Description

Keeping Washington Clean and Evergreen

The Department of Ecology is hiring an IT Business Analyst - Journey within the Water Resources Program.

This is a project position that is funded until November 30, 2028.

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.
* A minimum of two days per week is required in the office.
* Schedules are dependent upon position needs and are subject to change.

Duties

Position Overview

As a Business Analyst, you will play a key role in the modernization of the Water Rights Tracking System (WRTS), Washington State’s mission-critical platform that manages more than 100,000 legal water rights records and supports statewide water rights administration. In this highly collaborative role, you will partner across business, technology, policy, and natural resource management teams to lead discovery and assessment efforts that help shape the future of one of the state's most important regulatory systems.

This position offers a unique opportunity to contribute to the modernization of a system that directly affects Washington’s agricultural economy, municipal water supplies, industrial operations, and long-term water resource stewardship. The Business Analyst will explore complex business and technical challenges, engage with a broad range of partners across multiple programs, and help develop the strategic roadmap that informs future architecture, technology investments, and implementation efforts. The role provides meaningful opportunities to support application modernization, business process improvement, data analysis, and strategic planning while building strong partnerships and delivering lasting statewide value.

Key Duties:

* Lead discovery and assessment activities for the Water Rights Tracking System (WRTS), examining business processes, system architecture, integrations, data flows, and technical dependencies to develop a shared understanding of the current environment.
* Facilitate productive conversations, workshops, and collaboration sessions with program staff, leadership, architects, and technical teams to understand business needs, identify challenges, and build consensus around modernization priorities.
* Conduct business, technical, and architectural analyses to identify root causes, system constraints, risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement across a mission-critical statewide system.
* Collaborate with partners to define and document high-level business, functional, technical, infrastructure, security, data, and integration requirements that will support future-state solution design and modernization efforts.
* Assess organizational, operational, and technical readiness for modernization, identifying dependencies, risks, resource needs, and change-management considerations while supporting successful transitions.
* Develop clear, data-informed recommendations, modernization options, and decision-support materials that help program leadership, architects, and executive partners make informed choices.
* Create comprehensive documentation, assessments, and planning materials that support budgeting, procurement, roadmap development, and future implementation activities.
* Serve as a trusted liaison between business and technical teams, fostering collaboration and ensuring modernization strategies align with regulatory obligations, agency priorities, enterprise architecture standards, and long-term water resource management objectives.

Qualifications

For detailed information on how we calculate experience and responses to other frequently asked questions, please visit our Recruitment website.

Required Qualifications:

* Six years of experience and/or education related to the duties of the position, which must include the following:
+ Critical Thinking & Judgment – Demonstrated ability to analyze complex and ambiguous information to identify risks, constraints, and opportunities, translate business needs into system requirements, and assess the impacts of decisions on business processes and data systems.
+ Communication & Facilitation – Proven track record clearly conveying technical and business concepts and leading structured engagement activities to produce shared understanding and validated inputs.
+ Collaboration & Alignment – Proven skills working across business, technical, and architecture groups to align analysis, requirements, and recommendations with enterprise direction and regulatory obligations.
+ Business & Process Analysis – Demonstrated ability to elicit, analyze, and document business and technical requirements to evaluate current processes, design future-state solutions, and ensure alignment among business needs, data flows, systems, and dependencies.
+ Partner Engagement & Requirements Development – Proven track record gathering, reconciling, and translating diverse needs into high-level requirements that support future state architecture and modernization strategy.
+ Consultation & Decision Support – Demonstrated ability to synthesize analytical findings into clear recommendations that support leadership decision making and modernization planning.
+ Technical Feasibility & Risk Evaluation – Proven skills in evaluating technical constraints, security/privacy risks, dependencies, and limitations to ensure requirements and recommendations are viable and safe.
+ Regulatory & Compliance Analysis – Ability to interpret regulatory and legal obligations to ensure system assessments, requirements, and recommendations align with statutory requirements.
+ IT Architecture & Modernization Planning – Proven track record evaluating business and technical requirements, analyzing solution alternatives, and developing architecture recommendations to support modernization initiatives, meet agency standards, and ensure long-term system effectiveness.
* Education involving a major study in Computer Science, Information Technology (IT), Project Management, Business Analysis, or closely related field.

Examples of how to qualify:
* 6 years of experience.
* 5 years of experience AND 30-59 semester or 45-89 quarter college credits.
* 4 years of experience AND 60-89 semester or 90-134 quarter college credits (Associate’s degree).
* 3 years of experience AND 90-119 semester or 135-179 quarter college credits.
* 2 years of experience AND a Bachelor’s degree or higher.

Desired Qualifications:

* A Bachelor’s degree with a focus on Information Technology, Project Management, Business Analysis or related field.
* Four years of business analysis experience on IT projects that cross program or agency boundaries.
* Certifications Preferred:
* Certified Business Analysis Professional (CBAP), or similar, through the International Institute of Business Analysis (IIBA), OR completion of a business analyst certification from a university or college.
* Agile Certification
* Prosci OCM Certification
* Experience with data models, dictionaries, and metadata.
* Knowledge of APIs, integration patterns, and system modernization.
* Adaptability to evolving information and shifting priorities.
* Ability to build trust across technical and business partners.
* Strong problem-solving mindset and curiosity.

If you are excited about this role and meet the required qualifications, we encourage you to apply. Desired qualifications reflect additional knowledge, skills, or experience that are nice to have but not required. Studies have shown that some applicants, especially women and people of color, are less likely to apply unless they meet every listed qualification. At the Department of Ecology, we are dedicated to building a diverse and authentic workplace centered in belonging, and we welcome applicants with varied backgrounds and unique perspectives.

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.

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 and select #2 for Recruitment or email 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 Swetha Sarabu at Swetha.Sarabu2@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 Water Resources Program

The mission of the Water Resources Program is to support sustainable water resources management to meet the water needs of people and the natural environment, in partnership with Washington's communities. Within the Water Resources Program, the Water Resources Information Management Section develops and supports the technology systems that help manage one of the state's most vital resources: water.
As a Business Analyst, you will play a key leadership role in the modernization of the Water Rights Tracking System (WRTS), a mission-critical statewide application that manages more than 100,000 legal water rights records and supports permitting, compliance, adjudication, mitigation, enforcement, and other core water rights functions. This highly visible position serves as the strategic analytical lead for a major modernization initiative, working closely with business leaders, architects, developers, and technical experts to define the future of a system that directly impacts Washington’s communities, economy, and natural resources.

This role offers a unique opportunity to lead complex business and technical analysis, influence enterprise-level technology decisions, and develop the roadmap for a large-scale modernization effort. The work is challenging, meaningful, and impactful, providing significant experience in business analysis, system modernization, partner engagement, strategic planning, and digital transformation within a statewide public-sector environment.

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 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.

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 Incentive, Combined Fund Drive, SmartHealth *Click here for more information

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.

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