EPA Grant Coordinator (Environmental Planner 4)

Full Job Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an EPA Grant Coordinator (Environmental Planner 4) within the Water Quality 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.
• A minimum of one day every other week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by February 10, 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

As the EPA Grant Coordinator for Ecology’s Water Quality Program, you will serve as the lead coordinator for grants awarded by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

You will coordinate with program staff on grant applications, prepare fiscal and performance reports, and ensure ongoing compliance with EPA grant requirements for Ecology and the Water Quality Program.

This role is ideal for someone with strong attention to detail and experience developing and tracking complex project budgets, as well as managing grants and contracts.

You will collaborate with planners, budget staff, and managers to coordinate reporting and tracking for three critical EPA grants: the Performance Partnership Grant (PPG), the Section 604(b) Water Quality Management Planning Grant, and the Section 319 Nonpoint Pollution Management Grant.

You may also serve as a backup for other EPA grants managed by the Water Quality Program, such as the Columbia River Basin Restoration Funding Assistance Program – Toxic Reduction Lead and National Estuary Program Puget Sound Geographic Program Stormwater Strategic Initiative, as well as additional EPA grants awarded to the program.

In this role, you will ensure compliance with EPA grant requirements through effective project and fiscal management, ensuring funds are expended in a timely and efficient manner, project schedules are met, and all expenditures are accurately tracked.

You may also support lead planners by assisting with the development of core work deliverables, preparing presentations for EPA and others, and collaborating with external partners.

What you will do:

• Participate in grant planning and development by providing budgeting, financial, and technical support to lead planners and managers in Headquarters and Regional offices.
• Serve as the primary point of contact for coordinating the Water Quality Program’s tracking of grant activities.
• Prepare EPA reports on the status of workplan activities; coordinate progress report development and submission; maintain fiscal and performance metric databases; and analyze performance metrics for inclusion in reports to EPA, and other funding entities.
• Develop and submit grant applications to EPA, and strategically manage grant funds to ensure spending is on track and awards are fully spent before expiration.
• Coordinate with other Ecology programs to track their portions of the grant responsibilities, deliverables, and spending.
• Support tracking of subawards to external parties and documentation of matching fund requirements for EPA.

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Nine (9) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, and/or program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, public administration with an environmental emphasis, or closely related experience.
• Education involving a major study in 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:

• 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 or above.
• 1 year of experience as an Environmental Planner 3, at the Department of Ecology.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience with applying for and managing EPA grant awards.

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.

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 Leslie Connelly at Leslie.Connelly@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 Quality Program

The mission of the Water Quality Program is to ensure that all aquatic life, and communities in the watershed, experience cool, clean water to refresh and sustain us in a changing climate.

This position is within the Policy and Emerging Issues Section within the Water Quality Program.

Our section manages science projects, stormwater programs, and EPA grants on behalf of the program and the agency.

You will join a team that supports the Stormwater Work Group, Stormwater Action Monitoring Program, 6PPDQ stormwater research, Columbia River Toxics Reduction Lead, and National Estuary Program Stormwater Strategic Initiative.

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.

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