Cleanup Project Manager (Environmental Engineer 5)

WA State Department of Ecology

US-WA-Lacey

Job No: 46488

Posted: Mar 23

Please apply here: State of Washington Job Opportunities | Work that Matters

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Cleanup Project Manager (Environmental Engineer 5) within the Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP).

Location:

• Southwest Region 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.
• A minimum of one day every other week is required in the office. 
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by April 2, 2026.
• 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

Are you a licensed engineer ready to take on some of the most complex and meaningful cleanup and restoration challenges on Puget Sound? We are seeking a senior engineering specialist to lead contaminated-site cleanup projects under the Model Toxics Control Act and to guide habitat restoration efforts through the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Program. In this role, you will independently manage high-visibility cleanup sites, evaluate environmental and habitat injuries, and determine whether proposed restoration work provides reasonable compensation for lost natural resources. You’ll coordinate closely with site managers, local and Tribal governments, responsible parties, and technical experts to integrate cleanup and restoration, move sites toward long-term recovery, and ensure a consistent approach across Puget Sound Initiative sites. This is a chance to apply your engineering expertise, project-management skills, and collaborative approach to protect people, habitats, and the environment.

What you will do:

• Provide leadership and mentoring to other site managers and engineers on engineering, assessment procedures, and site cleanup.

• Lead cleanup projects for contaminated sites, making sure work follows state laws, regulations, and agency guidance.

• Negotiate and draft agreed orders, consent decrees, administrative orders, and cleanup action plans with responsible parties including work to be performed and associated work schedules.

• Oversee field investigations of site activities to ensure cleanup work is in compliance with orders, decrees, cleanup actions, and other agency requirements.

• Review, evaluate, and comment on technical documents, such as remedial investigations, feasibility studies, site health and safety plans, engineering studies and design reports, post-cleanup as-built drawings, and soil and groundwater lab reports, including quality assurance / quality control documentation.

• Coordinate project timelines and document reviews with engineers, hydrogeologists, and other team members.

• Use engineering judgment to evaluate whether cleanup designs, calculations, and site data are complete, accurate, and protective of people and the environment.

• Recommend compliance steps or enforcement actions when cleanup work is delayed or not meeting requirements.

• Prepare briefings and updates for agency leadership on complex or high-visibility cleanup sites.

Learn more about what it is like to be an Engineer at the Department of Ecology

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website. 

Required Qualifications:

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington, AND

• Five years of experience in environmental engineering

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the State of Washington or another state, based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington. Applicants qualifying through the licensing equivalency option must achieve professional registration as an engineer in the state of Washington within six months of appointment to this class.

NOTE: Individuals who are licensed as professional engineers in another U.S. jurisdiction or foreign country and wish to apply for this position must qualify for licensure in Washington State by comity. Applicants are responsible for reviewing and ensuring they meet Washington’s comity requirements before submitting application materials.

Licensing requirements can be found on the Washington State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors website: How to Get Your Professional Engineer License When Licensed in Another Jurisdiction. 

Desired Qualifications:

• Expert working knowledge of the Model Toxics Control Act, Chapter 173-340 WAC or similar regulations; and the Sediment Management Standards, Chapter 173-204 WAC or similar regulations.
• Expert working knowledge of the Natural Resource Damage Assessment Program.
• Knowledge of property sampling and remediation.
• Excellent negotiation and facilitation skills.
• Excellent project management skills. 

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.

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 the following required documents:

• 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 Marian Abbett at Marian.Abbett@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 Toxics Cleanup Program

The mission of the Toxics Cleanup Program (TCP) is to protect human health and the environment for the people of Washington by preventing, reducing, or eliminating exposure to contamination to support the development of environmentally and economically sustainable 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.

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.

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.

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.

Please apply here: State of Washington Job Opportunities | Work that Matters