Industrial Permit Data and Compliance Professional (Environmental Specialist 3)

State of Washington•Thurston County – Lacey, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Department of Ecology is hiring an Industrial Permit Data and Compliance Professional (Environmental Specialist 3) within the Water Quality Program. This role coordinates all administrative processes that support individual permit management and issuance for thirteen counties in the southwest region of Washington. The position serves as the central point of contact for the unit, ensuring permit actions proceed smoothly from initiation to completion. Success in this role requires strong organizational skills, sound judgment in prioritizing tasks, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent activities. Proficiency with databases, particularly Ecology’s PARIS system, and Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Teams) is essential. The professional will provide technical and administrative support for over one hundred industrial permits, including responding to public inquiries, assisting permit writers with draft permit reviews, and verifying that proposed limits are compatible with the PARIS database prior to permit finalization. Post-issuance, responsibilities include entering limits and monitoring requirements into PARIS, and tracking permit development, submittals, compliance, and required reviews. This position is ideal for an individual who thrives on keeping complex processes on track and values accuracy and clarity.

Requirements

Six (6) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position.
Permit Administration – Ability to apply regulatory and technical knowledge to review and issue permits to ensure accurate, complete, and compliant permit decisions.
Compliance Evaluation – Ability to review and assess information and submissions to identify issues or discrepancies to support consistent and defensible compliance decisions.
Data & Database Management – Ability to manage and maintain environmental data systems to ensure accurate records and reliable reporting.
Technical Assistance – Ability to interpret laws, permit conditions, and reporting requirements to guide staff and permittees to ensure consistent and accurate compliance.
Technical Communication – Ability to prepare clear and concise written technical documents to convey regulatory decisions and required actions.
Collaboration & Process Improvement – Ability to participate in workgroups and recommend workflow and system improvements to enhance program efficiency and data quality.
Education involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences; environmental or natural science interdisciplinary studies; environmental planning, or an academic discipline related to the duties of the position.

Nice To Haves

Experience assisting businesses or public agencies with regulatory requirements.
Training and/or experience using databases and web applications.
Training and/or experience with data management and quality assurance programs.

Responsibilities

Provide professional technical support for over 100 industrial permits.
Answer questions about submittals and troubleshoot problems in PARIS and the Water Quality Webportal.
Prepare permit coverages, review draft permits and fact sheets for technical accuracy and compliance with regulatory requirements.
Ensure limit sets are compatible with the PARIS database.
Review permit applications for completeness and technical accuracy.
Draft correspondence for application acceptance or rejection.
Finalize and circulate permit documents for acceptance, comment and issuance.
Arrange for peer review, entity review, public notice, and final distribution.
Maintain the Industrial Unit SharePoint site used by 13 unit staff and others.
Create new records in the WebPortal and PARIS database to accept permit-required submittals (e-DMRs).
Enter or upload data, notifications, reports/submittals, inspections, and compliance/enforcement information to the PARIS database.
Ensure that regional data stored in PARIS is complete and accurate.