Bilingual Waste Pesticide Disposal Coordinator - Environmental Specialist 5 - Internal

State of Washington; Kennewick (WA); Sur place; USD 77 000 - 100 000; Plein temps

Résumé du poste

The Washington State Department of Agriculture is seeking an Environmental Specialist 5 to lead Waste Pesticide Collection Events within the Agricultural Environmental Services Division. The role builds partnerships with counties, facilities, and contractors to safely collect and dispose of waste pesticides, while ensuring regulatory compliance and protecting public health.

This senior position requires a Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences or related field, six years of relevant

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences or related field with six years of experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning.
• Bilingual English/Spanish abilities required for training and outreach and to liaise with stakeholders.
• Ability to legally operate a motor vehicle.

Responsabilités

• Plan, coordinate, and direct Waste Pesticide Collection Events.
• Coordinate bilingual pesticide safety training programs and deliver training materials in English and Spanish.
• Review pesticide disposal inventories and provide follow-up with customers.
• Drive program budgeting, data management, and reporting for hazardous waste activities.
• Ensure compliance with all state and federal hazardous waste regulations and safety protocols.

Connaissances

Bilingual English/Spanish

Motor vehicle operation

Formation

Bachelor's degree in environmental sciences or related field

Description du poste

Description

The Washington State Department of Agriculture has been serving the state for more than 100 years. Through service, regulation, and advocacy, we keep agriculture viable and vital in Washington State, while protecting consumers, public health, and the environment. We work extensively with farmers and ranchers, but our responsibilities – from ensuring food safety to environmental protection – touch the lives of millions of people locally, nationally, and abroad.

The agency includes approximately 780 employees and expands to close to 1,000 employees at the peak of seasonal work. To learn more and view additional openings, please visit our Employment Page.

The Opportunity

The Bilingual Waste Pesticide Disposal Coordinator serves as a senior environmental section specialist that works independently, requiring in-depth knowledge and provides advanced scientific and technical consultation to agency staff, and local and federal agencies on environmental impacts of various activities including the collection and proper disposal of waste pesticides from private and public entities.

This position builds partnerships with communities, businesses, and interest groups in order to identify and respond to environmental issues affecting the common interest such as the coordination of waste pesticide disposal collection events. Additionally, this position develops and enhances environmental protection and oversees implementation of changes that are necessary to protect public health from environmental factors.

The position serves as the agencies’ expert on the state hazardous waste contract advisory committee. Review all bids and suggested contract changes and make recommendations to the state’s hazardous waste contract procurement officer.

This position contributes to the program goals by educating agricultural producers on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) standards so their agricultural products can be distributed globally.

Important Notes

WSDA is recruiting for an internal full-time permanent Environmental Specialist 5 position within the Agricultural Environmental Services Division. This position is approved for a home duty station in Grandview, Washington. This position is not represented by union.

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary for this position is: Range 63, Step A $76,608 – Step L $100,488 annually.

Plan, coordinate and direct Waste Pesticide Collection Events

• Prepare the program’s biennial budget. Plan events and ensure all expenditure is within budget constraints. Routinely provide the program’s financial status to the TSE program manager and the division’s assistant director.
• Drive state assigned motor vehicle to coordinate Waste Pesticide Collection Events: Coordinate collection events with site owners and the hazardous waste contractor. Work with county solid waste managers and others to find and evaluate the suitability of collection sites. Determine the locations and times of collection events.
• Oversee, direct, and participate in pesticide collection events.
• Ensure collection events are adequately staffed and trained.
• Ensure that staff employ all required protection measures including hazard awareness and Personal Protective Equipment usage.
• Ensure a trained safety officer is on site at collection events to safe-guard the physical integrity of staff.
• Provide pre-collection event data to the hazardous waste contractor and participate in the on-site safety meeting.
• Ensure that event notices and follow-up materials are prepared and disseminated in a timely manner.
• Ensure that event data is entered into the database and perform data QA/QC to ensure that information sent to other parties is correct.
• Generate an accurate annual report of hazardous waste activities, and submits it to the Dept. of Ecology.
• Coordinate with Database Developers to ensure Waste Pesticide database is operational. Help train other database users.
• Participate in financial planning of collection events and ensure all expenditures are within the TSE program budget.
• Work with county solid waste managers and others to find and evaluate the suitability of collection sites.
• Maintain working relationships with waste collection facility sites including County Solid Waste, WSU (up to six properties), as well as other facilities as to allow continued use of their facilities.
• Ensure that event notices and follow-up materials are prepared and disseminated in a timely manner. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Review pesticide disposal inventories and provide follow-up with customers. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Drive state assigned motor vehicle to conduct site visits to sample, identify and pack unwanted pesticide products. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Ensure compliance with all state and federal hazardous waste and employee safety regulations.

Support bilingual (Spanish and English) pesticide safety training programs

• Coordinate training events and training activities, curriculum updates and delivery for one of the pesticide safety training programs. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Support other TSEP bilingual training programs. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Serve as liaisons with internal and external stakeholders, ensure training materials and props are available, and maintain training records.
• Develop pesticide safety training videos for the web and to use in training programs. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Work with other Education and Outreach Service (EOS) staff to conduct mostly Spanish Language training at all levels of agricultural operations and in cooperation with the agricultural community. This task requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Conduct relevant training events by constantly updating technical knowledge and trainings skills. Support pesticide handler training program but will support other program staff conduct Worker Protection Standard (WPS) Train-the-Trainer courses to farm owners, managers and supervisors. This requires bilingual (English and Spanish) abilities.
• Drive state assigned motor vehicle to deliver a variety of training programs including pre-license and recertification training.

Coordinate and provide technical assistance on the proper storage, disposal, and recycling of pesticides and their containers

• Review and develop technical assistance material in Spanish and English languages.
• Conduct customer-site technical assistance visits and assign technical assistance visits to staff. This task requires operating a motorized state vehicle.

Oversee maintenance or TSEP equipment

• Remind staff to use maintenance equipment checklist including cargo and flatbed trailers, vehicle, sprayers and other training equipment.
• Ensure staff are trained on safety trailer towing.
• Make general recommendation on equipment maintenance and use.

Qualifications

Who should apply?

Professionals With

• A Bachelor's degree involving major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field and six (6) years of experience handling agricultural pesticides. Professional level experience in environmental analysis or control, or environmental planning which includes one (2) years equal to an Environmental Specialist 3 or above OR One year of experience as an Environmental Specialist 4. Additional qualifying experience will substitute year for year, for education.
• Ability to legally operate a motor