Hazardous Waste Compliance Team Lead (Environmental Specialist 5)

State of Washington; Washington; Hybrid; USD 75,000 - 101,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Telework up to 90%

Flexible schedule

Job summary

The Department of Ecology in Washington is hiring a Hazardous Waste Compliance Team Lead (Environmental Specialist 5) in the HWTR program. The role oversees a regional team of inspectors, guides enforcement actions, and shapes regulatory interpretation across diverse sectors.

Telework is eligible with up to 90% remote work and mandatory in-office presence for key meetings. Requires ten years of related experience or education, deep knowledge of Washington’s dangerous waste rules, and strong

Qualifications

• Ten years of experience or education related to the duties of the position is required.
• Experience applying Washington’s Dangerous Waste Regulations (chapter 173-303 WAC) and federal hazardous waste requirements.
• Ability to plan and conduct detailed inspections of regulated facilities.
• Experience preparing inspection reports and enforcement materials.
• Ability to interpret internal policies and enforcement procedures for consistent decisions.
• Experience providing technical leadership and mentoring to staff.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Northwest Region’s dangerous waste compliance team by assigning inspections and setting goals.
• Mentor and train inspectors across experience levels with technical guidance.
• Identify emerging issues and collaborate on solutions and interpretation.
• Represent HWTR in discussions on compliance topics and regulatory interpretation.
• Develop internal tools and training to strengthen consistency in compliance.
• Coordinate enforcement case development with inspectors and AG’s Office.
• Prioritize inspections and response with risk-based approaches including environmental justice.
• Conduct senior-level inspections for high-priority generators and document findings.
• Serve as a central resource for program-wide compliance questions.
• Communicate clearly with facilities, internal teams, and partnering agencies about expectations and enforcement processes.

Skills

Dangerous Waste Regulations

Compliance Inspections

Enforcement Documentation

Policy Interpretation

Technical Leadership

Professional Communication

Education

Environmental or natural sciences degree

Job description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Hazardous Waste Compliance Team Lead (Environmental Specialist 5) within the Hazardous Waste and Toxics Reduction Program (HWTR).

Location:

• Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, WA.
• Bellingham Field Office in Bellingham, WA.

Note: If the selected duty station is the Northwest Region Office in Shoreline, the salary will include an additional 5% premium pay due to its location in King County. Salary range: $6703 - $9012 monthly.

Schedule:

• This position is eligible for telework and flexible schedule options.
• You may telework up to 90% of your time, with 2 days per month in-office at your assigned duty station. Additional time in-office or at off-site locations may be required to attend in-person meetings or other events.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by November 1, 2026
• Applications submitted after the date above may be reviewed only if additional qualified applicants are needed.

This Hazardous Waste Compliance Team Lead position offers an opportunity to guide Ecology’s Northwest Region dangerous waste compliance efforts within the Hazardous Waste & Toxics Reduction (HWTR) Program. In this role, you will lead a team of professional inspectors responsible for implementing Washington’s Dangerous Waste Regulations, advancing consistent compliance practices, and addressing emerging regulatory challenges across diverse industrial sectors. You will serve as a senior compliance expert, shaping program direction by informing policy interpretation, supporting complex enforcement cases, and ensuring legally sound and technically accurate compliance decisions.

You will also lead development and implementation of strategies that improve consistency, integrate environmental justice into compliance activities, and address challenging or newly regulated sectors. As a regional compliance lead, you will collaborate across HWTR units, other Ecology programs, the Attorney General’s Office, and external partners to ensure coordinated compliance outcomes, effective communication, and clear guidance for regulated facilities. This position plays a key role in maintaining program integrity, supporting statewide alignment, and protecting Washington’s communities and environment through strong compliance oversight.

What you will do:

• Lead the Northwest Region’s dangerous waste compliance team by assigning inspections, setting inspection goals, monitoring progress, and ensuring high-quality, consistent implementation of dangerous waste regulations.
• Mentor and train compliance inspectors at multiple experience levels, providing technical guidance, coaching, and support on complex regulatory questions, enforcement pathways, and inspection strategy.
• Identify emerging issues, new sectors, or areas of regulatory ambiguity that require additional program attention, collaborating with senior program staff to develop solutions and improve clarity in regulatory interpretation.
• Represent HWTR during high-visibility internal and external discussions on compliance topics, including interpretation of regulations, enforcement approaches, and evolving sector-specific challenges.
• Lead development of internal tools, technical guidance, and training that strengthen consistency in compliance and enforcement activities across regions.
• Coordinate with inspectors, section leadership, and the Attorney General’s Office to develop and review enforcement cases, ensuring they are grounded in evidence, precedent, and regulatory requirements.
• Oversee prioritization of inspections and complaint response using risk-based approaches that incorporate environmental justice considerations and regional objectives.
• Conduct senior-level compliance inspections for high-priority and complex dangerous waste generators, documenting findings and developing recommendations that support consistent enforcement decisions.
• Serve as a central resource for program-wide compliance questions, working with other regional leads and program management to maintain uniform dangerous waste regulatory interpretation.
• Communicate clearly with regulated facilities, internal teams, and partnering agencies to explain compliance expectations, regulatory obligations, corrective actions, and enforcement processes.

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

Required Qualifications:

Ten (10) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which includes the following:

1. Dangerous Waste Regulatory Application: Experience applying Washington’s Dangerous Waste Regulations (chapter 173-303 WAC), RCWs, and federal hazardous waste requirements to determine compliance obligations.

2. Compliance Inspection Execution: Ability to plan and conduct detailed inspections of regulated facilities, assess operational practices, and identify violations based on technical and regulatory criteria.

3. Enforcement Documentation Development: Experience preparing inspection reports, violation summaries, and supporting materials for administrative or civil enforcement actions.

4. Policy and Guidance Interpretation: Ability to interpret internal policies, enforcement procedures, and regulatory guidance, and use them to support consistent compliance decisions.

5. Technical Leadership: Experience providing direction to technical staff, mentoring, reviewing work products, and offering guidance on complex compliance questions.

6. Professional Communication: Skill in presenting regulatory and technical information clearly in writing and verbally while maintaining professionalism in challenging or sensitive situations.

Education: Involving a major study in environmental, physical, or one of the natural sciences, environmental planning or other allied field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 10 years of experience.
• 9 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
• 8 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
• 7 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
• 6 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree.
• 4 years of experience AND a Master’s degree or above.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• 40-hour initial Hazwoper must be taken and passed within 6 months of hire date or be current in this Hazwoper training.
• 8-hour refresher Hazwoper must be taken and passed annually.
• Must have, or be able to obtain, and maintain a valid Washington driver’s license to be able to carry out inspection duties.
• Must participate in Ecology’s medical monitoring program for inspectors if the position requires 24 or more field visits per year.

Desired Qualifications:

Preferred experience:

Work experience within the fields of waste reduction or pollution prevention is highly preferred, specifically experience and knowledge of RCRA, chapter 173-303 WAC, and other laws and regulations related to the management of hazardous waste.

Preferred knowledge and abilities:

• Knowledge of industrial processes involving hazardous substances, generation of hazardous or solid wastes, air emissions and wastewater discharges.
• Ability to interact with a wide variety of individuals and exercise the soft skills needed to network within business and academic communities.
• Ability to prepare high quality materials for technical information (written and through presentation) with clarity to a wide audience.

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.

Diversity: We celebrate and appreciate diversity; our unique perspectives and abilities enrich us all and lead to innovative approaches and solutions.

Equity: We champion equity, recognizing that each of us need different things to thrive.

Inclusion: We intentionally create and hold space so that we all have meaningful opportunities to participate and contribute to Ecology’s work.

Respect: We treat each other with respect and dignity, acknowledging the inherent worth of our diverse perspectives and lived experiences, even in times of uncertainty and disagreement.

We believe thatDEIRis 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.

Application Attestation:

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