The Science Section’s mission is to provide scientific knowledge, information, and analysis in support of regional environmental resource management. We collect, analyze, model, and interpret information that supports a variety of King County’s environmental programs, including those that address wastewater and stormwater treatment, habitat, and surface water management. This position will be providing coordination and technical support for the Water Quality Benefits Evaluation (WQBE) Toolkit  being developed under the Clean Water Healthy Habitat initiative.

The WQBE Toolkit will provide transparent, consistent methods for evaluating the water quality benefits of potential investments related to stormwater and wastewater treatment. The WQBE Toolkit will support County decision-makers, in part, by estimating current pollutant loads using Loading Simulation Program in C++ (LSPC) modeling and identifying cost-effective investments using System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) models. The current clients for the WQBE Toolkit are King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division and Stormwater Services Section who have strategic planning efforts underway. However, additional partners or clients may be identified over the course of this position’s term, and could include environmental non-governmental organizations, local and state government agencies, and tribes.

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.

Duration: This is a Term-Limited Temporary position (TLT) or Special Duty Assignment that is currently approved until December 31, 2022.

Who is Eligible: This position is open to all King County employees and the general public. If the successful applicant is a King County career service employee, this position will be offered as a Special Duty Assignment. Employees must have their current supervisor’s approval to accept a Special Duty Assignment.

Telecommuting Requirement
The work associated with this position will be performed remotely on a full time basis. Employees will also have access to shared workspaces at King Street Center at 201 S. Jackson Street in downtown Seattle. There will be situations where the employee is required to report to a County worksite. Employees must reside in WA state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. 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. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.

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.

Work Location: Primarily teleworking and the King Street Center 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle WA 98104

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.

• Build collaborative relationships with partner organizations, such as The Nature Conservancy and municipal stormwater permittees, that are working on similar modeling and evaluation techniques. This will require coordination with the project’s outreach lead and consultant team. Tasks will include:
  • communicating with interested partner organizations about project goals and methods,
  • identifying opportunities for collaboration based on complementary interests and timelines, and
  • comparing project schedules to identify key milestones for coordination.
• Ensure thorough and timely consultant deliverables by supporting the project manager in tracking scope, schedule, and budget for model development tasks.
• Attend and participate in coordination meetings with King County planning efforts that will use WQBE Toolkit outputs. Identify, delegate, and/or complete action items to meet client needs in coordination with the project manager.
• Promote and foster an equitable and socially just workplace by applying King County’s Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan and incorporating these principles into project goals and deliverables.
• Assist the team in preparing materials to communicate key technical information about model development and outputs to a variety of audiences, including technical staff, King County leadership, external subject matter experts, and/or partner organizations.
• Develop scope for new modeling tasks to support collaboration with partner organizations to increase the use and relevance of the WQBE models for water quality decisions at a regional scale. This task could include seeking new funding sources through grants or developing and managing interagency agreements.

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have The Following Competencies:

• Manages ambiguity – Operating effectively even when things are not certain, or the way forward is unclear.
• Collaborates – Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Interpersonal savvy – Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Plans and Aligns – Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Ensures accountability – Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Instills trust – Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

Required Qualifications:

• At least two (2) years of education and/or work experience in one or more of the following fields: environmental science, environmental engineering, environmental modeling, stormwater management, hydrology, or closely related discipline.
• Experience managing the scope, schedule, and budget of multi-year (2 or more years), multi-team member projects related to natural resource management (e.g., environmental modeling, water quality protection, stormwater or wastewater management, habitat restoration, or other).
• A minimum of one (1) year experience facilitating coordination of a multidisciplinary team of scientists.
• A minimum of one (1) year work experience using Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.
• Work experience preparing and presenting information in a variety of formats and media (e.g., PowerPoint slides, fact sheets, memorandum, meeting handouts, and/or technical reports).
• Experience communicating and collaborating with external partners with diverse needs and backgrounds, such as local governments, tribes, and/or nongovernmental organizations.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully under supervision, independently, and as part of a team.
  

The Most Competitive Candidates May Have:

• Experience using geospatial, watershed or pollutant loading models to support environmental planning or decision-making.
• Work experience drafting figures or graphics to communicate scientific results.
• Conceptual familiarity with Hydrologic Simulation Program – Fortran (HSPF) or Loading Simulation Program in C++ (LSPC) and System for Urban Stormwater Treatment and Analysis Integration (SUSTAIN) models.
• Work or educational experience in stormwater or wastewater engineering, management, or regulations.
• Experience applying for and managing grants.
• Knowledge of local collaborative environmental programs and entities such as the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP).
• Experience advancing equity and social justice in a workplace setting.  
  

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.