About the Role: 
The Department of Natural Resources and Parks' Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is seeking an energetic and motivated candidate to provide support and leadership to the Workforce Development Program.

The Program provides recruitment, mentorship, training, placement, and retention services for entry-level candidates who are ready to build their skillset or are new to the wastewater sector. Candidates receive extensive onboarding, participate in tours and site visits, and are provided with challenging assignments allowing exploration and collaboration with many WTD work groups.
 
The Project/Program Manager III will assist cohort members in determining their professional passion, place in our agency, and plan for continued career growth. They will assist the Workforce Development Program Supervisor in cohort recruitment, onboarding, assignment generation, and job placement. They will build relationships with and coordinate guest speakers from our planning, engineering, project management, project control, and construction management units. They will also collaborate across the agency and with consultants to provide tours of our treatment plants and other facilities, career development workshops, and lessons learned workshops that lead to continuous improvement.  
 
The Project/Program Manager III will work independently, take initiative, and serve as a workforce development resource, technical expert, and lead for this multi-disciplinary and complex program. Responsibilities include analysis, research, planning, policy development, systems development, technology implementation, and program development and/or coordination.
 
Ideal candidates will have workforce development expertise, a passion for people leadership, and strong communication and public speaking skills. Competitive candidates will also be strategic and skillful problem-solvers who value equity and environmental justice. This is a hybrid position with frequent in-person expectations. The candidate must have the ability to report to in-person activities throughout the County as often as needed. Candidates who are proven people leaders with skills to measure, monitor, and communicate processes, progress, and results will be high value to the program.  

About the Team: 
Join our team dedicated to ensuring clean water for generations to come! With over 900 employees engaged in planning, designing, building, and operating treatment facilities, our agency is at the forefront of environmental stewardship. Success for us means upholding our legacy while promising future generations a pristine environment.

We enforce regulations to reduce harmful waste discharge and actively educate the public and businesses on water quality protection. We prioritize accountability to our ratepayers and operate a well-managed agency that services over 2.3 million King County residents. Our regional wastewater treatment system not only sustains a healthy environment but also fuels economic development, fostering prosperity in our region. If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a collaborative environment, join us in our mission to safeguard our precious water resources.

We are stewards of The Clean Water Act and are charged with protecting the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of Puget Sound waterways. Rapid population growth, climate change which includes more severe storms and floods, and a high cost of living put a strain on our already aging regional wastewater treatment system. We need creative staff to help us address project backlogs, find efficiencies, and seek innovative solutions to challenging problems including a changing regulatory environment.  
 
In this position you will also learn about WTD's commitment to recovering and reusing products and resources from the wastewater treatment process. Recycling the treated water and nutrient-rich biosolids and recovering energy from heat and waste gases increases the efficiency of our wastewater treatment plants, conserves resources, protects the environment, and saves money.
 
At WTD, you will be part of a diverse team of talented interdisciplinary professionals and together you will make social and environment change.  

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice:
King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive.  We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As a Workforce Project/Program Manager III, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment athttp://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Wastewater Treatment Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP). Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits, and growth opportunities.

What You Will Be Doing: 

• Serve as program lead. Handle internal and external information inquiries, including sensitive topics. 
• Manage complex contracts and grants independently; provide technical analysis; make/modify recommendations for changing scopes of work.
• Develop program/policy recommendations and issue papers. Evaluate program and write reports.
• Manage data gathering for program partner needs, cohort experience, and lessons learned.
• Lead and coordinate program activities and events with partner organizations. 
• Develop and disseminate communication materials; strategize appropriate audience.
• Represent the program during engagement activities with partner organizations and community events. 
• Make staff and cohort member hiring recommendations.
• Coordinate work done by team and cohort members. Resolve disputes. Provide leadership to project team. 
• Coordinate review/comment processes related to program.
• May assign work to other staff and cohort members; provide performance evaluation information; serve as mentor.

Qualifications You Bring:

• A bachelor's degree in a related field.
• Three years or more of experience in a project/program management role or closely related field or a combination of experience and education that provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the work.
• Knowledge of project management and supervisory principles.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a diverse group of individuals and present information in a tactful and diplomatic manner.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing.
• Proven ability to prioritize workload, manage logistics, and work on multiple projects with changing priorities and/or conflicting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Success in problem-solving and consensus building among people with different viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds.
• Facilitation, negotiation, statistical analysis, quantitative, analytical, and problem-solving skills.  
• Strong software skills that support the delivery of work products as well as gathering, manipulating and using data, such as Word, Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, and database management programs.

• Washington State Driver's License.

• Master's Degree in a related field.
• Five years of experience that demonstrates a high level of workforce development knowledge as well as knowledge of planning, design, engineering, project management, project control, and/or construction management principles.
• Skills in program evaluation, advocacy, marketing, and promotion.
• Public speaking, presentation preparation, event planning, budget and policy analysis expertise.
• Experience developing and maintaining SharePoint sites.
• Experience in graphic design, including Canva software.

Working Conditions: 

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements typically 2-4 days per week. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104). This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department's vision of Green Where We Work.
• Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.  
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Technical Employees' Association (TEA). 

• Complete Application
• Resume 
• Cover Letter

Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Emiliya Makaryan at emiliya.makaryan@kingcounty.gov.