What are the responsibilities and job description for the Voluntary Stewardship Program Specialist (Program Specialist 3) position at State of Washington Conservation Commission?
Description
Voluntary Stewardship Program Specialist
(Program Specialist 3)
Monday - Friday | 8:00 AM - 4:30 PM | FLEXIBLE/HYBRID
NOTE:The hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time after the required posting period, and during the recruitment process. It is to the applicant's advantage to apply as early as possible. The first review of applicants will begin on 1/6/2025. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 4:30 PM; however, flexibility will be required to attend early or late meetings and conferences. This position also requires statewide travel up to three times per month to attend in-person or hybrid VSP events.
Who We Are:
The Washington State Conservation Commission (SCC) is a non-regulatory state agency that supports and coordinates our state’s 45 conservation districts and administers voluntary conservation programs. Together, the SCC and conservation districts provide incentive-based programs that empower people across Washington to take actions that keep natural resources and working lands healthy for all. Washington State’s Voluntary Stewardship Program (VSP) provides an alternative approach for the 27 counties participating in VSP to address our state’s Growth Management Act requirements. It employs a watershed-level, incentive-based process to protect critical areas, promote viable agriculture, and encourages cooperation among diverse stakeholders.
About the Opportunity:
As the Voluntary Stewardship Program Specialist, you will work under the direction of the VSP Program Coordinator and alongside the Ecosystem’s Manager/Science Hub Lead. In this role, you will support the Voluntary Stewardship Program by providing internal program administration assistance, developing and recommending program guidelines, and offering outreach to counties, conservation districts, and other partners. Additionally, you will be providing monitoring support by helping to refine monitoring requirements, maintaining a monitoring guide for critical area functions, and facilitating monitoring training for counties and conservation districts. This position focuses on building positive working relationships with diverse stakeholders.
Duties
Some of What You’ll Enjoy Doing Includes:
- Provide technical assistance to counties to meet VSP monitoring requirements; review monitoring reports for compliance and draft updates to monitoring guides and templates.
- Assist counties in identifying data sets linking their local programs to impacts on critical area functions and values.
- Work with VSP entities to implement and develop monitoring plans.
- Update and maintain the monitoring guide based on current research and best available science for all critical area functions and values.
- Consult with agency management and the VSP Technical Panel to ensure alignment between monitoring actions and program goals across Washington state.
- Represent SCC to VSP participants and external stakeholders.
- Advise VSP participants on program practices, rules, policies and procedures to ensure compliance with relevant statutes.
- Serve as program specialist responsible for coordination, developing guidance, and collaborate with stakeholders.
- Other duties as needed.
Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in planning, natural resources, agriculture, or a related field; AND
- Two (2) years of professional experience in program administration, ecosystem monitoring, natural resources management, or related experience.
- Note: Additional experience may substitute for the bachelor’s degree on a year-for year basis.
AND
- Understanding of ecosystems interaction between agriculture and critical areas (e.g. floodplains/riparian zones, water quality, groundwater monitoring, wetlands, fish and wildlife monitoring, geological hazards, and erosion.)
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and other installed software.
- Time management skills and the ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills.
- Ability to visit conservation districts across the state, including overnight travel.
- Presentation experience.
- Excellent customer service skills.
- A valid driver’s license free from serious traffic violations.
Preferred Qualifications:
- Four (4) years of professional experience in program administration, ecosystem monitoring, natural resources management, or related experience.
- Knowledge of: natural resources monitoring basics; agricultural viability; land use policy; logic and grammar, basic methods of problem solving; research methods; the body of knowledge in specialty field; agency's purposes; objectives of programs and activities.
- Ability to: reason logically, draw valid conclusions and make appropriate recommendations; gather and analyze data; participate in conferences and interviews; speak and write effectively; establish and maintain effective working relationships.
- Excellent facilitation, collaboration, and communication skills, especially in writing and editing complex documents.
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify critical issues.
- Effectively interacting professionally, sensitively, and effectively with persons of all ages, gender, sexual orientation, cultural, ethnic, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Demonstrated interpersonal skills with the ability to lead and work with collaborative groups.
And behavior that effectively demonstrates:
- Accountability: Meet productivity standards, deadlines and work schedules; Stay focused on tasks in spite of distractions and interruptions; Make the best use of available time and resources; perform high quality work with ability to meet deadlines; Clearly see the bottom line; Errors should be rare; Acknowledge and correct mistakes.
- Adaptability/Flexibility: Anticipate and effectively communicate need for change; Identify and provide different alternatives to reach a given end; Develop new strategies or tactics if current ones are ineffective; Accept change and help others deal with the ongoing demands of change. Learn from current and experience and apply this learning to appropriate new tasks.
- Communications: Clearly and effectively communicate with individuals and groups within and outside of the organization; Responsive to the various styles and needs of the individuals and groups with whom he/she is communicating; Effectively clarify messages when asked to do so and ask for clarification as needed; Keep supervisor and co-workers informed of need-to-know items and share complete and accurate information with others; Communicate intentions and rationale; Effectively use many forms and approaches when communicating.
- Results Orientation & Initiative: Focus on results and desired outcomes and how best to achieve them. Identify what needs to be done and proactively takes appropriate action. Get the job done; Pay attention to own performance and work to improve; Respond to setbacks with renewed and increased efforts; persistent in the face of difficulty; Display a high level of dedication and enthusiasm.
- Ethics & Integrity: Earns the trust, respect, and confidence of coworkers and customers through consistent honesty, forthrightness, and professionalism in all interactions.
- Relationship-building and influence: Builds constructive working relationships characterized by a high level of acceptance, cooperation, and mutual regard.
Supplemental Information
How to Apply:
Interested? We would love to hear from you! Click “Apply” at the top of this page to start your application. You can save the application and come back to it, if needed. Be sure to complete the application fully to include a full work history and responses to the supplemental questions.
In addition to completing the online application, please provide the following documents in order to be considered; failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:
- A letter of interest (no more than 2 pages) explaining how you have prepared yourself for this position
- A current resume, detailing experience, and education
- A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information
Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.).
Please Note: By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed. A resume will not be substitute for completing the “duties summary” section of the online application. Please do not refer to the resume for detail or your application may be disqualified.
Opportunity for All:
The Washington State Conservation Commission celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship or immigration status, marital status, families with children (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sex, sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, honorably discharged veteran or military status, status as an individual with the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with disabilities or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state, and local laws.
You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.
Contact Information:
For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact Aggie Swanson via email at jobs@des.wa.gov. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.