Padilla Bay Park Aide (Park Aide)

The salary listed does not include the scheduled 3% general salary increase that goes into effect on July 1, 2025.

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Padilla Bay Park Aide (Park Aide) within the Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Program. 

This position will be located in our Padilla Bay Office in Mount Vernon, WA. 

Schedule: This position is required to work in the office five days per week and is not eligible for telework.

Application Timeline: 

• Apply by June 30, 2025
• This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins. Applications received after June 30th may not be considered.

Duties

The Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (PBNERR) is one of 30 federally designated coastal reserves, managed by WA Dept of Ecology in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). The mission of PBNERR is to protect, preserve, and enhance the natural resources of Padilla Bay and to operate programs of education, public information, natural resource management, research, and monitoring to conserve and manage estuaries in Washington State and across the nation. 
 
The Padilla Bay Reserve encompasses over 12,000 acres, including ~100 acres of upland on which the research facility, interpretive center and aquarium, conference center, and other buildings are located – along with recreational trails and public green spaces. Maintenance and upkeep of these buildings and grounds and providing a safe and welcoming experience at the Reserve for staff, collaborators, and visitors, is essential to carrying out the Reserve’s mission. 
 
In this role, you will assist the Facilities Coordinator in meeting our facility maintenance, upkeep, and operational needs at the Reserve and help support facility needs of research, monitoring, and public education programs. In addition to routine and preventative maintenance of the facility and buildings, you will help the Facilities Coordinator maintain a wide variety of systems and services needed for Reserve operations including aquaria, electrical, HVAC, small construction and carpentry projects, vehicles, and upland trails.  You will work closely with Reserve and Ecology staff, volunteers, contractors, and AmeriCorps members to carry out this work. This is a great opportunity to gain valuable experience in facility maintenance and operations, especially in environmental research facilities, marine labs, state agencies, and university and/or college settings.

What you will do: 

• Perform basic and routine preventative maintenance, upkeep and repairs of the buildings, grounds and forested uplands at the Padilla Bay campus.
• Assist the Facilities Coordinator with implementation of minor construction projects at the Reserve.
• Provide staff and visitors with a safe, clean and highly functional campus for various uses.
• Ensure that Padilla Bay campus facilities, public visitor center, and related infrastructure, landscaped areas, vehicles, and equipment owned and operated by the Reserve are maintained to a high and professional standard for optimal functionality, safety, and staff/public utilization.

This is an exciting opportunity to work in a beautiful natural setting with a close-knit group of scientists, educators and support staff who are passionate about the marine environment. 

Qualifications

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

Required Qualifications:

Graduation from high school or GED equivalent.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 
 Must be able to obtain and maintain a valid driver's license.
 
Desired Qualifications:
 We highly encourage you to apply even if you do not have some (or all) of the desired experience below.
 

• Experience operating and maintaining power tools, small engine repair and operation, operating specialty vehicles such as tractors and landscaping equipment, and/or towing trailers.
• Experience conducting field work related to water quality, estuarine ecology, botany, landscaping, and/or other relevant biological or natural resource field.
• Two years of post secondary education at the Associate or Bachelors level, preferably in a course of study focused on conservation, restoration, environmental science, or natural resource management.
• Ability to work successfully in outdoor field environments in challenging weather and terrain conditions

Note: Having some (or all) of this desired experience may make your application more competitive in a highly competitive applicant pool.

Supplemental Information

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. 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.

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.

How to Apply

Click “Apply” at the top of this page. Complete the entire application, including full work history and responses to all supplemental questions, and attach:

• Cover letter, describing your interest in and qualifications for this position
• Resume

Because we base our selection on the information you provide, it is in your best interest to complete the application thoroughly. A resume will not substitute for the “work experience” section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields or supplemental question responses with comments such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete.

For detailed application information, please visit our Recruitment website.

Application Attestation: By submitting an application, you are affirming that the information contained in your application and on all attachments is complete and truthful. The state may verify this information, and any false or misleading answers may result in rejection of your application or dismissal if employed.

Need an Accommodation?

If you need reasonable accommodation during the application and/or screening process, including this job announcement in an alternate format:

• Please contact us at 360-407-6186 or careers@ecy.wa.gov
• If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-833-6384.

Questions?

• For specific questions about the position location options, schedule, or duties, please contact Jude Apple at Jude.Apple@ecy.wa.gov
• 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 careers@ecy.wa.gov

About the Shorelands and Environmental Assistance (SEA) Program 

The mission of the SEA Program is to create community conservation partnerships to protect and restore our shorelands, wetlands, and floodplains.

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 Incentives (Download PDF reader), 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.