The salary listed includes the scheduled 3% general salary increase and the new pay range for the Administrative Assistant 3 classification. Both of these pay increases go into effect on July 1, 2025. 

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an Administrative Assistant (Administrative Assistant 3) within the Northwest Region Section of the Water Quality Program.

Location:

• Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.
• The salary listed includes an additional 5% premium pay due to the position location in King County.
• 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 three days per week is required in the office.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline: 

• Apply by June 22, 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 the above may not be considered.

Duties

Do you love to bring organization to chaos and check things off your ‘to-do” list while working to protect and restore the environment? The Northwest Region section of the Water Quality Program is seeking an organized and enthusiastic Administrative Assistant to support the section’s five Unit Supervisors and associated 10-person teams. You will directly support our organizational missions and goals by ensuring the administrative functions of the office are conducted in a timely, transparent, organized, and accurate manner. You will serve as the section expert in travel policies, procedures and paperwork. In collaboration with section leadership and the administrative assistant to the Section Manager, you will organize and facilitate office environment teambuilding activities, shared-space usage, safety and disaster preparedness, document accessibility, and helping new employees learn internal administrative procedures and tools.

What you will do:

• Provide confidential administrative support to the Unit Supervisors and staff.  Maintain confidentiality of information and records with personally identifiable information, and of Unit enforcement actions.
• Support Unit Supervisors with their schedules and electronic calendars with an emphasis on 1:1 meetings with unit staff, huddles, unit/team meetings, field visits, and work group meetings. 
• Take notes at meetings upon request. Adjust note-taking style based on meeting needs. Prepare meeting summaries, action item lists, and distribute to Unit Supervisors and/or other attendees for review and follow up. 
• Following Agency accessibility standards and good business practices, proofread and finalize letters and memos for the section manager’s and unit supervisor’s signatures and as requested by section employees. 
• Learn and maintain working knowledge of state travel regulations and use of appropriate state contracts and travel agencies. Make Ecology contract-based travel arrangements for Section employees and non-agency personnel. Review travel paperwork for accuracy, and for compliance with Agency policies and procedures. Take responsibility for keeping staff informed of changes and updates in travel regulations, policy and procedures, including developing and delivering trainings for new employees and annual refresher trainings for section employees. 
• Assist the section with scheduling and organizing meetings, trainings and public events which may include attendees from the Agency, other agencies, Tribes, interested parties, and the public. Effectively use electronic resources to identify availability and poll large groups for scheduling. Assist subject matter experts with meeting packets, brochures, and signage, and assist with sign-in/attendee lists.  
• Learn and maintain a working knowledge of Shoreline building conferencing equipment, including but not limited to a range of screens, microphones, headphones, cameras, computer connections and applications.   Troubleshoot media problems in-person and online in hybrid meeting settings. 

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

FOUR (4) years of experience and/or education as described below:

• Experience in clerical, secretarial, bookkeeping, accounting, or general administrative office work.
• Education involving a major study in business administration, public administration, or closely allied field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 4 years of experience.
• 3 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 2 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 1 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• No years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree or above.
• 1 year of experience as an Administrative Assistant 2, at the Department of Ecology.  

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience creating and implementing administrative office procedures.
• Experience training others on complex processes, software or equipment.
• Experience providing secretarial or office support to a large (20+) person team.

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.

Our Commitment to DEIR

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.

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, and attach:

• 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, schedule, or duties, please contact Rachel McCrea at Rachel.McCrea@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 Water Quality Program

Ecology’s mission is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment for current and future generations. The mission of the Water Quality Program (WQP) is to ensure that all aquatic life and communities in the watershed experience cool, clean water to refresh and sustain us in a changing climate. The Northwest Region section of the WQP covers seven counties (King, Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Kitsap, Island and San Juan) which contain half of the state’s population and nine of the twenty most populous cities. The region has a mix of urban, suburban, agricultural and forest land uses, and a significant maritime presence. Nearly all our work has a role in protecting and restoring Puget Sound. 

Our section’s employees are stationed in Shoreline and Bellingham, and our business is integrated across the two offices. Our section has 65 positions assigned to financial assistance, water cleanup planning and implementation, point source permitting, nonpoint source management, compliance assurance and enforcement, administrative support and management/supervision.

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.

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.