Environmental and Community Services Section Manager

Summary

This opportunity is open to current King County employees. We are not accepting external applications at this time.

This is a Special Duty Assignment for approximately 4 to 6 months.

The Department of Natural Resources and Parks is seeking an energetic and motivated candidate to provide high level guidance and manage the daily operations of the Wastewater Environmental and Community Services (ECSS) Section within the King County Wastewater Treatment Division. The ECSS Section manager is a member and active participant of the Division Leadership Team which sets organizational vision and strategy, supports the success of our workforce, and champions strategic execution of critical operations and functions.

This position reports to the division director.

The ECSS Section has over 110 employees supporting King County’s largest capital program, education and engagement, and managing the King County pretreatment program. The Section is organized into five units:
Industrial Waste, Regulatory Compliance and Land Acquisition, Environmental Planning, Community Services, and Education and Engagement.

In this position, during this 4-6 month Special Duty Assignment (SDA), you will have the opportunity to bolster our region’s public health and environment protection every day. You will ensure strong service and coordination among ECSS work units in support of WTD’s Capital Improvement Program. You will also manage the work group’s efforts to support WTD Operations staff in their work running one of our region’s most complex and important infrastructure systems.

This position requires cooperation and collaboration with many different work units, external partners and regulatory agencies. To be successful, you must be able to facilitate open dialog with a wide variety of contributors, sometimes balancing conflicting interests or opinions. As a key leader in the organization, you will be responsible for effectively managing and communicating with staff, with fellow division leadership members, and with department and Executive leadership.

You will lead the way through active engagement with staff to foster an anti‑racist, pro‑equity workplace where everyone can thrive, and work with division leadership to ensure services are equitably provided to the residents of King County. You will foster relationships, collaboration, and teamwork across the division so the division functions as “One King County.”

• Manage the daily operations of section programs, providing technical assistance to staff and internal and external clients.
• Lead business teams in developing and fulfilling annual business plans. Assure that programs within the section are integrated in their delivery of services to both capital projects and operations and are aligned with division and department business plans and priorities.
• Oversee and coordinate analyses and implementation of new and expanding regulatory mandates. Work collaboratively with other government and regulatory agencies or King County departments to address environmental policies and issues. Represent King County on technical issues to other agencies, including regulatory agencies.
• Provide high‑level technical expertise. Manage applicable operations and processes, ensuring methodologies and technical systems meet regulatory requirements and industry standards.
• Conduct complex negotiations and manage environmental cleanup work programs in partnership with public and private entities and with federal oversight.
• Manage grant‑making programs and associated budget development; manage public education programs and the Christie True Environmental Education Center and City Soil Farm.
• Manage unit managers and program supervisors within the section. Manage section staff, including hiring, performance, job progression, training, coaching, and discipline. Assure regular and timely communication of program issues to section staff.
• Provide management support, problem‑solving, and conflict resolution to collective bargaining and labor relations processes. Administer collective bargaining agreements.
• Provide leadership in strategic planning processes and decision‑making that…