Associate Environmental Analyst (Shoreline)

About the role

The Land Use and Engineering Services Division of the Department of Construction and Inspections helps people build a safe, livable, and inclusive Seattle by providing public information on regulations and permitting, and reviewing proposals for compliance with land use, environmental and building codes. The Division is fast-paced, production-focused, flexible and promotes a supportive and collaborative work environment. This position will primarily review development projects for compliance with the Seattle Shoreline Master Program, State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and Environmentally Critical Areas code.

Responsibilities

This role is a technical expert on a team of reviewers who provide input on complex land use decisions. In this position you will:

• Act as a technical reviewer for shoreline substantial development permits and construction permits for compliance with Shoreline Program's goals, policies and standards
• Act as a technical reviewer to analyze whether project proposals meet standards within the City's Environmental Critical Areas Code (ECA) and the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA)
• Review and assess shoreline exemption requests
• Identify mitigation to eliminate, reduce, rectify or compensate for developmental impacts on ecological resources
• Review and analyze fish and wildlife reports, mitigation recommendations or plans prepared by applicants to address shoreline impacts of proposed development
• Analyze and review appropriate habitat to address mitigation project impacts in the Shoreline and fish, and wildlife environmental critical areas
• Review environmental reports and coordinate work with environmental specialists and/or consultants
• Consult with state and federal agencies and tribes on habitat issues
• Coordinate across agencies and City departments to facilitate technical project review
• Provide information to the public, department associates, City agencies, and other jurisdictions about Seattle's Shoreline and ECA codes
• Identify and recommend solutions to applicants and land use staff on environmental and land use policies and regulatory issues
• Provide environmental policy and technical expertise to land use staff for consideration in making complex land use decisions
• Interpret and apply knowledge of municipal codes and policies governing land use and environmentally critical areas protection
• Prepare public information materials including tips, website content, and written responses to questions submitted to the department related to shoreline and ECA regulations
• Identify the need for new code development, revisions or policy changes
• Recommend course of actions on code and policy changes
• Review and assist with the development or updating of codes that may be conflicting or vague
• Coordinate solutions to recurrent land use policy and procedural issues
• Perform policy and regulatory program development analysis on specific shoreline and environmental critical issues

What we are looking for

You will be successful in this position if you feel passionate about:

• Being an active, positive, and contributing member on a team
• Working in the public sector
• Maintaining a culture of service and fairness to all stakeholders
• Collaborating across workgroups, divisions, departments, and with outside stakeholders on program initiatives and general policy and procedures
• Seeking opportunities to improve and simplify land use regulations and reducing permitting timelines
• Leading and modeling the values of an anti-racist organization

Required experience

You will feel prepared to take on this role if you have experience in:

• Demonstrated experience with the review of development applications for consistency with state or local Shoreline regulations
• Demonstrated experience with the interpretation of state or local shoreline regulations
• Demonstrated ability to provide technical and detailed information related to shoreline and environmental regulations, often in complex and contentious scenarios
• Strong familiarity with the concept of mitigation sequencing and how it is applied to development proposals
• Knowledge of ecological function provided by native plants as part of a mitigation plan
• Ability to read landscape/planting plans, detailed construction documents, technical reports and legal documents
• Able to meet deadlines and juggle competing priorities
• Experience with SDCI permitting processes and systems, or similar experience with another jurisdiction
• Able to apply code in a consistent and predictable manner to a variety of development proposals
• Significant scientific knowledge of fish ecology, habitat, biology; or aquatic ecology
• Strong customer service skills
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proactive and solution-oriented

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in natural or physical sciences, environmental sciences, planning (with emphasis on environmental issues), public administration/policy (with emphasis on natural resources), or related field and a minimum of three years of experience in environmental research, environmental law, impact analysis, environmental compliance, toxic substance management, or a related field (Other combinations of education, training and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability)
• Current State of Washington driver's license or evidence of equivalent mobility

Work environment

• Occasionally staff may work with customers who are argumentative or upset
• This work requires visits to active or proposed construction sites

Pay

The full salary range for this position is $50.98 - $59.31 per hour. New employees begin at Step 1 of the pay progression, which is $50.98 per hour. Current City employees starting rate of pay will be based on Personnel Rules regarding promotions.