Technology and Operations Section Secretary (Secretary Senior)

Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Technology and Operations Section Secretary (Secretary Senior) within the Nuclear Waste Program.

Location:

• Richland Field Office in Richland, WA.
• Upon hire, you must live within a commutable distance from the duty station.

Schedule: This position is required to work in the office Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by April 3, 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 3, 2025 may not be considered.

Duties

As the Technology and Operations Section Secretary, you will provide essential administrative support, including clerical duties, managing calendars, scheduling meetings, coordinating travel, assisting with recruitment and hiring processes, and more. This role is exciting and unique, as it combines these traditional secretarial duties with several other customer service-related responsibilities. These include serving as the program’s purchasing coordinator and timekeeper, maintaining supply room inventory and tidiness, acting as the primary point of contact for reserving conference rooms, and overseeing the program’s Business Travel Account log.

What you will do:

• Provide administrative support to the Nuclear Waste Program by performing reception duties Monday through Friday, from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in the office.
• Assist the Technology and Operations section with secretarial needs, including scheduling meetings, preparing agendas, taking notes, assisting with travel logistics, formatting and finalizing the section’s monthly report, etc.
• Perform purchasing duties for the program.
• Ensure all visitors sign in to the Visitor Log.
• Receive, process, and distribute incoming mail. 
• Participate as a member of the Administrative Support Team, assisting with team projects and assignments.
• Provide backup support to the program’s fleet coordinator.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

A high school diploma or equivalent AND two (2) years of increasingly responsible office experience requiring keyboarding or typing. 

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license for the operation of state vehicles.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Hanford Site Security Badge.

Desired Qualifications:

• Skill in the use of office equipment (e.g. personal computer, copier, postage machine).
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and experience in other MS Office programs, particularly Outlook, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Ability to format and edit documents to meet Ecology formatting, grammar, punctuation, and plain talk standards.
• One year of experience working in an office providing administrative support to manager and multiple staff.

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 Christy Caldwell 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 Technology and Operations 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.