Capital Budget Fund Coordinator (Environmental Planner 5)

Full Job Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Capital Budget Fund Coordinator (Environmental Planner 5) within the Water Resources Program.

Location:

• Headquarters 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.
• You may telework most of your work time with occasional in-person meetings and activities.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by March 15, 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.

Requirements

In this role, you will support the Office of Columbia River and the Water Resources Program to enhance current and future statewide water supply to benefit the environment (habitat & fish), the economy (agriculture, business, etc.) and citizens (domestic & municipal water supply, etc.).

You will be responsible for oversight of grant and contract agreements issued by the Water Resources Program (WRP) and Office of Columbia River (OCR) with a biennial appropriation of more than $100 million in capital funds.

You will ensure agreements follow all applicable laws and provide oversight of capital funds to ensure timely spending and that administration conforms to legislative intent.

You will also provide agreement and capital budget consultation to the Water Resources Program and the Office of Columbia River.

What you will do:

• Review grant and contract agreements to ensure they meet applicable policies, procedures, rules and laws. Develop and implement grant application best practices, policies and procedures.

• Actively engage with financial managers and recipients to negotiate agreement language to resolve disputes or conflicts around interpretation of agency best practices, policies and yellow book details, scope of work, project deliverables, budget and project timelines.

• Track and monitor expenditures from all bond accounts and report to WRP / OCR Financial Services Manager to support bond sale information provided to the Office of the State Treasurer (OST).

• Coordinate project level information by appropriation and/or program to roll-up detail for OCR, WRP Program Leadership Team, Capital Budget Officer, Chief Financial Officer, etc., to ensure conformance to Ecology Capital Improvement Plan.

• Obtain, monitor and update quarterly cash flow estimates from all recipients to ensure project performance matches bond sale estimates. Provide project level detail as needed to ensure significant milestones and expenditures are anticipated for inclusion into OST deliverables.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

11 years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in environmental, or natural resource planning, program development, governmental financial management, budget administration, grant or contracting oversight.
• Education involving a major study in business, finance, accounting, land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 11 years of experience.
• 10 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 9 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 8 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 7 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• 5 years of experience AND a Master’s degree.
• 4 years of experience AND a Ph.D.

Desired Qualifications:

• Two years of professional experience in full-time budget analysis and planning.
• Familiarity with water resources and water supply capital construction projects and all phases of development, implementation and closeout.
• Knowledge of planning principles, techniques, current trends, environmental laws, policies and programs concerning all phases of state resource development; governmental administrative structure at local and state levels; environmental, social and other problems affecting development of local and state environmental resource programs; methods and objectives of urban and natural resources planning.

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.

Additional 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 Jim Skalski at Jim.Skalski@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 Water Resources Program (WRP)

The mission of the Water Resources Program is to support sustainable water resources management to meet the water needs of people and the natural environment, in partnership with Washington's communities.

About the Office of Columbia River (OCR)
The mission of the Office of Columbia River is to aggressively pursue the development of new water supplies for the Columbia River and its tributaries to benefit both instream and out-of-stream uses. Although we partner with many agencies and programs, our mission sets us apart with respect to seeking out and finding water supply solutions by using all of the available tools. We use innovative conservation technology, habitat enhancement tools, and water supply forecasting to improve water supplies for families, farms, and fish in Central and Eastern Washington.

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.

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.

#LI-Hybrid