OCB Public Involvement and Project Planner (Environmental Planner 3)

The OCB Public Involvement and Project Planner (Environmental Planner 3) at the Washington Department of Ecology leads public involvement efforts and develops environmental justice resources. This role supports the Chehalis Basin Strategy by engaging with stakeholders to restore habitats and mitigate flood damage. Candidates need extensive experience in planning and outreach, with a focus on equity and environmental justice.
About the position

The OCB Public Involvement and Project Planner (Environmental Planner 3) position at the Washington Department of Ecology focuses on leading public involvement efforts and developing environmental justice resource documents. This role is integral to the Chehalis Basin Strategy, aimed at restoring aquatic habitats, enhancing local economies, and mitigating flood damage. The planner will collaborate with various stakeholders, including local and state partners, to implement outreach strategies and engage with diverse communities, ensuring that the agency's mission of protecting Washington's environment is upheld.

Responsibilities
• Lead the development of environmental justice resource documents.
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• Provide public involvement expertise to OCB senior planners and staff.
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• Support OCB staff and the OCB Board in community outreach and public involvement efforts.
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• Develop and implement OCB's public involvement communication and outreach strategies related to salmon recovery, property acquisition, and flood damage reduction.
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• Collaborate with state and local partners to facilitate regular communication and align strategies around public involvement and outreach.
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• Engage with internal colleagues to provide outreach, including development of detailed project plans.
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• Provide expertise in planning and outreach plans and documents to senior-level planners on improvement projects.
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• Integrate the goals of the Chehalis Basin Strategy with existing public involvement efforts from state and local partners.
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• Lead OCB's equity and environmental justice work in coordination with Ecology's Office of Equity and Environmental Justice.

Requirements
• A total of eight (8) years of experience and/or education in land use, urban, regional, environmental, or natural resource planning, or closely related experience.
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• Experience in program development, landscape architecture, geography, land use or environmental law, or public administration with an environmental emphasis.
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• A Bachelor's Degree in a relevant field plus 4 years of experience, or a Master's Degree with 2 years of experience.
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• Must obtain and maintain a valid driver's license.

Nice-to-haves
• Experience working with Tribal governments and small local communities.
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• Experience with interpreting state agency policy, and urban or regional planning.

Benefits
• Paid holidays
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• Disability insurance
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• Dependent care reimbursement
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• Health insurance
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• Dental insurance
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• Flexible spending account
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• Work from home
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• Employee assistance program
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• Vision insurance
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• Loan forgiveness
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• Flexible schedule
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• Life insurance