Are you a Senior level engineer with experience conducting investigations, creating solutions to complex problems, and compassionate for environmental issues? Apply today and be at the forefront of habitat protection and restoration as the Habitat Engineering Chief Engineer!   

As the Habitat Engineering Section Manager, you will be responsible for overseeing unit managers, ensuring distribution of agency standards and guidance for habitat restoration, efficient workplan management, and staff development. With your supervisory experience, guide the Habitat Program’s delivery of technical assistance through headquarters and regionally deployed engineers.

You will be designated as the senior Program-wide and Agency-wide environmental engineering representative on techniques and principles in the specialized field of habitat protection and restoration.

Picture yourself, 

As the lead of a team of subject matter experts in river engineering, hydrology, fish passage, and developing technical agency standards for approval. 

This is an opportunity,

To represent the agency and apply knowledge of conventional and emerging environmental engineering principles and practices on complex problems having statewide and multi-program significance.

With your experience, 

You will collaborate with Habitat Program managers and provide direction for formulation and development of environmental engineering policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures to be applied statewide. 

We are seeking a candidate, 

Who models WDFW values: Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

Some of what our Chief Engineer will enjoy doing, 

Direct and oversee the development of WDFW standards, techniques, and guidelines for protecting aquatic habitat: 

• Guide and lead the development of new techniques and practices for resolving broad complex habitat issues and for the development of agency technical policies and standards.
• Delegate research and analysis as appropriate to staff as part of interdisciplinary teams.
• Supervising and leading the team of technical experts in river engineering, nearshore marine systems, hydrology, and fish passage, who develop technical agency standards for approval by the Program Director.
• Advise senior managers on the appropriate use of criteria in rules and provisions of the hydraulic permit approval system.

Supervise and manage the Habitat Engineering Section: 

• Supervise unit managers and represent the habitat engineering team within the Habitat Program.
• Coordinate and work with Regional Habitat Managers to delegate contract engineering obligations to regionally deployed environmental engineering staff, supervise contract work products, and balance workloads between regions and headquarters when necessary.
• Coordinate with Capital Asset Management Program (CAMP) on tracking Habitat engineering projects, workload, and budgets.
• Manage Section budget, including resource allocations, expenditure control and accounting, balancing workloads to match available funding.

Mentor and train staff:

WORKING CONDITIONS:

• Work Setting, including hazards:
  • Work is in an office setting (90%). Office work may include long hours working at a computer.
  • Fieldwork (10%). Field hazards may include walking on steep, uneven terrain along rivers, streams, and marine shorelines. Being around deep water is common, biting and stringing insects and being in traffic along highways is frequent. Work near heavy and noisy equipment is periodic. Work on docks and in boats is occasional. 
  • Must be able to negotiate water in emergency situations. 
• Schedule:
  • Typically, Monday – Friday, 8:00 A.M. – 5:00 P.M. May also have the option of four (4) 10-hour days.   
• Travel Requirements:
  • Occasional travel, including overnight stays, is required. Rarely exceeds five (5) nights in any given month.
• Tools and Equipment:
  • Standard office and computer equipment. Knowledge of software including CAD, GIS, and HEC RAS is helpful. 
  • Understanding the basics of operating field equipment (such as flow meters, total stations, water chemistry equipment, and survey equipment) is useful.
• Customer Interactions:
  • Professional contractors, other agency engineers, biologists, and managers are communicated and coordinated with daily. Politician interactions may occur periodically.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

             AND

• Six (6) years of experience in environmental engineering. 
  1. Includes one (1) year as an Environmental Engineer 4 or equivalent OR two (2) years as an Environmental Engineer 3 or equivalent.   

OR 

• A Master's degree with major study in one (1) of the following engineering focus areas: 
  1. Hydraulics, hydrology, river engineering, civil, geotechnical, environmental, or a related field.

AND

AND

Please Note: 

Certifications/Licenses: 

• Valid Driver’s License.
• Registered Professional Engineering license in Washington.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Principles of supervision such as performance management, employee development, and collective bargaining.

Experience in: 

• The design of fish passage through culverts, fishways, screening, and stream restoration, including bioengineering design techniques.  
• Project design, development, and construction of fish passage and stream habitat restoration projects using state-of-the-art environmental approaches that minimize project effects on stream function.
• Restoration of natural processes, geomorphic function, and fish habitat enhancement.

Knowledge of: 

• Applied fish and wildlife management techniques, general ecological principles and practices, conservation, and restoration biology.
• Marine, nearshore, and freshwater ecosystems
• Human influences on aquatic ecosystems.

Please note: Failure to follow the instructions below may lead to disqualification.

Experience and education selected, listed, and detailed in the Supplemental Questions must be verifiable in the application.

In order to successfully apply for this position, you MUST complete your profile at www.careers.wa.gov and attach the following to your profile before completing the online application:

• A cover letter describing how you meet the qualifications of this position (Generic cover letter will not be accepted.
• A current resume. 
• Three professional references. 

IMPORTANT NOTE: 

All new employees must complete an Employment Eligibility Verification Form (I-9 Form) on their first day of work. If hired for this or any position at WDFW, you will be required to provide documentation proving you are eligible to work in the United States. For a list of acceptable documents, please use the following link:  https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents

JOIN THE WDFW TEAM:

Learn about our agency and the perks of working for WDFW!

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has some of the most talented people in the natural resource field.  We celebrate and value diversity, appreciating that a workforce composed of those from different backgrounds and experiences creates an inclusive environment, strengthens positive relationships with the local community, and brings new perspectives and approaches to fulfilling the agency’s mission. We value demonstrated skill in living WDFW values of Accountability, Service, Professionalism, Integrity, Respect, and Empathy (ASPIRE).

WDFW 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 (Download PDF reader), Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth.

UNION - WAFWP:

This position is in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals and is subject to the terms of the Collective Bargaining Agreement between the State of Washington, Department of Fish & Wildlife, and the Washington Association of Fish & Wildlife Professionals.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

VETERAN PREFERENCE NOTICE:

To take advantage of veteran preference, please do the following:

• Email a copy of your DD214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22 or USDVA signed verification of service letter to Elizabeth.Bullard@dfw.wa.gov.
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and Vet (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – Veteran)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

MILITARY SPOUSE PREFERENCE NOTICE: 

To take advantage of military spouse preference, please do the following:

• Notify us of your military spouse status by email at Elizabeth.Bullard@dfw.wa.gov.  
• Subject line must include recruitment number, position, and MS (for example: #10155 Biologist 1 – MS)
• Include your name as it appears on your application in careers.wa.gov.

Note: Please blackout any PII (personally identifiable information) data such as social security numbers. 

As part of WDFW’s efforts to advance respectful and inclusive work environments, the Agency expects inclusivity as part of our professional interactions and communications.   Therefore, we want to ensure that all individuals feel welcome, are treated fairly and respectfully.  All staff are empowered to fully contribute to serving their work unit, Agency, and the citizens of Washington.

The Department of Fish and Wildlife 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, disabled and Vietnam era veterans and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.  

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format please contact Jayme Chase by phone at 360-902-2278 or email JaymeChase@dfw.wa.gov or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 800-833-6388.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or support@neogov.com.

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