Environmental Scientist III (Fisheries Biologist)

Energy Vault; Renton (WA); On-site; USD 75,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

A government agency in Washington seeks an Environmental Scientist III to lead assessments and ensure compliance with environmental regulations for transportation projects impacting aquatic habitats. The role involves collaborating with multiple stakeholders and contributes to significant conservation efforts in the region.

Qualifications

• Experience analyzing aquatic habitats and fish populations.
• Knowledge of Washington environmental regulations and permitting processes.

Responsibilities

• Lead habitat assessments for transportation projects.
• Prepare environmental documentation and permits.
• Provide construction support for environmental compliance.

Skills

Fisheries biology

Environmental compliance

Stream assessments

Problem-solving

Technical writing

Education

Bachelor’s degree in fisheries biology or related field

Tools

GIS software

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Summary

The Department of Local Services, Road Services Division (RSD) is looking for a talented Environmental Scientist III to support the planning and delivery of transportation infrastructure projects that may impact aquatic habitats and fish populations. This fisheries biologist position will lead and prepare environmental documentation, secure permits and approvals for capital improvement and maintenance projects, and ensure compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. This body of work also involves applying technical and scientific expertise in the areas of fisheries biology, fish habitat characterization and mapping, and mitigation site monitoring. Come join our team and make a meaningful impact on environmental conservation and infrastructure development!

Our commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice
The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fosteringEquity, Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our commitment to “True North”valueswhich ensures every personhas the opportunity tothrive and reach their full potential and forms the core of our mission and purpose. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge this journey is ongoing, and weremainsteadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENTKing County is the local service provider for the roughly quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; taken together, Unincorporated King County would be the second-largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office with a Community Service Area group, and the Road Services and Permitting Divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivery of local services to all of the unincorporated areas.

The King County Road Services Division designs, builds, operates and maintains roads and bridges in unincorporated areas of King County in an efficient and environmentally responsible manner to protect the public's investment and facilitate safe travel. The division is committed to ensuring the county's transportation system is safe and efficient for all uses and modes of travel. The Division is responsible for 1,500 miles of road and 182 bridges, 5.7 million feet of drainage ditches, over 44,000 traffic control signs, 78 traffic signals, and 50 traffic cameras in unincorporated King County.

Job Duties

Applyingequity, racial, andsocial justice principlesis a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.

To be considered for this opportunity, you must at a minimum, demonstrate knowledge, skill, and ability to:

• Serve as a fisheries biologist with emphasis on salmon habitat assessment, characterization, and restoration.
• Evaluate the potential impacts of transportation projects on fish and aquatic habitats, with a focus on salmonid species and critical habitat.
• Conduct critical area reviews, stream assessments, fish habitat surveys, and fish passage evaluations at proposed project sites, including ordinary high-water mark (OHWM) and channel bank full delineations, substrate composition analyses,habitatmapping, and monitoring.
• Lead, author, and coauthor, the development and review of comprehensive technical environmental documents.
• Prepare and submit local, state, and federal permit applications and approval requests to ensure regulatorycompliance for Capital Improvement Projects (CIP) and maintenance initiatives.
• Provide construction support for projects involving road maintenance, bridge maintenance, drainage maintenance, storm water infrastructure and other assets within the right of way.
• Provide environmental support to road construction crews during stream bypass installation and removal, fishexclusion, best management practice (BMP) selection and installation, and revegetation efforts.
• Draft and review responses to proposed legislation, community or county plans, and other agency proposals that could impact RSD projects or operations.
• Lead and actively participate in meetings with a diverse group of internal and external team members and communitypartners.
• Lead and mentor Environmental Scientist I and II's and oversee training and professional development initiatives.
• Accomplish job duties with an equity mindset.
• Perform other duties or special projects as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• A bachelor’s degree (or higher) in fisheries biology, aquatic ecology, environmental science, or a closely related field; OR any combination of equivalent education, experience/professional certifications that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the job duties.
• Working knowledge of fish passage design, stream hydrology, and local/state/federal environmental regulations and permitting approval processes.
• Experience with fish habitat assessment methods and the collection of biological data.
• Knowledge of Western Washington ecology and environmental issues, including streams, floodplain, riparian zones, wetlands, and applied knowledge of the hydrology, hydraulics ,and geomorphology as they relate to these systems.
• Experience preparing, reviewing, and authoring technical environmental documents and permitting applications, including Biological Assessments and related documentation to support Endangered Species Act (ESA), and State Environmental Policy Act(SEPA), National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA)reviews, and Joint Aquatic Resources Permit Applications (JARPAs).
• Knowledge of aquatic habitat restoration and fish passage barrier correction techniques and construction methods including stream dewatering and bypass procedures and fish handling/relocation.
• Proven ability to lead a team, including setting goals, developing strategies, and maintaining high work quality standards.
• Strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify issues related to environmental compliance; ability to provide effective solutions in a timely manner.
• Skill in reading, analyzing and interpreting complex engineering plans and specifications.
• Ability to work under tight deadlines while performing physically demanding fieldwork, often in inclement weather or other harsh field conditions.
• Knowledge of equity related factors, including systemic barriers, social determinants, and institutional policies, with a strong commitment to advancing anti-racism efforts, reducing disparities, and promoting fairness, inclusion, and equitable decision making in policies, programs and practices.
• Exceptional ability to communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing, to diverse audiences, including line staff, executive leadership teams, and external partners, in a clear and meaningful way.
• Proficiency in the use of Adobe Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Office Suite products (Teams, Word, Excel, Project, SharePoint, and PowerPoint), and other GIS software/environmental data management tools to support the development, review, and reporting of environmental documents and assessments, such as (Bluebeam Revu; ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro).
  
  

NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Must have a Valid Washington State Driver's License or the ability to obtain one prior to start date.
• Must be able to operate a motor vehicle safely and travel throughout the County in all weather conditions.
• An offer of employment will be contingent on the success of a pre-employment physical examination.

WORK ENVIRONMENT/PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• Must be able to lift, carry, move, or handle up to 50 pounds.
• Physically able to traverse by foot through densely wooded terrain and steep inclines in all weather conditions.
• This position requires fieldwork year-round in all weather conditions, the frequency of which varies with the season.

Supplemental Information

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE:
Those applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to participate in a 20-minute phone interview the week of July 9, 2025.

If you are selected to move forward after the phone interview, you will be invited for a 45-minute in-person interview the week of July 14, 2025.

WHO MAY APPLY:
This recruitment is open to all qualified applicants and may be used to fill current and or/future career service, term-limited temporary, short-term temporary, and or/special duty positions over the next six months.

First consideration will be given to current PROTEC17 members in the same classification that are eligible for lateral transfer.

APPLICATION PROCESS:
A full and complete King County application is required. You may also provide a resume and cover letter, summarizing how you meet the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills for the position.

Applicants will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Responses to supplemental questions must be supported in your application materials.

WORK SCHEDULE:
The work week is normally Monday through Friday, 7:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., but may at times require work outside of normal business hours. This position is Non-Exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime pay, with prior supervisor approval.

EMERGENCYDESIGNATION STATUS:
Mission-Critical - Those employees who provide, maintain, and re-establish essential county functions as described in agency Continuity of Operations plans.

Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather.

UNION MEMBERSHIP:
This position is represented by PROTEC17.

TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT:
The work associated with this position will be performed by a combination of teleworking, field work (at least 40% of the time depending on season) year round in all weather conditions, and onsite work and meetings as needed. The responsibilities of this position will include regular and ongoing in-office work.

Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington stateandwithinareasonabledistancetotheirKingCountyworksitetorespondtoworkplacereportingrequirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled workhours.

To learn more about theRoad Services Division,Permitting or Director’s Office, please visit our websites at:

Road Services Division:

https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/transit-transportation-roads/roads-and-bridges/road-services

Permitting:

https://kingcounty.gov/en/dept/local-services/permits

Director’s Office:

https://kingcountylocalblog.com/category/directors-office/

For more informationregardingthis recruitment, please contact:

Cassandra MontgomeryHuman Resource Analyst, Senior[phone]

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference?Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our"True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.