Principal Planner & Demographer

Summary Join Our Team as a Principal Planner & Demographer in the Department of Local Services (DLS) – King County

The Department of Local Services Director's Office is seeking an experienced planning professional to serve as Principal Planner & Demographer. This position will independently lead complex long-range planning, policy, legislative, and demographic initiatives that shape the future of unincorporated King County.

King County is the local service provider for the roughly one quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; collectively, these communities would be the second largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director’s Office, Road Services, and Permitting. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivering local services to all unincorporated areas.

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity and Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge this journey is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

Applying equity and racial and social justice is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.

• Independently lead complex long-range planning, policy, and legislative initiatives from scoping through adoption and implementation.
• Lead or play a principal role in Comprehensive Plan amendments, subarea plans, land use and zoning studies, development code amendments, and related implementation efforts.
• Establish project scope, work plans, schedules, decision points, engagement approaches, and measures of success; identify risks and resolve challenges affecting delivery.
• Lead cross-departmental and interjurisdictional teams, often without direct supervisory authority, and build the alignment and accountability needed to keep work moving.
• Mentor planning staff and provide technical guidance, quality review, and support for consistent and effective planning practices.

• Serve as DLS’s lead demographic resource, conducting and coordinating demographic and growth forecasting work, including Urban Growth Capacity and Buildable Lands analysis, growth targets, Census data, and analysis of population, housing, employment, migration, equity indicators, and related trends.
• Integrate demographic, geographic, financial, and operational data to inform planning, service delivery, policy development, and legislative decisions.
• Coordinate with County, regional, and state partners and communicate methods, findings, and limitations clearly through reports, maps, presentations, and other accessible products.

• Develop and recommend land use policies, development code amendments, legislative proposals, reports, and implementation strategies.
• Evaluate legal, operational, financial, equity, and political considerations; identify tradeoffs and recommend practical, implementable approaches.
• Prepare clear decision materials and technical products for senior leaders and elected officials, and collaborate with legal, operational, and policy partners to develop and review legislation.
• Monitor planning and policy developments affecting unincorporated communities and support alignment between Comprehensive Plan policies, regulations, and implementation.

• Develop and implement inclusive engagement and communication strategies that center communities most affected by planning decisions and inform policy…