Salary : $76,968.00 - $103,536.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Lacey, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2026-OEEJ5382-01909
Department: Dept. of Ecology
Division: Office of Equity and Environmental Justice
Opening Date: 03/17/2026
Closing Date: Continuous
Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step
Description
Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen
The Department of Ecology is hiring an Access Coordinator (External Civil Rights Specialist 4) within the Office of Equity & Environmental Justice.
Location:
- Headquarters Office in Lacey, 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 may telework most of your work time with the understanding that there are in-office requirements, including regularly occurring program in-person meetings, agency activities, and other emerging businesses needs.
- Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.
Salary - The high end of the salary range listed above ($103,536 per year) is Step M, typically a longevity step. Employees cannot get to Step M upon initial hire.
- All employees will progress to Step M six years after being assigned to Step L in their permanent salary range.For this position, Step A is $76,968 per year and Step L is $100,980 per year.
Application Timeline: - Submit your application by 11:59 p.m. (Pacific Time) on March 30, 2026, to be in the first review of applications.
- Applications received after the date above will only be considered at the discretion of the hiring manager.
- This position will remain open until filled. The agency reserves the right to make a hire at any time after application review begins.
Duties In this role, you will serve as the agency's subject matter expert on document accessibility and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). You will set document accessibility goals and standards, and provide practical guidance, training, and technical assistance to ensure accessible documents and ADA-compliant practices across the organization. You will also coordinate agency-wide document accessibility efforts, and lead the Access Steering Committee to elevate cross-program issues and support decision-making.
As the Access Coordinator, you will play a key role in ensuring the Department of Ecology provides equitable access to environmental information, services, and physical locations. Your leadership will strengthen the agency's commitment to inclusion and accessibility for the communities we serve.
What you will do: - Assess the agency's baseline compliance with document accessibility standards (ADA, WCAG, and USER-01) and oversee ongoing reassessments.
- Develop and maintain agency-wide document accessibility goals, metrics, and standards to support program planning and progress tracking.
- Identify gaps in existing document accessibility resources and lead the development of updated guidance, training, and technical assistance tools (including the super user model).
- Build staff and leadership capacity by promoting awareness, knowledge, and skills needed to meet document accessibility requirements.
- Lead the Access Steering Committee, facilitating meetings and communications to elevate cross-program issues and support agency decision-making on access priorities.
- Manage the ADA coordination mailbox and phone line as the first point of contact, providing guidance and support to the public seeking accommodations or information.
- Provide technical assistance on ADA requirements, including physical access and non-spoken language services in collaboration with internal partners.
Qualifications For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our
Required Qualifications:Eight years of experience and/or education as described below: - Experience with Civil Rights programs, using an equity lens in analyzing polices, laws, rules, or regulations, and leading others in administering Civil Rights programs. This experience may include civil rights investigation, law, or research; other non-discrimination efforts; or planning, implementing, or directing work in accessibility, document accessibility, or ADA compliance.
Experience must demonstrate competence in the following areas: - Ability to create accessible documents and templates in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF.
- Ability to remediate PDFs using tools such as Adobe Acrobat Pro and CommonLook.
- Knowledge of accessible design principles such as color contrast, heading structure, reading order, and font legibility.
- Familiarity with web and document accessibility guidelines, especially current Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).
- Familiarity with state and federal disability laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act Title I, II, and III, and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act.
- Ability to interpret accessibility and ADA requirements into practical implementation guidance for staff and vendors.
- Ability to plan, implement, and sustain changes to how program staff do accessibility work.
- Excellent project management and communication skills.
- Education involving a major study in business, public administration, political science, social science, race, gender, or sexuality studies, social justice, equity studies, communications, law, public health, or related field.
Examples of how to qualify:
- 8 years of experience.
- 7 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
- 6 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate's degree).
- 5 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
- 4 years of experience AND a Bachelor's degree.
- 2 years of experience AND a Master's degree.
Desired Qualifications: - Experience living with a disability or professional or lived experience with using or providing assistive technology, requesting or providing ADA accommodations, disability advocacy, or caring for someone with a disability.
- ADA Coordinator certification or experience serving in an ADA compliance position.
If you are excited about this role but not sure if your experience aligns perfectly with every qualification in the job description,
we encourage you to apply. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.
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 .
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
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-###-#### or
- If you are deaf or hard of hearing, you may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 711 or 1-800-###-####.
Questions? - For specific questions about the position, schedule, or duties, please contact Millie Piazza at
- 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 ...@ecy.wa.gov
About the Office of Equity and Environmental Justice (OEEJ) The mission of the Office of Equity and Environmental Justice (OEEJ)is to eliminate environmental and health disparities for communities most at risk from pollution and other environmental impacts through fair and just practices that support the well-being and resilience of Ecology's workforce and the people of Washington.
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.
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 DEIRis 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.
Ecology employees may be eligible for the following: Medical/Dental/Vision for employee & dependent(s), Public Employees Retirement System (PERS), , 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, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *
Click here for more information To learn more about Ecology, please visit our website, explore , 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.
#LI-Hybrid
More than Just a Paycheck! Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Read about our benefits: The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.
Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.
Insurance Benefits Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.
Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Holidays Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.
Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.
Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.
Sick Leave Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.
Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
Vacation (Annual Leave) Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.
Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.
Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.
Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for
exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.
Military Leave Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
Bereavement Leave Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.
Additional Leave Leave Sharing
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay
Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.
Updated 01-07-2026
01
How did you hear about this job?
- Community Based Organization
- Community / Technical College
- Ecology Employee
- Ecology Recruiter
- Ecology Jobs Page
- Facebook
- Job Board
- Job Fair
- LinkedIn
- Newspaper
- Other State Agency
- Other Website
- Professional Association
- Twitter
- University Job Board
- WorkSource
- Other
02
If you selected Community Based Organization, Community / Technical College, Job Board, Job Fair, LinkedIn Group, Newspaper, Other State Agency, Other Website, Professional Association, University Job Board, WorkSource, or Other, please share which one.
03
Have you ever worked for the Department of Ecology in any capacity including: Permanent, Non-permanent, Project, Intern, or Volunteer?
04
How many years of experience do you have with Civil Rights programs analyzing polices, laws, rules, or regulations, and leading others in administering Civil Rights programs? This experience may include civil rights investigation, law, or research; other non-discrimination efforts; or planning, implementing, or directing work in accessibility, document accessibility, or ADA compliance.Please include any experience gained through employment, internships, and/or volunteer positions. Note that experience gained from academic coursework, class projects, or other degree requirements is assessed in later questions.
- One year
- Two years
- Three years
- Four years
- Five years
- Six years
- Seven years
- Eight or more years
- None of the above
05
Please provide additional details to support your response above. The following information is needed: position title(s), specific duties, and periods of employment. Make sure your response specifically addresses the qualification above. An incomplete answer, including "please see resume" may remove you from further consideration.
06
What is your level of education?
- 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits
- 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (AA degree)
- 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits
- Bachelor's degree
- Master's degree
- Ph.D.
- None of the above
07
If you have college credits or a degree, please list your major(s) or field(s) of study and any degree(s) earned. If you don't have this education, put N/A.
08
How would you rate your ability to create accessible documents and templates in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and PDF (e.g., applying styles, alt text, header structures, table markup, and export settings)?
- None: No experience creating accessible documents or templates in Office or PDF.
- Foundational: Can apply basic features (e.g., alt text, simple headings) and use built in accessibility checkers with guidance.
- Intermediate: Consistently builds accessible documents (correct heading styles, logical reading order, descriptive links, accessible tables) and exports to tagged PDF.
- Advanced: Designs reusable accessible templates for teams; configures document properties, language settings, lists/tables, and slide masters to meet accessibility standards.
- Expert: Sets enterprise standards; audits and remediates complex multi format content; trains staff and enforces QA processes across Word/Excel/PowerPoint/PDF.
09
How would you rate your ability to remediate PDFs using Adobe Acrobat Pro, CommonLook, or similar tools (e.g., tagging, reading order, tables, forms, alt text, and accessibility checks)?
- None: No experience remediating PDFs.
- Foundational: Can run accessibility checks and fix simple issues (e.g., add alt text, basic tags) with instructions.
- Intermediate: Remediates typical PDFs: corrects tag trees, reading order, headings, lists, tables, and form fields; resolves common checker errors.
- Advanced: Handles complex PDFs: multi column layouts, scanned/OCR content, nested tables, figures, and links; validates with third party tools.
- Expert: Leads enterprise remediation workflows; creates remediation standards; resolves edge cases at scale; coaches others on best practices and tool optimization.
10
How would you rate your knowledge of accessible design principles, including color contrast, heading structure, reading order, and font legibility?
- None: Unfamiliar with accessible design concepts.
- Foundational: Understands basic concepts (e.g., avoid tiny text, use headings) but relies on guidance/tools to apply them.
- Intermediate: Applies principles consistently: ensures contrast ratios, readable fonts, logical headings, and correct reading order in common documents.
- Advanced: Designs complex materials with accessibility in mind (e.g., data visualizations, multi-page layouts) and advises teams on tradeoffs and alternatives.
- Expert: Establishes design standards, reviews complex artifacts for accessibility, and mentors designers/content creators organization wide.
11
How familiar are you with web and document accessibility guidelines, especially the current WCAG (e.g., perceivable, operable, understandable, robust; conformance levels A/AA/AAA)?
- None: Not familiar with WCAG or accessibility standards.
- Foundational: Aware of WCAG concepts and can reference guidelines when prompted.
- Intermediate: Applies WCAG A/AA success criteria to common content (documents/pages) and participates in accessibility reviews.
- Advanced: Interprets WCAG for complex scenarios (e.g., interactive PDFs, dynamic content), maps issues to criteria, and recommends compliant solutions.
- Expert: Guides policy and governance; translates WCAG updates to organizational standards; trains practitioners; leads audits against WCAG.
12
How familiar are you with state and federal disability laws, including ADA Titles I, II, III and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act, as they apply to public programs and services?
- None: Not familiar with ADA or Section 504 requirements.
- Foundational: Understands basic obligations (e.g., reasonable accommodations, effective communication) but needs guidance to apply them.
- Intermediate: Applies legal requirements to routine scenarios (events, facilities, notices, service delivery) and knows when to escalate complex issues.
- Advanced: Advises programs on nuanced compliance questions (e.g., auxiliary aids, program access vs. physical access, undue burden) and coordinates with legal/Civil Rights staff.
- Expert: Shapes policy and practice; interprets changes in law/regulation; leads compliance strategies; provides authoritative guidance across the agency.
13
Please provide an example of a practical accessibility product you created (e.g., checklists, workflows, template). State which accessibility requirement(s) it operationalized and how staff or vendors use it? (Max. 50 words)
14
Please provide an example of an accessibility or ADA-related compliance process, practice, or standard you were responsible for implementing or managing. Briefly share your role and the scale of organizational change involved. (Max. 50 words)
15
Please provide an example of an accessibility related coordination effort you led or facilitated across multiple teams, programs, or organizations. Briefly state the purpose of the coordination and the actions you took to support alignment. (Max. 50 words)
16
The State of Washington and the Department of Ecology, play a vital role in fostering a Diverse, Equitable, Inclusive, and Respectful (DEIR) workplace and contributing to equitable outcomes for the communities we serve. We view DEIR 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. We believe it is everyone's job to contribute to a DEIR workplace. Please tell us, what does it mean for you to have a commitment to DEIR in the workplace? What steps or actions have you taken to demonstrate your commitment previously?
17
I understand that Ecology does not use the E-Verify system and is unable to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT).
Required Question