IT App Development – Senior/Specialist

State of Washington; Lacey (WA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

The Department of Ecology in Washington state is seeking an IT App Development Senior/Specialist in the Air Quality Program. The role focuses on leading development efforts, architecture planning, and collaborating with a multidisciplinary team to deliver robust IT solutions for air quality reporting and permitting.

Telework and flexible scheduling are allowed, with a requirement of at least one in-office day per week.

Qualifications

• Seven years of experience in computer application development and maintenance.
• Ability to lead IT projects and provide architectural leadership.
• Experience with system integration and software development best practices.
• Strong data analysis and decision-making skills.
• Proven ability to collaborate with diverse teams and stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical and architectural leadership for development and systems integration.
• Coordinate IT activities with the Unit Manager and other Ecology teams.
• Lead planning, designing, and implementing complex environmental systems for air quality.
• Research IT industry trends and advance software development practices.
• Conduct business analysis with BA/PM to ensure aligned business needs.

Skills

Conflict Resolution

Risk Management

Data Driven Decision Making

Collaborative Planning

IT Governance

Prioritization & Sequencing

Education

Computer Science / IT / STEM or closely related field

Job description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an IT App Development - Senior/Specialist within the Air Quality Program (AQP)

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.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by October 19, 2026

• Applications submitted after the date above may not be reviewed unless additional qualified applicants are needed.

As the Information Technology and Telemetry Unit (ITTU) Application Development Senior/Specialist you will provide thoughtful, strategic, and compassionate technical and programming expertise for a highly collaborative 8-person team of IT professionals in the development, implementation, and maintenance of information technology systems critical to the Air Quality Program’s efforts to equitably protect and improve air quality in Washington. The information technology systems developed and maintained by the ITTU support the secure collection, storage, and reporting of vital information on air pollution levels, sources, and emissions as well as information regarding air quality permitting.

In this role, you will be responsible for leading and providing the highest level of programming expertise in information technology services to the Air Quality Program (AQP) by developing applications and systems used by AQP staff and the regulated public. You will provide independent, expert, professional-level IT services to the program and agency. You will also be responsible for leading the application development efforts and developing architecture plans to implement the IT programs and systems for the AQP.

Do you enjoy working in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment full of supportive colleagues all with a common goal? If so, this may be the perfect job for you. Our IT & Telemetry Unit Application Development Senior will work with a team of eight IT professionals as they develop information technology solutions to help the Air Quality Program equitably protect and improve air quality in Washington. We are an Agile/Scrum team and have an unbroken record of successfully completing IT projects in scope, on time, and within budget for the last 10+ years. This will be the perfect fit for anyone wanting to use their application development and Agile project management expertise in a vital development role on a highly cohesive and successful team!

What you will do:

• Serve as the highest authority on application/systems development and provide technical and architectural leadership in the area of information systems integration supporting the agency’s information technology initiative of integrating AQP information systems with agency systems to facilitate cross-media solutions.
• Coordinate IT activities with the Unit Manager and work with other Ecology program’s development teams, Information Technology Services Office (ITSO), and participate and is highly active in agency wide technology initiatives.
• Serve as the highest-level development authority and provides technical leadership in planning, designing, and implementing highly complex, large- and medium- scale, environmental systems that provide tools to assess air quality in Washington State.
• Conduct research and assess Information Technology industry direction related to software development methodologies and collaborates with other senior agency application development leads to make recommendations to advance software development best practices within the agency.
• Conduct business analysis to capture application business requirements as needed when working with BA/PM on team to ensure applications that are developed align with business needs and provide the services that are required. To understand how an organization works, find root causes of problems, and guide smart decisions.

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

Seven (7) years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which includes the following: Computer application development and maintenance, analyzing, designing, implementing, maintaining and/or programming software applications.

Skills must include:

• Conflict Resolution – Ability to mediate technical or operational disagreements to maintain positive relationships and keep projects moving forward.
• Risk Management – Ability to identify and assess technology risks to ensure system designs appropriately balance innovation, reliability, and security.
• Data Driven Decision Making – Ability to collect, review and interpret data to support transparent decisions about IT projects and resources.
• Collaborative Planning – Proven capability to work effectively with leaders, technical teams, statewide partners and program staff to support coordinated planning and problem solving.
• IT Governance – Ability to apply governance frameworks to ensure technology decisions, standards, and investments align with agency priorities and compliance requirements.
• Prioritization & Sequencing – Ability to analyze competing initiatives and schedule work effectively to ensure resources are focused on the highest-value outcomes.

Education: in Computer Science, Information Technology (IT), Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM), or closely related field.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 7 years of experience.

• 6 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.

• 5 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).

• 4 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.

• 3 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Desired Qualifications:

• Education - with focus on programming/software engineering.
• Programming Experience- computer application development and maintenance.
• Leadership Experience- in leading IT professionals or consulting as a technical lead.
• Database Management- Professional experience consulting, designing, programming, maintenance and/or support work for moderate risk applications and databases.
• Familiarity - with Washington’s air quality laws and codes.

If you are excited about this role and meet the required qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Desired qualifications reflect additional knowledge, skills, or experience that are nice to have but not required. Studies have shown that some applicants, especially women and people of color, are less likely to apply unless they meet every listed qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging, and we welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and unique perspectives.

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 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.

Questions?

• For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact David Jimenez at [e-mail]

• 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 [e-mail]

About the Air Quality Program

Clean air is vital for everyone. We manage smoke, vehicle pollution, industrial emissions, and other pollutants so communities have healthy air to breathe. We do this through permits, regulations, and reporting systems intended to keep air pollution at healthy levels.

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 Incentive, 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.