Coastal Scientist and Unit Supervisor (Natural Resource Scientist 4) within the Shorelands & Environmental Assistance (SEA) program.
Location Options:
This position can be based at any of the following duty stations:
- Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
- Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.
Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the selected duty station.
Note: If the selected duty station is the Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, the salary will include an additional 5% premium pay due to its location in King County. Salary range: $7,040 - $9,472 monthly.
Schedule:
- This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
- In-office presence in Lacey is expected approximately once per week, with carpooling options available between Seattle and Lacey.
- Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.
Application Timeline:
- April 30, 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 April 30, 2025 may not be considered.
Duties
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You will join Washington’s Applied Coastal Research and Engineering (ACRE) team, which delivers high-quality data, science-based information, technical expertise, and innovative solutions to support Washington’s coastal communities and Tribes. Through monitoring, research, and collaboration, ACRE bridges the gap between data, decision-makers, and the public to advance informed coastal management decisions that promote resilient shorelines and nearshore habitat functions.
In this role, you will lead the state’s Coastal Monitoring and Analysis Program (CMAP), which has been seasonally monitoring Washington’s shorelines for nearly 27 years, amassing one of the longest continuous datasets of its kind in the world. As the agency’s designated expert in coastal morphology, monitoring, and processes, you will oversee a team of scientists, geologists, and engineers conducting applied research along Washington’s Pacific Ocean Coast and throughout the Salish Sea. You will lead CMAP’s efforts to document and understand physical changes along Washington’s beaches, bluffs, and nearshore zones. You will collaborate with a shoreline mapping team documenting indicators of nearshore habitat health, coastal hazards, and other shoreline conditions, and support a coastal engineering team providing technical assistance, guidance, and assessment of approaches for coastal resilience and process-based restoration. Your expertise in coastal processes, geomorphology, quantitative data analysis, and scientific methods will be key to advancing ACRE’s work and helping solve some of Washington’s most pressing coastal challenges.
What you will do:
- Collect and analyze coastal data: Lead coastal monitoring work to study coastal morphodynamics and the performance of natural and nature-based features, applying analytical approaches to interpret physical processes and geomorphic change.
- Develop and refine coastal morphology data analysis techniques: Coordinate with Coastal Geomatics Scientists to adapt specialized methods and create workflows for coastal data collection and analysis using topo-bathymetric surveys, boat-based and aerial lidar, sonar, photogrammetry, and RFID rock tracking technology.
- Report and present scientific findings: Lead and guide publications, technical reports, conference presentations, and data products, translating complex science for diverse audiences, including coastal managers and policymakers.
- Lead and manage the CMAP Unit: Plan and prioritize workloads, assign tasks, and coordinate communications within and outside the Unit.
- Supervise staff and oversee hiring: Evaluate staff needs, conduct performance reviews, support professional development, and manage personnel actions.
- Oversee budgets and expenditures: Oversee timekeeping, leave approvals, and financial tracking in coordination with ACRE Section Manager.
- Manage contracts and projects: Ensure deliverables meet quality standards, coordinate team roles, and serve as the primary point of contact for clients.
- Mentor and support CMAP staff: Conduct regular check-ins, meetings, and professional guidance.
- Develop funding proposals and research initiatives: Identify grant opportunities, propose research to advance our understanding and management of coastal systems, and negotiate contracts to support program growth and technical capacity.
Qualifications
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A total of ten years of combined education and/or professional experience in coastal morphology, coastal monitoring, coastal processes and geomorphology, coastal engineering, or related work aligned with the essential functions of this position.
Experience must include at least two of the following:
- Developing and applying methods to analyze topographic and bathymetric datasets to assess coastal change.
- Planning and executing research campaigns to inform science-based decision making.
- Performing field data collection activities, including walking or navigating challenging terrain in coastal environments and working in varying weather conditions.
- Publishing peer-reviewed publication(s) focused on coastal processes, morphology, and/or engineering.
Experience must include demonstrated competence in the following skill sets:
- Experience writing technical reports and scientific publications, presenting at scientific conferences, and presenting technical topics to the public.
- Guiding and mentoring staff or students.
- Managing projects to maintain alignment with specified scope, schedule, and budget.
- Developing proposals, budget estimates, and scopes of work. Developing and managing contractual agreements.
Examples of how to qualify:
- Ten years of related experience.
- Nine years of related experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
- Eight years of related experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
- Seven years of related experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
- Six years of related experience AND a Bachelor’s degree in a related field of study.
- Four years of related experience AND a Master’s degree in a related field of study.
- Two years of related experience and a Ph.D. involving major study related to coastal mapping, GIS, GNSS surveying, imagery interpretation, or coastal science
Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:- Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
Desired Qualifications:
- Academic or professional experience with survey-grade GNSS, topographic LiDAR, hydrographic survey equipment, processing topo-bathymetric data, or conducting geospatial analyses using MATLAB or specialized survey software.
- Knowledge of coastal processes, waves, sediment transport, geomorphology, sedimentology, geospatial analysis, and applied math.
- Familiarity with Washington’s diverse shorelines, from the high-energy Pacific Ocean Coast to the more protected Salish Sea, including composite beaches, bluff-backed beaches, and the connections between nearshore habitat and state-wide environmental initiatives.
- Experience in a supervisory and/or team leadership role.
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
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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 George Kaminsky at: George.kaminsky@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 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.
The mission of the Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Program is to create community conservation partnerships to protect and restore our shorelands, wetlands, and floodplains.Note: This recruitment may be used to fill other positions of the same job classification across the agency.
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