Lead Waste Treatment Plant Construction Engineer (Environmental Engineer 5)

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring a Lead Waste Treatment Plant Construction Engineer (Environmental Engineer 5) within the Nuclear Waste Program.

Location:

• Richland Field Office in Richland, 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.
• You will typically spend 4 to 5 days per week in the field conducting regulatory oversight of the Hanford Waste Treatment Plant and other related facilities.
• Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Application Timeline:

• Apply by December 11, 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 the date above may not be considered.

Duties

As the Lead Waste Treatment Plant Construction Engineer, you will serve as the department’s lead engineer at the Hanford Tank Waste Treatment and Disposal Facilities during construction, overseeing the resolution of technical issues across the Waste Treatment Plant (WTP) and other treatment facilities under development. You will represent the Nuclear Waste Program to external organizations on technical matters related to construction under dangerous waste permits. Additionally, you will be responsible for planning and conducting investigations and developing solutions for complex environmental engineering challenges, applying advanced environmental engineering techniques across the WTP and other treatment facilities.

What you will do:

• Perform senior-level review of facility engineers’ inspection reports to ensure accuracy and consistent decision-making across all facilities. 
• Conduct audits of Bechtel National, Inc’s (BNI) procedures in support of United States Department of Energy (USDOE) requirements; review BNI’s quality assurance/quality control (QA/QC) program and Caliber’s audit of BNI’s QA/QC program to ensure procedure compliance; and identify and perform additional Ecology audits as needed, including similar oversight of Integrated Disposal Facility (IDF) processes. 
• Review documentation required for the certification of the WTP and other facilities, ensuring compliance with permit requirements. 
• Obtain and review USDOE processes and procedures for documenting final certification of the WTP and other facilities under construction, evaluating their adequacy and appropriateness; identify deficiencies and work together with the permittee to achieve voluntary compliance. Perform similar functions for IDF processes. 
• In collaboration with other engineers, ensure construction drawings and specifications align with permit design drawings. 
• Track Independent Qualified Registered Professional Engineer (IQRPE) hold points and inspection schedules, communicating updates to the WTP team. 
• Identify and document inspection opportunities across the facilities. 
• Coordinate WTP construction engineers’ activities to ensure work is performed consistently and high technical standards are maintained. 
• Conduct and supervise field inspections and site visits of the WTP facility. In coordination with the facility permit writer and engineer, follow the Nuclear Waste Program and WTP Construction Oversite Program procedures to perform weekly inspections, prepare inspections reports, obtain permit writer review, and post reports.
• Maintain on-site presence at the WTP, reviewing bi-weekly IQRPE reports and engaging daily with USDOE inspectors to understand and monitor construction activities, ensure state interests are addressed, and provide feedback to Ecology facility engineers for inspection planning.

 Learn more about what it is like to be an Engineer at the Department of Ecology

Qualifications

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

 Required Qualifications:

• Registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington or another state based on registration requirements equivalent to those in Washington, AND

• Five (5) years of experience in environmental engineering.

Note: Requirements for registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington are eight years of professional experience (which may include up to four years of college-level engineering education) and successful completion of sixteen hours of professional licensing exams.  Applicants qualifying through the licensing equivalency option must achieve registration as a Professional Engineer in the state of Washington within six months of appointment to this class.

Individuals who are interested in applying to this position, and believe they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington based on reciprocity, are responsible for ensuring they meet licensing requirements for the State of Washington prior to submitting their application materials.  These requirements can be found at the following website: WA State Board of Registration for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors: How To Get Your Professional Engineer License When Licensed in Another Jurisdiction

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment: 

• Must possess and maintain a valid driver's license.
• Must meet U.S. Department of Energy requirements to acquire and maintain a badge for access to the Hanford Site and Waste Treatment Plant Brown Badge.
• Complete initial 40-hour HAZWOPER training within six months of appointment and annual 8-hour refreshers.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in design, construction, and/or operation of systems supporting waste treatment systems, including corrosion phenomena (including chemistry and potential impacts on waste systems); physical and biological sciences as related to environmental engineering; principles and practices of environmental engineering; and laws and regulations governing waste systems, tanks, and environmental issues (e.g., WAC 173-303-640, others).