Comprehensive Plan Manager; Government Relations Officer

Comprehensive Plan Manager (Government Relations Officer)

The Department of Local Services Director's Office is seeking a strategic, senior leader to serve as Comprehensive Plan Manager (Government Relations Officer), responsible for leading King County's Comprehensive Plan work program and advancing countywide and regional planning initiatives.

This role sits at the center of some of the County's most visible and complex policy work. You will provide strategic direction, cross-agency leadership, and senior-level coordination for the Comprehensive Plan, ensuring alignment with state requirements, regional frameworks, and County priorities.

King County is at an inflection point. Growth, housing affordability, climate impacts, and infrastructure demands are reshaping our communities. This role will help guide how we respond—partnering across departments, jurisdictions, and communities to shape a future that is equitable, resilient, and inclusive.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and manage a high-profile portfolio of planning and policy initiatives, including updates to the King County Comprehensive Plan and related policy frameworks
• Provide strategic advice to senior leadership and elected officials on land use, growth management, and regional planning issues
• Oversee complex policy development, research, and analysis to inform legislative and executive decision-making
• Supervise and mentor a professional staff member and contribute to a high-performing, collaborative team

This position requires a leader who is equally comfortable setting strategy, navigating political dynamics, managing people, and delivering results.

About the Department of Local Services:
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.

Our Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice 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.

Job Duties

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.

To be considered, for this opportunity, you must at a minimum demonstrate the knowledge, skill, and ability to:

• Strategic Leadership & Comprehensive Planning
• Lead the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of the King County Comprehensive Plan and associated policy frameworks
• Establish strategic direction for long-range planning work, aligning County priorities with Growth Management Act requirements, regional policies, and community needs
• Advise County leadership, including the Executive's Office and potentially Council, on complex planning, policy, and growth management issues
• Identify emerging issues and develop strategies to address long-term land use, housing, environmental, and infrastructure challenges

• Policy Development & Legislative Strategy
• Direct and oversee the development of policy proposals, code amendments, and legislative packages connected with the Comp Plan
• Evaluate policy tradeoffs and risks, incorporating legal, operational, financial, and political considerations
• Contribute to and help shape the County's legislative agenda related to land use and growth management

• Interdepartmental Leadership
• Build and maintain relationships with staff and leadership in King County Departments, Executive's Office, and County Council Staff.
• Lead interdepartmental collaboration to advance shared planning goals
• Collaborate with County departments to align policy direction and implementation

• Program & Team Management
• Supervise and support a senior planner / demographer position.
• Oversee work planning, prioritization, and resource allocation across a complex portfolio of projects
• Ensure high-quality deliverables, on-time project completion, and alignment with strategic goals
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture

• Community Engagement & Public Communication
• Guide inclusive engagement strategies that center historically underrepresented communities
• Communicate complex policy and planning concepts clearly to a wide range of…