Ecosystem Recovery Coordinator (EMS BAND 1)

State of Washington • Thurston County – Olympia, WA

2d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) is a non-regulatory state agency under Governor Ferguson's Office leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect the Puget Sound natural ecosystems. Our mission is to accelerate ecosystem recovery with our partners to achieve more vibrant habitats, water quality, food webs, and healthy human populations in Puget Sound. We are proud to offer a suite of "Employer of Choice" initiatives and benefits in addition to state government’s full compensation and benefits. Our internal employee benefits include: An agency-paid ORCA card for public transit use in the Puget Sound region A tax-free hiring incentive that includes a one-time $200 Amazon allowance for ordering at-home office equipment or preferred supplies to support the telework experience An annual professional development allowance for gaining skills that advance the employee’s career in their current field of work To learn more about all the benefits PSP has to offer, explore our website . About this Opportunity As an Ecosystem Recovery Coordinator, you will lead local recovery efforts by managing contracts, managing funds, and building strong collaborative partnerships with Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs) across Puget Sound. You will serve as a key bridge between local communities, Tribes, and regional stakeholders, elevating local priorities to shape the agency’s Action Agenda and driving environmental justice initiatives. In this role, you will oversee contract administration and scopes of work, guide LIO prioritization processes, and facilitate alignment among diverse partners to secure funding and remove barriers to large-scale ecosystem recovery. The default assigned work location of all Partnership positions – both on-site and telework – is within the State of Washington. Employees have a choice for their onsite work between our Olympia, Tacoma, or Seattle locations . However, you may be required to work at a specific location occasionally based on business needs. Employees must be able and prepared to report to any of the three locations as requested by agency Leadership. If you currently live outside of Washington state, newly hired employees must relocate to Washington state within 30 days of starting employment, and report to the Olympia office headquarters in person on the first day of employment. For more information about PSP, resources, and benefits, visit our website: www.psp.wa.gov . To learn more details of this role, email [email protected] and request the full job description.

Requirements

• Primary residency in Washington state upon the start of employment, and the ability to conduct in-person work in the Puget Sound area for a set of regular and frequent hours determined by the agency.
• Demonstrated knowledge, skills, abilities, and experience in natural resources management, natural science, natural resource planning, and public policy with an environmental emphasis or natural resource-related field, or relevant lived experience (e.g. expertise developed from Tribal, Native, and Indigenous knowledge and practices, etc.).
• Competencies could include knowledge of environmental science, managing and conserving natural resources sustainably, knowledge of environmental science, skills in developing environmental policies, skills in data analysis and GIS mapping, land management, environmental consulting, resource assessment, preparation in analyzing environmental problems and proposing sustainable solutions, or comprehensive knowledge of the complex interplay between human activities and natural resources.
• Skilled in collaborative natural resource and public planning, incorporating diverse perspectives and adaptive management principles to align stakeholders around shared goals.
• Proficient in embedding equity, inclusion, and cultural competency into all strategic planning, work products, and deliverables.
• Strong critical thinker adept at conducting environmental impact analyses, acquiring multi-source data, evaluating risks, and providing clear, actionable recommendations.
• Experienced project manager proficient in handling vendor contracts, budget spend-down, tracking milestones, and effectively prioritizing high-impact tasks under tight deadlines.
• Demonstrates emotional intelligence, self-initiative, and exceptional written and verbal communication, skilled at resolving conflicts and translating complex information for diverse audiences.

Nice To Haves

• Demonstrated knowledge in natural resource monitoring
• Demonstrated knowledge of key areas of Puget Sound ecosystem recovery, including the Puget Sound Action Agenda and Salmon Recovery Implementation Plan (ex. water pollution prevention, shellfish ecology, green infrastructure, nature-based solutions, and/or climate change science, market-based funding mechanisms, federal and state laws and natural resource regulations)
• Demonstrated ability and knowledge in mediation between parties
• Demonstrated knowledge of the Washington state legislative process

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with local partners to oversee, implement, and adaptively manage contracted ecosystem recovery work within assigned geographies.
• Develop work scopes, resource capacity, and deliverables for projects and strategies proposed by external contract partners.
• Serve as contract manager by negotiating amendments, tracking deliverable progress, and approving invoices for payment.
• Identify local needs and advocate for regional recovery priorities within the agency’s Action Agenda.
• Facilitate trusted relationships and engagement between internal and external partners to achieve common recovery goals.
• Develop guidance for LIO prioritization processes, target setting, decision-making, and adaptive management of recovery plans.
• Track, measure, and record reporting requirements to ensure compliance across the LIO Program.
• Align local and regional partner efforts to implement the Action Agenda, create strategic plans, and overcome recovery barriers.
• Establish policies and standard operating procedures for the use of EPA grant funds and incorporate environmental justice initiatives into all local engagement efforts.

Benefits

• An agency-paid ORCA card for public transit use in the Puget Sound region
• A tax-free hiring incentive that includes a one-time $200 Amazon allowance for ordering at-home office equipment or preferred supplies to support the telework experience
• An annual professional development allowance for gaining skills that advance the employee’s career in their current field of work

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Education Level: No Education Listed