Open Space Program – Project / Program Manager III
- Summary
King County Parks and Recreation Division is seeking a Project/Program Manager III to join its Open Space Program. This position will assist with open space land acquisition, community engagement, site planning, management, and stewardship activities. Duties will include developing strategic proposals to acquire open space lands, coordinating natural restoration and recreation amenity development projects, writing grant applications, participating in partnership opportunities and community engagement, researching and writing site management plans, and managing ongoing property issues. This position will serve as one of the four Senior Planners/Project Managers for the Open Space Program. The work of this position is geographically based, and currently expected to cover southern areas of the county, including the Green and White River basins (portions of King County Parks’ Five Mile and Newaukum districts).
About the Division: Be a part of King County Parks! King County Parks has evolved from 150 acres in 1938 to more than 32,000 acres. Today, our system consists of more than 205 parks, 175 miles of regional trails, and 250 miles of backcountry trails. Our mission is to steward, enhance and acquire parks to inspire healthy communities. We seek to cultivate strong relationships with community partners to enhance park amenities for all King County residents to enjoy today and for generations to come. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/parks.
And check us out on the socials at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.
Who is Eligible: This position is open to all qualified applicants, King County and the Parks and Recreation Division values diverse perspectives and life experience and encourages people of all backgrounds to apply.
Individuals interested in joining our team must be committed to racial, social and economic equality for ALL people in King County. We welcome applications from people who will help us consistently demonstrate the values of equity, respect and partnership.
To learn about the King County Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan click here.
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 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.
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.
Hiring Pool Notice: This recruitment may be used to create an eligibility pool to fill current and future Project/Program Manager III positions over the next six months. These positions may be Term-Limited-Temporary (TLT), Special Duty Assignment (SDA), or Career Service (FTE).- Job Duties
- Open space acquisition: Assess and pursue open space land acquisition opportunities consistent with the division’s mission and goals.
- Site planning, restoration, recreational amenities, and management: Assess, recommend, and help implement capital improvements and restoration opportunities on open space lands, including trail planning, use compatibility, and access.
- Grant seeking and management: Prepare and manage grant applications for land acquisition and park development.
- Internal collaboration: Coordinate with other King County staff and programs to collaboratively advance open space conservation and recreational projects, and to resolve technical issues.
- External collaboration, communications and public engagement: Coordinate public outreach processes associated with project proposals and plans. Key audiences and partners could include elected officials, municipalities, federal and state agencies, Tribes, citizens, and community groups. Help develop informational materials that support public understanding and engagement.
- Equity and social justice: Understand and implement best practices to address historic inequities related to open space access and recreational investments and programming.
- Open space acquisition: Assess and pursue open space land acquisition opportunities consistent with the division’s mission and goals.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Required Qualifications:
- Experience in natural lands conservation and/or acquisition: Working knowledge of, and experience with principles of planning, environmental and land use regulations, natural resource management, forestry, and real estate law.
- Excellent program and project management skills: Ability to independently develop scope, schedule and budget, and manage projects through completion.
- Effective communication skills: Experience communicating technical and policy issues with varied levels of staff, consultants, community groups, landowners, and the public. Ability to deal tactfully, patiently, and courteously with a variety of audiences.
The Successful Candidate Will Have the Following Competencies:- Strategic mindset: Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough approaches and solutions.
- Collaborates with others: Builds partnerships to meet shared objectives.
- Action oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
- Plans and prioritizes: Works to meet commitments and aligns with organizational goals.
- Manages complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
- Organizationally savvy: Able to maneuver comfortably through complex policy, process and people-related organizational dynamics.
The Most Competitive Candidates Will Have:- Experience and knowledge working on natural lands conservation in King County, especially the south areas of the county including the Green River and White River watersheds.
- A degree in Regional/Urban Planning, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Forestry, Public Administration or a related discipline.
- Working knowledge of comprehensive planning, strategic planning, and park/open space planning, zoning codes, and park regulations and rules.
- Experience with GIS and GPS.
- 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
- Cover Letter detailing your background and what you can bring to this position
- Responses to supplemental questions
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Shawna Ousse at sousse@kingcounty.gov or (206) 263-3536
Jessica Fuqua at jfuqua@kingcounty.gov or (206) 848-0342
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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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 layoff03Describe your experience related to conserving, acquiring, restoring, and /or programming natural lands, which could include (but not be limited to) property acquisition, site development, grant writing and management, and/or trail-based recreation projects.Required Question