Interim Director, Office of Equity and Social Justice
- Summary
The Office of Executive is seeking a highly-skilled and creative team player who can lead King County's Office of Equity and Social Justice. King County has integrated equity and social justice as an essential part of King County's work. The Interim Director serves as the lead in implementing and realizing the vision of King County as a welcoming place where all persons can thrive The ideal individual for this position will have in-depth experience and knowledge of local and national equity and social justice issues, and will be able to implement complex changes and innovative strategies working closely with government leaders and staff, community organizations and leaders, and partner organizations. The position requires strong leadership and communications skills, with extensive people management experience.
ABOUT KING COUNTY
As the only county in the United States 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 community with residents who represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that values the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. King County is changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence.
The County continues to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovative thinking, and continuous improvement. King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda aimed at advancing regional change and is developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all of our residents, regardless of their race or income. All of these qualities make King County one of the nation's best places to live, work, and play. The Office of Equity and Social Justice is a driver of these efforts and provides strategic direction and resources internally and externally to support the systemic changes occurring.
ABOUT THE OFFICE AND THIS POSITION
King County Executive Dow Constantine has highlighted equity and social as one of his top priorities and a great generational challenge of our time. The Office of Equity and Social Justice is a part of the King County Executive's Office. It was established in early 2015, and serves to implement equity, as well as racial and social justice across and within King County government through three major areas of work: the 2016-2022 Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, the integration of immigrant and refugee communities to King County, and Civil Rights.
To read more, please visit:- Equity and Social Justice: www.kingcounty.gov/equity
- Job Duties
The successful candidate, at a minimum, will:
- In close partnership with the Executive Office, develop and implement policy, systems change and community engagement strategies to further our commitment to equity and social justice.
- Lead and manage a high-performing team of staff.
- Develop and maintain broad and deep relationships with community leaders and advocates, government officials and other key players around social justice issues.
- Forge and implement strategies and policies with the community leaders and partner organizations around emerging challenges and opportunities
- Work with members of the Executive's leadership teams and department directors and staff to leverage King County's services and investments in support of equity and social justice.
- Contribute substantively and lead King County's equity and social justice portfolio strategy through research, evaluation of ongoing work, and scoping of new possibilities
- Regularly represent King County as lead expert at local and regional meetings and in presentations, as appropriate.
- Serve as a lead and supervisor as necessary.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
- Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- At least 5-10 years of experience working for government, non-profits or related field where equity and social justice issues were a significant content area of the position
- Leadership ability and management experience are essential qualifications for this position.
- Comprehensive, specialized knowledge in the social justice field, with a deep understand of national and local issues
- Strong project management skills, and demonstrated experience in developing and implementing complex plans and strategies
- Demonstrated success in advancing social change strategies, including planning and implementing modifications in response to an evolving situation
- Excellent written and oral communications skills.
- Has lived experience working in a professional and/or personal capacity towards racial justice, anti-racism, or social justice issues.
The ideal candidate will deliver measurable accomplishments through leading collaborative approaches among government and partner organizations utilizing the following leadership competencies:- Collaborative, such as encouraging collaboration rather than competition between different groups
- Strategic agility, such as seeing ahead clearly and anticipating future consequences and trends accurately
- Creativity, such as coming up with new and innovative ideas
- Decision quality, such as making good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment
- Politically savvy, such as maneuvering through complex political situations effectively
- Negotiating, such as negotiating skillfully in tough situations with both internal and external groups.
- Supplemental Information
Important Process Note:
As a special duty assignment, this opportunity is open only to current employees of King County government.
Selected candidates will be asked to make themselves available for an interview on Monday, December 16 or Tuesday, December 17.
Please note: The Office of the Executive values diverse perspectives and life experiences. The Executive Office encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans.
King County provides a generous employee benefits package, including comprehensive health benefits, paid parental leave, and time to volunteer. For details, see: https://www.kingcounty.gov/audience/employees/careers/why-work-here.aspx
FORMS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED: To apply for this interim appointment, please email the following application components: 1) a resume, 2) a letter of interest to HR Manager Seth Watson at seth.watson@kingcounty.gov. For questions, you may email or call 206-477-5330.
NECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS: Valid State Driver's License or the ability to travel throughout King County in timely manner. Some evening and weekend work required.
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.