The Environmental Health Services Division is seeking applicants who will lead the On-site Sewage System Operation and Maintenance (OSS O&M) Program in building community and stakeholder partnerships. These partnerships will be foundational to providing services to OSS owners in King County. The ideal candidate will be passionate about equitable community engagement and partnering with local advocacy groups, organizations, and businesses. They will be skilled at project planning and implementation and socially intuitive in assessing partners’ barriers, needs, and motivations for collaboration. The Partnerships Coordinator will design, implement, and evaluate efforts to expand water quality stewardship opportunities to address fecal pollution in specific focus areas. They will pursue equitable partnerships and engagement with OSS owners, industry professionals, real estate and escrow agents, and community-based organizations (CBOs) throughout King County.

ABOUT THE ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH SERVICES DIVISION: 
Through the work of over 150 dedicated employees, the Environmental Health Services Division identifies and sustains environmental conditions that promote health equity and healthy people and communities in Seattle and King County. Our vision is healthy, safe, and vibrant communities that are free of health disparities based on race, gender or economic status. The Division’s core values include equity and social justice, integrity, community service, collaboration, a supportive work culture, and learning from each other and the communities we serve.

To learn more, please visit https://www.kingcounty.gov/ehs.
 

COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE:
As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation’s history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.

We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all – in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts.

To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

• Maintain and grow community engagement efforts on Vashon-Maury Island, specifically partnering with local CBOs and other partners to expand outreach to shoreline property owners.
• Conduct stakeholder analysis to better understand barriers and motivations experienced by OSS owners in King County, with a focus on Poverty Bay Shellfish Protection District and Lake Sawyer-Covington Creek watershed.
• Lead community engagement and partnership development for the Covington Creek-Lake Sawyer Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) advisory group to incorporate community-driven and equity-based decisions and protocols into PIC work.
• Establish partnerships and contracts with community members and CBOs in the Poverty Bay Shellfish Protection District and Lake Sawyer-Covington Creek watershed to build long-term watershed stewardship and pollution prevention.
• Provide technical assistance and guidance to community partners to build capacity for improving water quality.
• Collaborate with community partners and contractors to design innovative workshops, multi-lingual outreach tools, and culturally-appropriate trainings as needed to build community knowledge and skills to maintain on-site sewage systems (OSS) and prevent failures. (Training about OSS technology, maintenance, and impacts to water quality will be provided as needed to the selected applicant.)
• Identify opportunities for community engagement and outreach and, as appropriate, provide direct community outreach at relevant functions, such as virtual community events, health fairs, and farmer’s markets.
• Evaluate current outreach to new OSS owners, seeking input from real estate industry, to develop and implement strategies to improve communication and outreach.
• Incorporate community engagement, equity, and antiracism considerations into program services, such as complaint and failure response, OSS inspection reviews, and OSS industry certifications.

• At least three years of experience in community engagement and outreach related to environmental or environmental health topics.
• Demonstrated understanding of environmental health topics, codes, and regulations and ability to apply this technical scientific information to develop messaging and prioritize communication strategies.
• Demonstrated skill in designing and implementing innovative and culturally-appropriate environmental health outreach for diverse communities and groups.
• Demonstrated skill using social marketing approaches for environmental and public health issues.
• Demonstrated skill in identifying key community partners and developing opportunities for community-driven work within a given scope of work.
• Demonstrated experience developing and maintaining successful partnerships to ensure program services meet community needs
• Demonstrated experience coordinating and managing government interactions with stakeholders who have diverse perspectives and strong opinions about program services.
• Demonstrated experience working effectively as a team player to collaborate and accomplish complex project goals.
• Demonstrated skill addressing institutional racism and the impact it has on health inequities and environmental injustices.
• Ability to independently manage multiple tasks to deliver quality and timely products.
• Ability and willingness to work a flexible schedule, including weekends and evenings, according to community needs.

 
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Environmental Health, Public Health, Health Promotion, Health Communication, Environmental Science, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• Experience in outreach and engagement in the field of water quality and pollution prevention.
• Demonstrated experience developing and managing contracts.
• Ability to speak multiple languages (key languages for our audience are Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean).
• Skill in oral and written communication and presentation skills.

LICENSING/CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS:

• Valid Washington State driver’s license by the time of hire.

WORKING CONDITIONS & PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: 

• This position requires the ability to perform work duties both indoors in an office environment and in the field in a variety of weather conditions.
• Exposure to individuals from the public who are upset, angry, agitated, and sometimes hostile, requiring the use of conflict management and de-escalation skills.
• This position will require the incumbent to occasionally travel by ferry.

Forbes recently named King County as one of Washington State’s best employers. 

Together, with leadership and our employees, we’re changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation’s best places to live, work and play. 

Guided by our “True North“, we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles–we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified internal and external candidates. To be considered as a Special Duty applicant, you must be a current Career Service, King County employee who has successfully passed probation and must get your supervisor approval if this assignment is offered to you.

This position is expected to last through January 2023.

Application Process: 
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• An electronic application through www.kingcounty.gov/jobs or www.governmentjobs.com (use the “Apply” link) including work history and position duties.
• A cover letter describing your interest in this position and how do you meet the required qualifications for this job.
• Responses to supplemental questions.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state “see my resume” or “see my personnel file” are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

• The selection process may include but is not limited to: evaluation of application materials and supplemental questions, interviewing, and testing. For more information on our selection process, please refer to www.kingcounty.gov/depts/health/jobs/hiring.
• Regular and reliable attendance, effective communication skills, and development of effective working relationships are requirements of all Public Health positions.
• Staff may be required to play an active role in the event of a public health emergency, which may include changes in responsibilities, work location and working hours.

Necessary Special Requirements

• The selected candidate will be required to submit to a thorough background investigation. Records are not automatically-disqualifying.
• Employees are required to protect the privacy and security of protected health information as defined in State and Federal Law.
• Employees are required to adhere to OSHA/WISHA guidelines including but not limited to completing required training on time.

Work Schedule: The regular work schedule is Monday through Friday, 40 hours per week This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime-eligible. Occasional evenings, weekends, on-call work, and some travel are required.

Work Location: 
Currently telework with occasional work at Eastgate Public Health Center located at 14350 SE Eastgate Way, Bellevue.

Temporary Telecommuting Requirement
Some of the work associated with this position will be performed remotely, at least through July 5, 2021 in compliance with King County’s telecommuting mandate.  Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.  Employees must reside in WA state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.  There will be situations where the employee is required to report to a County worksite.  Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required by the department in alignment with the Public Health Directive from the Seattle & King County Public Health Officer.

To support employees during this time King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.

Union Affiliation:
This position is represented by Protec Local 17 a labor union.

Contact
If you have questions about the position, please contact Meagan Jackson at mejackson@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-0547. If you have questions regarding the recruitment process, please contact Nic Horea, Senior Human Resource Analyst at nicolae.horea@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-8736.