Government Relations Administrator - Special Duty/TLT
- Summary
King County's Solid Waste Division is recruiting for a Government Relations Administrator to serve as the liaison between the division and the 37 cities that are part of the county's solid waste system and the County’s own legislative body. This will be Term Limited Temporary (TLT) position. This position may last up to two years, with the possibility of extension. This position is available for eligible King County employees as a special duty assignment.
We are looking for an effective problem solver who is sensitive to how people and organizations work, a skilled negotiator as well as a diplomat. This person will maintain constant vigilance on how the division's plans and activities may intersect with other regional and stakeholder interests. Even more, they will lead the division's thought process in terms of how to best work with these external parties to facilitate the implementation of our business plan.
Responsibilities will also include management of the division's legislative process, development of agreements with cities, research issues raised by cities to aid in the division's understanding of cities' perspectives; and coaching Solid Waste Division staff in developing strategies for communicating with cities. As a member of the senior leadership team, this person will contribute to strategy development, long-range planning, and oversight on the execution of division priorities and helping to ensure the county's solid waste system meets the needs of the partner cities.
Who May Apply: This opportunity is open to all qualified applicants. Eligible King County employees will have the opportunity to apply for this position as a special duty assignment.
Forms and Materials Required: Applicants must submit a (1) King County application form (2) and letter of interest detailing your background and describing how your education and experience meet the qualifications and has prepared you to perform the essential functions of the job.
Work Schedule: This position typically works Monday – Friday, 8 hours/day. Working some evenings and weekends may be needed.
Teleworking Requirement: The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly by teleworking, with occasional onsite work and meetings, as influenced by business needs. Employees will 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.
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 2015, SWD and the partnership proudly produced enough pipeline quality fuel to heat 19,000 homes in King County. Our business is operated as an enterprise fund where we are solely dependent upon our revenue generation to fund our operations and environmental mission. The SWD team is comprised of diverse talent ranging from heavy equipment operators and landfill technicians to marketing gurus and environmental scientists.
Examples of Job Duties:- Develop and oversee stakeholder relationship strategies to help maximize the effectiveness of the implemented business plan.
- Provide constant awareness of divisional plans and activities that may represent an area of special concern, interest, or sensitivity for our regional partners and advise on strategies, timing, and approach.
- Serve as the division lead for the Metropolitan Solid Waste Management Advisory Committee and King County Solid Waste Advisory Committee to support inclusion, engagement, and transparency goals.
- Facilitate politically sensitive discussions about solid waste programs
- Provide direct oversight to division legislative activities including package development, quality assurance, and briefing support.
- Negotiate inter-local agreements and MOUs with other jurisdictions on behalf of the division ? Serve as a technical expert to perform complex research and analysis
- Serve on the division's senior leadership team contributing strategic thought and oversight to ensure the realization of long-term goals by aligning actions to desired outcomes.
- Prepare motions and facilitate briefings with the council and executive office staff on key policy and operational issues.
- Inform division presentations to council and council committees and facilitate responses to information requests from the county and local elected officials.
An Ideal Candidate Will Have:- A Bachelor's degree in Public Administration or related field and experience in working and negotiating with various government and political entities to create agreements
- Knowledge of the solid waste industry including knowledge of solid waste disposal, collection, transfer station operation, or recycling programs or any combination of experience/education/training that clearly demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the scope of job duties of the position
- Demonstrated experience with and knowledge of state, federal, and local legislative process, committees, and oversight of legislation management
- Extensive demonstrated experience consulting on, developing, and implementing political strategies
- Extensive direct experience with government-sponsored committees and task forces developing political strategies and projects
- Ability to look at issues from diverse perspectives and create optimal solutions
- Ability to be politically savvy, including sensitivity to how people and organizations work
- Knowledge of research and analysis methods
- Knowledge of general government principles and procedures
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Policy development and interpretation skills
- Demonstrated facilitation and negotiation skills
- Skills in managing multiple tasks simultaneously
- Excellent communication skills including written and oral communication and listening skills.
- Knowledge and demonstrated experience in strategic planning techniques, principles, and practices preferably in a local government setting
- Demonstrated experience in synthesizing information and making recommendations within and outside of established policies and procedures
- Excellent organizational and planning skills
- Ability to effectively deal with ambiguity, learn on the fly and make quality decisions
Highly Competent Candidates Will Also Have:- Demonstrated success working with all levels of government, community organizations, and private sector businesses to develop and implement projects and strategies
- Extensive demonstrated experience developing and analyzing public policy for a governmental agency
Contact Information: For questions regarding this announcement, please contact Prakash Meloot at prakash.meloot@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-5262.- Supplemental Information
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
King County Executive Branch employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If you are the successful candidate for the position you applied for, the County will send you a conditional offer letter.
As a condition of employment, prior to a final offer of employment, you will be required to:- submit proof of vaccination, or
- have an approved request for medical or religious exemption and an approved accommodation. Philosophical, political, scientific, or sociological objections to vaccination will not be considered for an exemption or accommodation.
People are considered fully vaccinated against COVID-19 two weeks after receiving the final dose of a vaccination approved by the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The Executive Branch includes 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 the 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.
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01Do you have a Bachelor's degree in Public Administration or a related field?
- Yes
- No
02Do you have experience in working and negotiating with various government and political entities to create agreements?- Yes
- No
03If yes, please describe briefly your experience.04Do you have knowledge of the solid waste industry including knowledge of solid waste disposal, collection, transfer station operation, or recycling programs?- Yes
- No
05If answered no to the previous question, do you have any other combination of experience/education/training that clearly demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the scope of job duties of the position?06If answered 'yes' to question #5, please describe briefly your relevant skills and experience.07Are 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.
08If 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