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Coastal Geospatial Scientist (Natural Resource Scientist 3)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Coastal Geospatial Scientist (Natural Resource Scientist 3) within the Shorelands & Environmental Assistance(SEA) program

This is a project position that is funded until August 31, 2026. This position has the possibility of being extended pending future funding.

Location Options:

This position can be based at any of the following duty stations:

Headquarters Office in Lacey, WA.
Central Region Office in Union Gap, WA.
Eastern Region Office in Spokane, WA.
Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.
Vancouver Field Office in Vancouver, WA.

This position may be able to be based at the following duty station, as long as the employee schedule is mostly telework.

Bellingham Field Office in Bellingham, 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: $5,643 - $7,968 monthly.

Schedule:

This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
If preferred, you may telework most of your work time with occasional in-person meetings and fieldwork.
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 Washington’s Applied Coastal Research and Engineering team (ACRE) and play a vital role in developing information to advance coastal resilience and nearshore habitat conservation work. ACRE 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’ll contribute to this mission by developing, processing, and analyzing marine shoreline mapping and coastal monitoring data products for public use – helping inform research, engineering, and policy decisions.

What you will do:

ACRE employs various data collection methods to study Washington’s beaches and bluffs, including topographic surveys, boat-based and aerial LiDAR, multibeam bathymetry, structure-from-motion (photogrammetry), sediment sampling, and imagery (ground photos and oblique aerials). You will help transform various forms of coastal data into formats and products that can be used for research, engineering, regulatory, and planning purposes. Your work will primarily support two key projects:

Monitoring Washington’s Pacific Ocean Coast. For over 27 years, ACRE’s Coastal Monitoring and Analysis Program (CMAP) has been seasonally monitoring southwest Washington’s shoreline within the Columbia River Littoral Cell, amassing one of the longest continuous datasets of its kind worldwide. This data has helped inform science-based decision making along Washington’s high-energy Pacific Ocean coast since 1997 with data applications in the realms of coastal resilience, regional sediment management, offshore renewable energy, habitat restoration, nature-based solutions, and more. In this role, you will help expand and enhance outcomes from this body of work.
Mapping Salish Sea Shorelines. In 2024, ACRE’s new Shoreline Mapping team was established to deliver three publicly available datasets mandated under Senate Bill 5104 (SB 5104) and RCW 43.21A.530. The statute directs Ecology to conduct and maintain a baseline condition survey of Puget Sound shoreline conditions using publicly available georeferenced oblique aerial and 360-degree on-the-water imagery. The first set of public shoreline data products is being released in 2025 and will be updated on a regular two-year cycle. By providing robust data for regulatory and management decisions, these efforts will improve Puget Sound shoreline resilience, habitat preservation, and contribute to long-term environmental protection goals. In this role, you will contribute to the Shoreline Mapping team’s work as they complete their first data release, engage with users, incorporate feedback and lessons learned, and transition into the next cycle of data development.

To support this work, you will:

Follow shoreline mapping protocols and methods for mapping coastal features using geospatial information systems (GIS) from various data sources including aerial imagery, LiDAR, and geospatial databases. Collaborate with teammates and engage with end users to help refine and improve data development and outcomes.
Help optimize data development workflows, maintain an image library of shoreline features, and develop analytical methods.
Assess, quantify, and document positional accuracy of third-party datasets, and follow quality control and quality assurance methods for assessing derived data products.
Process Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) topographic survey data in accordance with standard operating and quality assurance procedures.
Support ACRE’s Coastal Geomatics Scientistists in a variety of data processing, analysis, visualization, reporting, publishing, and data inventory work.
Develop and improve data products from seasonal coastal monitoring data to help visualize and communicate observed changes.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Eight (8) years of experience and/or education as described below:

Experience in coastal mapping, GIS, GNSS surveying, imagery interpretation, or coastal science. Experience and/or coursework must include work in at least three of the following subjects: geospatial analysis, geodetics/geomatics, GIS and database management, physical geography, geology, geomorphology, coastal management.
Education involving major study in a natural science or engineering discipline.

Examples of how to qualify:

Eight years of experience.
Seven years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
Six years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
Five years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
Four years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
Two years of experience AND a Master’s degree.
A Ph.D. involving major study related to coastal mapping, GIS, GNSS surveying, imagery interpretation, or coastal science.

Please Note: Academic or work experience must include a combined minimum of 2 years in at least two of the following areas: feature mapping using GIS, large database management, data product development using MATLAB, geospatial analysis in ArcGIS or specialized survey software; operating survey grade GNSS and other topographic survey equipment; and imagery interpretation and manipulation.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.

Desired Qualifications:

Experience manipulating and interpreting topographic survey data, aerial imagery, and other remote sensing datasets
Experience creating and updating data products using MATLAB, Python, or similar
Familiarity with coastal science and coastal management issues in Washington State
Experience creating vector datasets, creating and managing domains, and creating and maintaining metadata
Performing geospatial analyses in ArcGIS using Spatial Analyst, 3D Analyst, Raster Analysis, and other toolboxes

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.

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 Michelle Gostic at: Michelle.Gostic@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 and Environmental Assistance Program is to create community conservation partnerships to protect and restore our shorelands, wetlands, and floodplains.

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.