Double-Shell Tank and 242-A Lead Engineer (Environmental Engineer 5)

Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

Location:

• Richland Field Office in Richland, 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 per week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by April 13, 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 13, 2025 may not be considered.

Duties

Join our team and apply your engineering expertise to ensure the safe and compliant operation of double-shell high-level waste tanks and the 242-A Evaporator at the Hanford Nuclear Facility. The Hanford site, historically used for nuclear weapons production, stores radioactive waste in 149 single-shell tanks and 28 double-shell tanks, with an approximate capacity of 1 million gallons each.

In this role, you will be responsible for evaluating various engineering processes and technologies proposed by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) to assess their effectiveness in treating high-level radioactive waste, maintaining its long-term storage, and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. Additionally, you will review the DOE’s Washington State Dangerous Waste Permit application to ensure its specifications comply with Washington State Dangerous Waste regulations. 

This position offers both challenges and rewards as you support and contribute to the cleanup of one of the most polluted sites in the United States.

What you will do:

• Collaborate with site-wide Permit Regulatory Leads to incorporate the double-shell tanks and 242-A Evaporator into the Dangerous Waste Site-Wide Permit.
• Serve as the Nuclear Waste Program (NWP) expert on the engineered systems associated with the Evaporator System and double-shell tanks.
• Serve as the NWP expert on chemical engineering, with a specific focus on the waste in the double-shell tanks.
• Conduct engineering inspections in the field and quality control evaluations to ensure compliance with permit conditions.
• Review and comment on engineering documents, such as integrity assessments, work plans, and system plans.

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, please visit our Recruitment website.

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington, AND 
• Five (5) years of experience in environmental engineering.

NOTE: Requirements for professional registration as an engineer in the state of Washington are eight years of professional experience (which may include up to four years of college-level engineering education) and successful completion of sixteen hours of professional licensing exams. 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.

Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials.  These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: How To Get Your Professional Engineer License When Licensed in Another Jurisdiction.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Must meet U.S. Department of Energy requirements to acquire and maintain a badge for access to the Hanford Site. 
• Must complete initial 40-hour HAZWOPER training within six months of appointment and annual 8-hour HAZWOPER Refresher training. 

• Preferred experience in: design, construction and/or operation of systems supporting waste treatment systems, including corrosion phenomena (including chemistry and potential impacts on waste systems); physical and biological sciences as related to environmental engineering; principles and practices of environmental engineering; laws and regulations governing waste systems, tanks, and environmental issues (e.g., WAC 173-303-640, others). 

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:

• 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.

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 [email protected]
• 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 Suzanne Dahl at [email protected] 
• 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 [email protected]

About the Nuclear Waste Program

The Nuclear Waste Program's (NWP) mission is to lead the effective and efficient cleanup of the U.S. Department of Energy's Hanford Site, ensure sound management of mixed hazardous wastes in Washington, and protect the state's air, water, and land at and adjacent to the Hanford Site. This position is in NWP’s Tank Waste Treatment Section.

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 (Download PDF reader), 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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