Open Space Conservation Unit Supervisor
- Summary
The King County Water and Land Resources Division is excited to announce the opening of the recruitment for the Open Space Conservation Unit Supervisor (Real Property Agent Supervisor classification) for the Open Space Conservation Unit in the Rural and Regional Services Section.
Why This is a Great Opportunity:King County leaders continues to take bold innovative steps in the provision of county services. In the realm of the county’s land base, leadership is committed to the idea that conserving a resilient land base, that supports the needs of people and the environment, is central to the health and best future of the County’s population. The County Executive has recognized this in at least four major initiatives: Clean Water Healthy Habitat, Strategic Climate Action Plan, Local Food Initiative, and the initiative that pulls it all together--the Land Conservation Initiative (LCI) https://kingcounty.gov/services/environment/water-and-land/land-conservation.aspx. These bold commitments include ensuring a land base with open spaces for climate resilience, recreation, land for food production, forests for timber and ecological health, restored river corridors for flood hazard management and salmon conservation, rectifying inequities, and creating innovative funding approaches to bring plans into reality. Woven through each of these plans is the foundational premise that a healthy county is one where all can thrive, and resources are distributed equitably. To achieve these purposes, the LCI has the inspirational goal of pursuing easements or fee title for over 60,000 acres of land funded through leading edge programs such as Conservation Future, Transfer of Development Rights, Mitigation Reserves Program, and sale of climate credits.
Strong population growth in King County is predicted to continue in the decade ahead placing additional challenges on the achievement of the LCI and other land conservation goals. While welcoming new residents and businesses, and sustaining and supporting thriving communities, leadership is seeking more ways to integrate and leverage actions to accelerate progress, add efficiencies, and reduce redundancies in the delivery of land conservation strategies. In this context King County is seeking a leader for the Open Space Conservation Unit who can join county leadership in boldly imagining a positive future while thriving in the realities of achieving that future. The successful candidate will savor the working relationships and creativity of highly skilled like-minded colleagues and bring the humility and professional generosity to engage partners and the broader community toward finding thoughtful robust pathways forward.
Why It's a Great Team:
The Open Space Conservation Unit leads the nation in the implementation of innovative approaches to financing conservation. The innovative work is grounded in the ongoing acquisition of lands to implement the King County Executive’s bold Land Conservation Initiative to preserve over 60,000 acres of land for public and environmental purposes. Implementation priorities are grounded in community engagement, science, and an energetic pursuit of opportunities. For example, out of this unit, staff imagined the opportunity associated with the pending sale of a hotel on a stretch of the highly developed Duwamish River that has since led to the creation of 6 acres of rare prime salmon rearing habitat funded by this unit’s in lieu fee program using mitigation funds for the acquisition, demolition, design, and construction of this project. This unit works in the Rural and Regional Services Section of the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks providing services throughout the WLR Division and to the Parks Division as well.
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.
Who is Eligible: This position is open to all qualified applicants.
Telecommuting Requirement
The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly by teleworking complemented with onsite work and meetings as needed. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington 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 employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
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 that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.
Work Location: Predominately 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 Career Service position works a 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday. Evening and weekend work may occasionally be required.- Job Duties
- Note: Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this Open Space Conservation Unit Supervisor position, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.
- Acquisitions - Provide direction and support to staff to ensure high quality service delivery of acquisitions in alignment with Executive initiatives and best real estate practices.
- Markets, Strategies and Policies – Participate in, implement, and work to develop and promote land conservation strategies, markets, and policies in alignment with Executive initiatives for climate resilience, clean water, healthy habitat, food security, and equity, and in consideration of or engagement with tribal partners.
- Equity and Social Justice –support a team where all can thrive and where the unit’s work reflects increased equity in hiring, in work processes and in the delivery of services and outcomes to the people we serve.
- Manage collaborative relationships with the internal and external client agencies, partners, tribes and identify opportunities for increased county and regional progress toward land conservation initiative goals. Share learnings with broader professional community.
- Supervise the open space conservation team toward highly effective service delivery including developing budgets, pursuing funding, monitoring/managing expenditures, hiring, establishing and monitoring workplans, identifying and resolving service delivery challenges, convening teams, developing effective hybrid work location approaches, delegating tasks, support staff development, completing annual performance appraisals, managing conflict, and resolving disciplinary issues.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Our Ideal Candidate will have the Following Competencies:
- Strategic Agility: Sees ahead clearly, can anticipate future consequences and trends accurately, has broad knowledge and perspective, is future oriented, can articulately paint credible pictures and visions of possibilities and likelihoods, can create competitive and breakthrough strategies and plans.
- Directing Others: Is good at establishing clear directions, sets stretching objectives; distributes the workload appropriately, lays out work in a well-planned and organized manner, maintains two-way dialogue with others on work and results, brings out the best in people, is a clear communicator.
- Interpersonal Savvy: Relates well to all kinds of people, up, down, and sideways, inside and outside the organization, builds appropriate rapport, builds constructive and effective relationships, uses diplomacy and tact, can diffuse even high-tension situations comfortably.
- Managerial Courage: Doesn't hold back anything that needs to be said, provides current, direct, complete, and "actionable" positive and corrective feedback to others, lets people know where they stand, faces up to people problems on any person or situation (not including direct reports) quickly and directly, is not afraid to take negative action when necessary.
- Timely Decision Making: Makes decisions in a timely manner, sometimes with incomplete information and under tight deadlines and pressure, able to make a quick decision.
- Functional/Technical Skills: Has the functional and technical knowledge and skills to do the job at a high level of accomplishment; respects others with similar knowledge and knows where gaps exist in the knowledge, skill, or experience of the team.
Minimum Qualifications:Demonstrated practical experience with state and federal property acquisition and permit procedures, property rights and relocation procedures, property management, application of eminent domain law and procedures, real estate appraisal and evaluation principles and terminology, commercial law, topography, finance, engineering plans, and the ability to interpret them.
Demonstrated experience leading a team of professionals to deliver on commitments, collaborate, innovate, and provide mutual support.
Demonstrated ability to develop, recommend, negotiate, and apply land conservation policies in the context of county government including experience with the Comprehensive Planning process and addressing priority population inequities.
Demonstrated ability to apply project management, negotiation skills and conflict resolution skills to complete land transactions, lead to policy adoption or that result in interpersonal conflict resolution.
Demonstrated experience leading high functioning teams that continue to meet commitments and innovate in the process.
Demonstrated proficiency in clear communications and effective professional relationships at all levels internally and externally including agency leadership, electeds, property owners, and the public.
Demonstrated experience and willingness to lead racial equity efforts related to this body of work
Desirable Experience, Knowledge, and Skills:
Master’s Degree or Sought-after Expertise in at least one of the core areas – real estate transactions using local state or federal funds; transfer of development rights, in lieu fee programs, conservation futures tax grant program.
Expertise in staff support to boards or advisory committees.
Knowledge of tribal treaty law and relationship to land transactions.
Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems experience.
Advanced level of knowledge of property acquisition, property rights and relocation procedures, property management, application of eminent domain law and procedures, real estate appraisal and valuation principles and terminology, relocation, and real-estate/commercial law.
Advanced level of knowledge of property acquisition, property rights and relocation procedures, property management, application of eminent domain law and procedures, real estate appraisal and valuation principles and terminology, relocation, and real-estate/commercial law.
- Supplemental Information
Application and Selection Process: Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness including online application, cover letter and resume, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews.
Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position:
- King County application
- Resume (2 pages max)
- Cover letter summarizing your experience in real estate, strategic land conservation policy, supervision/team leadership and staff development, collaboration, innovation, racial equity, and maintaining ethics where land transactions are occurring (2 pages max).
- Responses to supplemental questions
Union Membership: This position is not represented.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Jamie Jensen-Young, Human Resource Analyst
jjensenyoung@kingcounty.gov
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 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? 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? 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. Additionally, 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 layoff03Did you attach the required documents?
-Resume
and
-Cover Letter detailing how you meet or exceed the required knowledge, skills, and abilities of the position, and your experience as it relates to the primary job functions and desired qualifications.- Yes
- No
Required Question