Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Cap-and-Invest Program Integration Planner (Environmental Planner 4) within the Climate Pollution Reduction 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 per week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by August 28, 2025.
• 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 August 28th may not be considered.

Duties

Join the team that keeps Washington's carbon market running smoothly and credibly under the Climate Commitment Act. In this role, you'll bring staff and teams together across the Climate Pollution Reduction Program (CPRP), linking people, plans and processes to align rulemaking, program implementation, and operational guidance with evolving market needs. Additionally, you'll work across teams and with partner jurisdictions (such as California, New York and Québec) to improve processes and ensure that emissions trading system implementation remains coherent and adaptable, supporting long-term policy goals and statutory compliance while emphasizing consistent practices in daily program work. You'll be responsible for tracking policy and internal procedural changes, distilling complex information from diverse sources into clear guidance, and expanding those insights for wider use. 

If you’re motivated to help the CPRP do our work better, are energized by synthesizing information, connecting the dots, breaking down complexity, and then building it back up for broader application, then you’ll thrive in this fast-paced, high-impact space where your work directly shapes the stability, transparency, and success of Washington’s Cap-and-Invest Program.

What you will do:

• Coordinate across internal teams in the Auction and Market Section and the broader Climate Pollution Reduction Program to ensure consistent interpretation and application of Cap-and-Invest Program rules.
• Integrate policy, rulemaking, and operational planning so that auction and trading systems align with dynamic market needs and long-term climate goals.
• Represent Washington in multi-jurisdiction collaborations with California, Québec, New York, and Western Climate Initiative, Inc., ensuring harmonized policy and market operations.
• Track and analyze policy, rule, and procedural changes in other jurisdictions to assess impacts on Washington’s program and inform coordinated system updates.
• Facilitate conversations with diverse groups, including colleagues, regulated entities and interested parties, communicating complex technical and policy information and distilling it into clear, actionable guidance.
• Support and advise on rulemaking processes, drafting or reviewing technical documentation, guidance materials, and proposed rule language.
• Monitor and evaluate program performance, identifying emerging issues, recommending solutions, and maintaining clear documentation of decisions and processes.
• Mentor and train colleagues, sharing subject matter expertise to strengthen team capacity and consistency in market-related operations.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

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

• Experience may include some or all of the following: general experience in project management and/or program management; environmental science and/or policy; other areas of science and/or policy; economics, finance, or business; or other areas applicable to auctions, and/or markets; and closely-related fields.
• Education involving a major study in environmental science and/or policy; other areas of science and/or policy; project or program management; economics, finance, or business; or other subjects or areas applicable to auctions, and/or markets, or closely allied fields.

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.
• 2 years of experience AND a Ph.D.
• 1 year of experience as an Environmental Planner 3, at the Department of Ecology.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

A background check will be conducted, which may include criminal record history, fingerprinting, and credit history. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment, but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

Desired Qualifications:

• Project management experience or training.
• Experience working to address climate change in some capacity. 
• Experience delivering results in collaboration across organizations.
• An understanding of greenhouse gas markets, greenhouse gas reduction programs, and policies.
• Quantitative skills, course work, degrees, and/or experience that may be relevant to greenhouse gas reduction programs and policies.

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.

Supplemental 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.

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. The following are required for consideration:

• 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 Mike Johnson at Mike.Johnson@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 Climate Pollution Reduction Program

The Climate Pollution Reduction Program's (CPRP's) mission is to implement policies and programs to reduce carbon emissions in the state of Washington so that the state meets its statutory greenhouse gas (GHG) emission limits. The CPRP focuses long-term, requiring creative and strategic decision-making for implementation to achieve broad statewide and interstate success reducing carbon emissions in the state of Washington so residents have a healthy environment and climate.

The Cap-and-Invest Group (CIG) is responsible for the implementation and operation of Washington’s Cap-and-Invest Program, which employs a market mechanism to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in a cost-effective manner. As part of the Cap-and-Invest Program, businesses and entities are required to obtain and retire compliance instruments equivalent to their emissions. These compliance instruments, which include emissions allowances, offset credits, can be bought, sold, and traded. The market for these commodities began in January 2023, the first allowance auction was held in February of that year, and the proceeds of the auctions are invested by the state in projects to decarbonize transportation and other sectors of the economy, promote clean energy, and advance equity and environmental justice. The allowance auctions that are hosted by the Auctions and Market Section have generated over $3 billion dollars to date, and provide a critical and necessary funding stream to support the achievement of Washington’s ambitious state-wide greenhouse gas reduction mandates.

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.

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.

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 (Download PDF reader), 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.