Environmental Justice Technical Analyst - GIS Lead - WA Department of Ecology (Job)
Description:
The Department of Ecology is hiring an Environmental Justice Technical Analyst - GIS Lead (Environmental Planner 4) within the Office of Equity & Environmental Justice.
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.
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: $6,380 - $8,578 monthly.
This is an opportunity to provide your expertise and experience to one of the newest programs within the Department of Ecology. In this job, you will work closely with your Office of Equity & Environmental Justice (OEEJ) colleagues to create consistent and adaptable agency protocols for conducting environmental justice data analyses. You will help the agency navigate complex environmental justice analyses, mapping, and reporting needs; develop working relationships with program staff across the agency, with other agencies, and potentially with external partners; and create resources and guidance on best practices related to environmental justice analyses. You will also help guide the agency’s use of GIS and geospatial data to analyze environmental justice (EJ).
What you will do:
- Inform agency standards for reliable environmental justice data and analytical methods to inform and support Ecology strategic planning, HEAL Act (Chapter 70A.02 RCW) EJ Assessments, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) assessments, and other agency equity reviews.
- Strengthen environmental justice understanding, tracking, and analyses, through a range of data sources and approaches.
- Provide consultative support to agency environmental programs on EJ data and technical analyses for EJ assessments, State Environmental Policy Acts (SEPA) Environmental Impact Assessment technical analysis and reporting, and other key agency activities.
- Identify opportunities to improve environmental justice metrics related to agency HEAL activities to support the tracking of progress towards statutory compliance and goals.
- Support the development of agency technical analysis protocols for cumulative impacts, disproportionate impacts, service equity, and environmental and health disparities.
- Provide updates on emerging EJ analytical tools, methods, and metrics, and ensure that these are incorporated into agency guidelines.
- Develop EJ geospatial data and analyses in Geographic Information Systems (GIS) in coordination with OEEJ, the IT Services Offices, and environmental programs.
Skills/Eligibility:
Required Qualifications:
Nine years of experience and/or education as described below:
- Experience in information management, data science, statistical social sciences, urban planning, environmental justice, environmental or natural resource planning, environmental economics, geography, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience. Experience must include:
- Demonstrated skills and experience with geospatial data development and management, metadata, and geospatial analysis concepts, issues, and best practices.
- Direct experience using ESRI’s Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies, spatial data design and analyses, and creation of data, web maps, and applications through ESRI software.
- Experience in at least one of the following:
- Metrics development, implementation, tracking, and reporting.
- Technical analyses using demographic, environmental justice, and health disparities data to evaluate Environmental Justice impacts and benefits to communities and populations.
- Education involving a major study in information management, data science, statistical social sciences, urban planning, Environmental Justice, environmental or natural resource planning, environmental economics, geography, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.
Examples of how to qualify:
- 9 years of experience.
- 8 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
- 7 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
- 6 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
- 5 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
- 3 years of experience AND a Master’s degree.
- 2 years of experience AND a Ph.D.
Desired Qualifications:
- Certification as a Geographic Information System Professional
- Completion of ESRI certified training (online or self-directed)
- Experience with equity and environmental justice analytical methods
- Training in behavioral economics and/or familiarity with economic modeling, as it pertains to considering EJ implications of projects and policies
- Familiarity with the State and/or National Environmental Policy Acts environmental justice analytical methods
- An understanding of the environmental, social, political, and economic challenges of our state’s underrepresented, low-income, communities of color, Tribal, and/or migrant and immigrant populations.
- Familiarity with Tribal lands datasets and an understanding of best practices around uses, representation, and inclusion of Tribal data