Lakes Program Supervisor

In addition to the current opening, this recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future Water Quality Planner/Project Manager IV positions throughout the Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP) over the next six months.

As the Lakes Program Supervisor, you will lead King County’s long‑term water quality monitoring program for Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, and Lake Union while supervising a team of approximately 4–6 environmental scientists. You will provide strategic direction for scientific studies, oversee daily program operations, mentor and develop staff, and ensure the collection and analysis of high‑quality environmental data.

This role combines scientific leadership with people management. You will guide the design of monitoring programs and applied research, support data‑driven decision making, and collaborate with regional partners—including Public Health, the Wastewater Treatment Division, the University of Washington, and other scientific organizations—to better understand and protect our freshwater ecosystems. Your work will help shape environmental policy, improve public health, and ensure King County’s lakes remain healthy for future generations.

• Supervision – including staffing, assigning work, managing workplans and performance, supporting staff to consider equitable outcomes in their work, performance appraisals, recruitments, onboarding and training; teach, lead and coach a team of 4–6.
• Lead the Large Lakes Program – develop and manage long‑term scientific monitoring programs and special studies; develop and implement sampling protocols; work with field crews and contractors to implement monitoring plans and studies; perform time‑series and trend analysis, develop multivariate statistical models, nutrient and/or hydrodynamic modeling, and interpret, translate, and apply findings; build and follow data management systems to keep our findings open and reproducible.
• Expert Level Scientific Consultation & Research – design and implement applied research and analyses to detect and diagnose changes in the function and condition of County lakes; support and direct comprehensive reports and manuscripts suitable for publication in scientific journals.
• Establish Partnerships and Engage Collaborators – including but not limited to expert level scientific consultation to internal and external work groups; including Wastewater Treatment Division, Public Health, University of Washington, and other regional partners.

• Specialized Education – applicant possesses at least a Bachelor’s of Science degree in environmental sciences, environmental engineering, biology, earth sciences, or an equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Supervision – applicant has been a people leader, either in a role as a supervisor or as project lead in charge managing peoples roles and deliverables to successfully complete a project.
• Scientific Consultation and Research – ability to review a document on technically advanced research and analyses to help think through findings on King County lakes.
• Program Design and Oversight – experience establishing study objectives, experimental designs, sampling schedules, QA/QC, and statistical approaches; establishing and using SOPs, managing long‑term monitoring and special study programs.
• Reporting & Synthesis – experience writing technical reports, peer‑reviewed papers, management summaries, and/or regulatory documents.

• Strategic Mindset – seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Action Oriented – taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Plans and Aligns – planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Ensures Accountability – holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Values Differences – recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.
• Communicates Effectively – developing and…