Washington State Department of Natural Resources

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources seeks a Director for the Office of Equity, Environmental Justice, and Civil Rights. This executive role involves managing a team to ensure compliance with laws and promote environmental justice across programs. Responsibilities include leading initiatives, collaborating on DEIB strategies, and representing DNR on the WA State Environmental Justice Council. The position is based in Olympia, WA and requires full-time commitment.
As the Director of the Office of Equity, Environmental Justice, and Civil Rights at DNR, you will manage a team of subject matter experts responsible for portfolios that ensure compliance with existing state and federal laws, design programs to create measurable benefit for residents of Washington state, work across the agency to reduce adverse impacts of our work on communities, and ensure the principles and practices of environmental justice are embedded in every program of DNR.

This role is on the Executive Management team and serves as both a thought leader and collaborator to proactively align agency work products with maximum benefit to human health and DNR’s constitutionally mandated activities. The Director also serves as DNR’s representative on the WA State Environmental Justice Council and leads various internal committees, workgroups, and staff training.

Additionally, you will support the implementation of the agency’s overall DEIB strategies in cross-division collaboration with the Workplace Culture and Development Division. In this role, you will manage the compilation and production of various reports and statutorily required updates related to Equity, Environmental Justice, and Civil Rights.

You are responsible for recommending, elevating, and leading changes at the agency, state, and federal policy levels where DNR has authority and will serve as the executive responsible for documenting and assessing the impact of all environmental justice and equity actions taken by the agency.

You will lead the HEAL and Climate Commitment Act accounts for DNR, and will manage the agency’s compliance with the HEAL Act, leading the teams tasked with completing Environmental Justice assessments or significant agency actions.

You will work to protect the rights of the citizens of Washington to utilize our state lands without discrimination based on protected characteristics. The position will develop a protocol and identify responsible parties to receive complaints and investigate problems to mitigate risk and ensure the civil rights of the public are met.