King County Wastewater Treatment Division’s (WTD) Comprehensive Planning Unit has an exciting opportunity for a mid-level wastewater utility planner to help on a variety of planning efforts. The Comprehensive Planning Unit is responsible for the development of long-term plans, studies and activities that ensure that the WTD has the facilities and capacity to collect and treat wastewater from 34 component agencies in the greater Seattle metropolitan area. This position will participate in interdisciplinary teams to support intra- and interagency coordination, technical plan development, planning project management, and decision process support. This position will manage WTD’s climate preparedness planning project, will serve as a team member in support of the implementation and development of updates to WTD’s combined sewer overflow (CSO) control program, and will serve as a team member in support of development and implementation of an update to WTD’s comprehensive sewer plan (known as the Clean Water Plan). This position will also support other planning efforts to ensure the health and operation of the regional wastewater system, including managing system inflow and infiltration, increasing conveyance system capacity, increasing treatment capacity, and managing assets.

WTD is looking for an innovative mid-level wastewater utility planner with planning experience working on a variety of projects and programs in a municipal setting. This position requires both working independently and working as a team member supporting various leads, project/program managers, and operations staff. This position will be responsible for elements of the Comprehensive Planning Program, including representing the Program within the county and to outside agencies and the public.

WTD is committed to the principles of equity and social justice. We value diverse perspectives and life experiences in our workforce and are committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. WTD strives to provide equitable services to residents and businesses across King County.

Who is Eligible: This position is open to all qualified Technical Employees Association (TEA) Wastewater Treatment Division employees.

Work Location: This position will work remotely (home style work environment). There will be an expectation to travel to various worksites throughout King and South Snohomish County as needed for your work.

Work Schedule: This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible. This full-time position works a 40-hour work week., Monday through Friday.

To learn more about the Wastewater Treatment Division click on the below links:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/About.aspx
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wtd/About/Vision.aspx

• Serve as the project manager for WTD’s Climate Change Preparedness effort, which working to incorporate climate impacts into capital planning of wastewater facilities, including overseeing climate adaptation studies; tracking scopes, schedules, and budgets; coordinating with other WTD climate impact efforts; and facilitating WTD’s climate adaptation work group.
• Serve as team member and liaison for the Comprehensive Planning Unit on WTD committees/teams.
• Assist in the development and implementation of moderately complex planning strategies, goals, and objectives under the direction of program leads or supervisor.
• Participate as a team member on WTD’s CSO program and support the preparation of annual reports, area specific CSO control plans, operations related efforts, and updates to WTD’s CSO Long-Term Control Plan. Includes applying planning principles, policy development and regulatory strategy to CSO projects and plans as well as coordinating with other interrelated planning efforts such as the Clean Water Plan.
• Serve as a team member of WTD’s Clean Water Plan project team to support the preparation and implementation of a major update to WTD’s comprehensive sewer plan
• Apply Project and Program Management industry standards and practices to their work.
• Support management of diverse teams that include technical experts from multiple county Sections or Departments.
• Support, develop and manage planning processes to ensure that the appropriate and timely decisions are made and documented.
• Support program managers with project management tasks associated with the program updates, studies, consultant teams, or other program activities.
• Coordinate, review, and track the implementation of agreements, plans, tasks, and deliverables – including staff assignments, schedules, and communications – of interagency coordination.
• Implement cross-agency meetings for plan development, data review, etc., identifying the correct people to participate, ensuring that information is shared, and that all participants contribute. Document meeting results, assignments, and agreements.
• Make oral presentations to senior managers, community groups, and the general public.
• Support the County’s Equity and Social Justice Initiative.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in public policy, urban planning, environmental engineering, environmental science, or closely related field or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Increasingly responsible relevant project management, planning, environmental review, and/or policy development experience.
• Experience working with and interpreting laws, regulations, permitting, standards, and processes, including compliance data and reporting, associated with construction and operation of wastewater conveyance and treatment facilities.
• Experience developing, coordinating, reviewing, and/or assessing the feasibility of various types of technical, costing and policy analyses, such as scopes of work, literature reviews, environmental analyses, regulatory analyses, water quality plans, research findings, or data analyses.
• Knowledge of wastewater conveyance and treatment principles.
• Knowledge of planning principles and practices including ability to create a planning process with tasks, decision points, a schedule and coordination linkages.
• Experience implementing various capital project management techniques, principles, and practices.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully with a diverse group of stakeholders, including the public and decision makers.
• Ability to identify issues needing management attention and input.
• Demonstrated ability to think conceptually, observe and evaluate trends, and to analyze and draw logical conclusions.
• Experience giving presentations about complex subjects to non-experts.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to be adaptive and navigate complexity, ambiguity and uncertainty under shifting priorities and tight timelines.

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have The Following Competencies:
Technical Expertise – Provides technical input and support to project teams by conducting research, analyses, assessments, reviews, and coordination on a wide range of possible topics, including but not limited to CSO control, climate change, regulatory requirements and compliance, and outreach to stakeholders.

Plans and Aligns –Sets objectives to align with broader organizational goals. Breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions. Stages activities with relevant milestones and schedules. Anticipates and adjusts effective contingency plans.
Collaborates – Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas. Partners with others to get work done. Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments. Gains trust and support of others.
Interpersonal Savvy – Relates comfortably with people across levels, functions, culture, and geography. Acts with diplomacy and tact. Builds rapport in an open, friendly, and accepting way. Builds constructive relationships and with people both similar and different to self. Picks up on interpersonal and group dynamics.
Strategic Mindset – Anticipates future trends and implications accurately. Readily poses future scenarios. Articulates credible pictures and visions of possibilities that will create sustainable value. Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action.

License/Certification: 

• Valid Washington State Driver’s License within 30 days of hire, or the ability to provide transportation to remote work locations with limited or no public transportation service

Highly Desired:

• Envision Sustainability Professional ENV SP
• Knowledge of climate change impacts in the Pacific Northwest.

Physical Requirements: Ability to safely visit various construction sites and wastewater treatment and conveyance facilities.

Work Environment: Work is performed in both a home office environment and in the field at wastewater treatment facilities of various types throughout King County.  These sites may not be served by public transit.

Union Representation: This position is represented by the Technical Employee’s Association (TEA).

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Diana Eberly
Senior Human Resource Analyst
206-477-6899
Diana.eberly@kingcounty.gov

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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.

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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.

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