Community Relations/Public Involvement Planner (Project/Program Manager II)
- Summary
This is a term-limited temporary/special duty assignment expected to conclude in December of 2023. The Solid Waste Division’s Strategy, Communication and Performance section is currently looking for a community relations/public involvement planner to support its communications, public outreach and engagement on the planning, design and construction of infrastructure projects. This position will also support the division’s government relations section by assisting with presentations, talking points, and correspondence.
Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants. The Solid Waste Division values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The division encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities and veterans.
Telecommuting Requirement
The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly by telecommuting, with occasional onsite work and meetings, as influenced by business needs. Employees will also have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. 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
Forms and Materials required: Applicants must submit a (1) King County Application, (2) resume, (3) letter of interest, and (4) at least 2 recent, relevant writing samples (excerpts from longer documents are acceptable), up to 6 pages total. The letter of interest should describe how your education and experience meet the qualifications and have prepared you to perform the essential functions of the job.
Work Schedule: This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible. This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. The normal workweek is Monday through Friday 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
About Solid Waste Division
A division within King County's Department of Natural Resources & Parks, the award winning and innovative Solid Waste Division (SWD) has been recognized for operational excellence. The division's line of business is comprised of waste prevention, resource recovery, and waste disposal. This robust and dynamic enterprise funded division has an annual budget exceeding $100 million. More than 400 employees create value for customers across ten active locations (eight recycling and transfer facilities). Resources are harvested on-site and refuse is transported by SWD to the Cedar Hills Regional Landfill in Maple Valley, Washington. Through a public/private partnership, landfill gas is captured and converted to clean natural gas. In 2019, SWD and the partnership proudly produced enough pipeline quality fuel to heat 19,600 homes in King County.
King County’s Solid Waste Division brings the best people together to deliver value to our customers and stakeholders and continuously improve waste prevention, resource recovery, and waste disposal.
- Job Duties
Support the work team’s efforts in the following areas:
- Support the Solid Waste Division’s capital project management teams to help design and implement public involvement plans that inform and engage communities in various levels of decision making on various projects. Use tools such as the IAP2 Spectrum of Public Participation and King County’s Community Engagement Guide to help the team plan strategies and tactics that solicit public input at appropriate milestones in a capital project schedule.
- Plan, organize and staff events for various audiences with different levels of project interest and understanding, including in-person/virtual public meetings, tabling at public events or festivals, community group briefings, and in-person/virtual open houses.
- Represent the Solid Waste Division at public meetings and events; share information, listen to community concerns and help resolve problems.
- Compile, assess and summarize community input, and present information to key internal and external stakeholders.
- Lead research, writing, and production of project-specific communication targeted to diverse audiences using a variety of media (correspondence, print, web, presentations, video, and social media). Create concise, accurate, aesthetically-pleasing content for printed materials, displays, and digital media on tight deadlines.
- Act as liaison with other division staff involved in capital project planning, strategic planning, and community engagement.
- Develop communications to respond to diverse community concerns and diverse communities, including people with limited English proficiency.
- Other duties as assigned
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Our Ideal Candidate Will Have:
- Demonstrated progressive responsibilities in the field of communications, event planning and community outreach and engagement.
- Familiarity with capital project planning, design and construction.
- Excellent writing skills; familiarity with Associated Press style and Plain Language guidelines.
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-pressure environments and quickly creating communication materials for a variety of target audiences including: elected officials, senior management, community members, advisory groups, and internal staff and management.
- Experience planning, organizing and staffing events and outreach activities for a wide variety of audiences.
- Demonstrated skills in performing community outreach, including collecting and processing feedback to help inform decision making.
- Experience communicating with individuals and groups with diverse backgrounds.
- Ability to maintain professionalism when working with customers who are upset or angry.
- Experience working with a variety of social media platforms including GovDelivery, Twitter, Facebook and WordPress, and a solid command of PowerPoint.
Our Highly Competitive Candidate Will Have:
- Excellent project management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects or activities with competing deadlines while producing high quality work.
- Ability to coordinate internal staff and managers to engage directly with the public, including prepping staff with key messages, talking points, organizing staffing of public meetings, events, and outreach activities.
- Experience creating content and coordinating the production of communication materials, such as FAQ's, key messages, website content, handouts, mailers, posters, presentations, display boards, social media, and multi-media, for the purpose of explaining technical information in a public-friendly way that invites participation.
- Experience demonstrating sound judgment in politically sensitive, stressful environments with the ability to maintain professionalism with SWD staff and leadership, community groups, elected officials, and the general public.
- Photography, video and graphic design skills.
- Experience or interest in the environmental field, especially solid waste management and capital projects and an interest in government relations.
- Supplemental Information
Special Requirements: A valid Washington Driver License (or ability to obtain one upon hire), or alternative ability to travel in a timely manner to various locations on short notice including to sites which may not be served by public transportation.
Union Membership: This position is represented by Teamsters Local 117 – Professional and Technical
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.
Covid-19 Vaccination Requirement
As of October 18, 2021, most* King County employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If hired, you will be required to submit proof of vaccination by October 18th. People are considered fully vaccinated two weeks after their second dose in a two-dose series or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine. Employees may make requests for a reasonable accommodation based on a medical disability or for sincerely held religious beliefs. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.
This directive applies to employees in the Executive branch*, the Assessor's Office, Elections, the King County Sheriff's Office, and the Executive Office.
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.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
- Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
- Retirement: King County employees are eligible to participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
- Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
- 10 paid holidays each year (plus 2 personal holidays)
- Generous vacation and paid sick leave
- Paid parental leave, family and medical leaves, and volunteer leave
- Flexible Spending Account
- Wellness programs
- Onsite gyms and activity centers
- Employee giving program
- Employee assistance programs
- Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
- Training and career development programs
This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails. Also, in the event of any incorrect information in this document, applicable laws, policies, rules, CBAs, or official plan documents will prevail.
NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.
For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
-
01Are you applying to this position as an eligible Current or Previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant AND Is this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff AND Do you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
- Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my role at King County AND I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. AND The position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
- No.
02If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided: 1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice 2. The department you worked in 3. The effective date of your layoffRequired Question