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The Department of Natural Resources manages over 14,000 miles of forest roads across the state of Washington. Each year, approximately 700 miles of road are built and maintained to support 140 timber sales to support state trusts and beneficiaries. DNR also designs repairs for fish barriers and culverts, and supports various construction projects across the geographic landscapes. The Southeast Region in DNR is looking for an ambitious and driven Alpine District Engineer to join their team.
 
The Alpine District Engineer works throughout what is considered the most beautiful and diverse terrain in Washington: Chelan, Kittitas, and Yakima counties. As part of the department's forest health and forest management objectives, this position works with the district foresters for designing cost effective, yet safe and usable harvest and transportation systems for timber and forest health sales. This position also identifies and implements road maintenance needs and improvements. Implementation is through working with third party contractors and the district's two-person heavy equipment operations crews, which this position supervises. Duties for the position also include forest road bridge inspections, culvert assessment, road inventory and hydraulic structure design.
 
Candidates for this position should be competent in forest engineering principles, be creative in problem solving and able to organize and prioritize deliverable deadlines. Candidates will need to have the ability to communicate and work with a variety of stake holders including contractors, department specialists and regulatory agencies. The position requires a large amount of time working alone in the field and working in a variety of terrain and climates.

What we will trust you with:
  • Identifying forest road maintenance needs across Yakima, Kittitas and Chelan counties.
  • Preparing and administering forest road maintenance contracts.
  • Inspecting and tracking condition and maintenance needs of roads and bridges within the Alpine District.
  • Designing road infrastructure for forest management, specifically roads, bridges, and culverts.
  • Supervising a two-person heavy equipment crew within the Alpine District.
  • Developing annual road maintenance plans.
  • Oversee and track heavy equipment crew projects and productivity.
  • With unit foresters, develop harvest and transportation system plans for the area's timber sale program.
  • Provide engineering support to other units within Southeast region, such as Recreation and Natural Areas.
  • Building and maintaining a strong rapport with other units, contractors, cooperators, and the general public.
  • Using applications such as AutoCAD LT, Roadeng, GIS, Microsoft Office products, and mobile device applications.
 
Who are we looking for?

The right candidate has:
  • Degree in Forest Engineering, Civil Engineering or related field.
  • One year of engineering work experience in road maintenance, forest road design, and hydraulics.
  • Knowledge of Washington State Forest Practice standards (rules, RMAP procedures, requirements), state laws and department procedures.
  • Knowledge of forest engineering principles, techniques, and application including harvest system design and road transportation design.
  • Knowledge of current standards for fish passage design.
  • Ability to conduct contract administration on forest road maintenance and hydraulic projects.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team on assigned tasks.
  • Effective written, verbal and interpersonal skills.
  • Supervisory knowledge and skills including: Recruitment and selection; Planning and assigning work, including setting performance standards and expectations; Evaluation and documenting performance; Training and development planning; Employee motivation and performance-based recognition and Corrective action tools and strategies.
  • Ability to use forest engineering tools such as GPS, laser measurement devices; AutoCAD, Road Eng, GIS and other engineering software programs.
  • Ability to operate a pickup sized vehicle, ATV (4- wheeler) and /or snowmobile in a variety of weather conditions and terrain.
  • Ability to work on uneven terrain in all weather conditions.
  • Position requires both office (30%) and fieldwork (70%). Higher percentage of field work during spring, summer and fall months. The incumbent in this position is required to travel. Occasional travel outside of Alpine District for temporary assignments, meeting, training sessions, and fire assignments. 
  • Must have a valid driver's license and have two years of driving experience. This position requires driving as an essential function. Employees who drive for state business, whether in a state or privately-owned vehicle, are required to possess a valid license as defined in policy PO02-006 and abide by all other driver responsibility requirements. Finalists and/or interview candidates will be asked to provide a driving record from all states in which they have held a license during the past three years.
 
Desirable Qualifications:
  • Engineer-in-Training Certificate.
  • Knowledge of Agency Habitat Conservation Plan.
 
The Location

One of the world's most scenic places, Washington State offers breathtaking discoveries for people who love natural beauty and outdoor recreation, from the Pacific Coast shores to the rugged Cascade Mountains to the rolling hills of the Palouse. Your office will be located in Ellensburg. In the eastern shadow of the Cascade Mountains along Interstate 90, lies Ellensburg Washington, a college town that is just a hop, skip and a jump away from most everything. If you cannot find what you are looking for here, just drive about an hour or two in any direction to Yakima, Wenatchee, Seattle and the Puget Sound. Ellensburg has an arid, four-season climate, which averages only about nine inches of rain a year! The valley and surrounding mountains provide scenic trails for horseback riding, hiking and mountain biking. Kittitas County is home to the Yakima Canyon, the premier spot for trout fishing in the Northwest. The fall brings big game hunting to the hillsides of the valley. In the winter, snow shoeing and snowmobiling are prevalent. Ski and Snowboarding resorts are only a short drive away. In the summer months, try your hand at rock hounding to find an elusive Ellensburg Blue. Need a break from the outdoors? Downtown Ellensburg is one of the great historic shopping districts of the Pacific Northwest with a variety of clothing stores, bookstores, floral and gift shops to choose from. Ellensburg also offers many great restaurants, breweries, taverns and wineries with live music and dancing. Check out some great events in downtown such as Buskers in the Burg, Dachshunds on Parade, First Friday Art Walk, and Winterhop BrewFest. Take in all the excitement of the World Famous Ellensburg Rodeo every Labor Day Weekend or the simplicity of the local Farmers Market from May until October. Ellensburg has a little bit of excitement for everyone.


Why work for DNR?

At DNR, we value public service, innovation and creative problem solving, safety and well-being, and leadership and teamwork. At DNR you'll support the vision of a sustainable future by using your skills to protect and manage the state's natural resources for both current and future generations. As a DNR employee, you'll work with the public's interest in mind as we manage more than 5 million acres of state-owned forest, range, commercial, agricultural and aquatic lands. But managing lands is only half of our story. We house the Washington Geological Survey, a dynamic program that is the primary source of geological products and services in support of decision making in Washington. We also protect other public resources such as fish, wildlife, water, and provide public access to outdoor recreation. Two of our largest and most important state-wide resource protection responsibilities are fire prevention and suppression, and overseeing forest practices.

We are nearly 1,500 employees strong and dedicated to making DNR a great place to work. Our mission is to serve Washington's lands and communities; build strong and healthy rural communities; enhance forest health and wildfire management; strengthen the health and resilience of our lands and waters; and increase public engagement and commitment to our public lands and resources. In partnership with citizens and governments, we provide innovative leadership and expertise to ensure environmental protection, public safety, perpetual funding for schools and communities, and a rich quality of life. At DNR we approach our work through the lens of making Washington a better place environmentally, economically and socially for current and future generations.
 
What makes DNR a great place to work?
  • Transitioning to a modern work environment
  • Mobile work
  • Infants at work program
  • Commitment to organizational health and wellness
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Council
  • Leadership that empowers and supports employees
  • Work/life balance
  • Leadership development opportunities
  • Educational aid and career development stipends
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness Eligibility
  • Opportunities to participate in wildland fire suppression assignments
  • Opportunities to stretch your professional skills
  • A comprehensive benefit package that includes employer contributions toward health insurance, paid holidays, retirement plans, sick leave and vacation days. Visit http://careers.wa.gov/benefits.html for more information.
 
Application Process

To be considered you must apply online at www.careers.wa.gov (Click on the APPLY button above). You must complete the entire online application to be considered for the position.
  • You must attach the following:
  • A letter of interest describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the position profile, required and desired position qualifications, and special position requirements. 
  • A resume including the names of three to five professional references
Carefully review your application materials before submitting. If you fail to submit the required documents or complete the entire online application, you may no longer be considered for the position by the supervisor.
 
Application Status – once you submit your online application, you can check your status by logging into your account. Finalists for the position will be contacted by the hiring manager directly. Recruitment may be extended depending on the quantity and quality of the application pool.
 
Questions? Please contact Nick Jones at 509-925-0928, nick.jones@dnr.wa.gov or e-mail us at DNRrecruiting@dnr.wa.gov.
 
Washington State Department of Natural Resources is an Equal Opportunity Employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities in a fair and impartial manner for all persons without regard to age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, race, creed, color, national origin, religion, pregnancy/parental status, genetic information, military status, political affiliation, criminal history or the presence of any sensory, mental or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability. Persons with a disability who need assistance during the screening process or those needing this announcement in an alternative format may contact DNR Recruiting staff (360) 902-1350 or (360) 902-1139. DNR may be contacted using the Washington State Telecommunications Relay Service (TRS) by dialing 711.