Tribal Partnerships Intern

King County Wastewater Treatment Division, WA

Seattle, Washington, United States

As part of King County’s commitment to regional partnership on climate action, the County serves as organizational host and co‑chair of the Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative (the Collaborative), a network of more than 30 local and county governments, Tribes, regional agencies, and other organizations working to build community, economic, and environmental resilience to climate change.

The Tribal Partnerships Fellow will support the development and implementation of a new Tribal Partnership Learning Series (TPLS) hosted by the Collaborative. The TPLS is a Puget Sound‑focused effort to strengthen understanding and collaboration between local and regional partners and Coast Salish Tribes in advancing climate action.

The Fellow will work with a TPLS Advisory Group and Collaborative staff to develop the content, format, and schedule for the TPLS. Responsibilities include coordinating speakers and partners, managing logistics for learning sessions, supporting grant reporting, and curating a companion resource library.

• Create and manage a TPLS Advisory Group (15%):
  Support creation of an advisory group of 5‑8 Tribal government staff or members, organize meetings, develop agendas, and facilitate sessions.
• Design and deliver the TPLS (65%):
  Collaborate with Coast Salish Tribes and partners to co‑develop content on treaty rights, Tribal sovereignty, climate impacts, and Tribal‑led adaptation. Secure presenters, facilitate webinars, ensure accessibility, produce supporting materials, and collect feedback.
• Support integration of Tribal priorities across grant activities (10%):
  Support Tribal engagement in the Small Communities Cohort Program, webinars, regional convenings, and workshops; identify opportunities to highlight Tribal perspectives.
• Support grant reporting and communications (10%):
  Track activities, participation metrics, and outcomes; contribute to reports and presentations; participate in grant staff meetings.

• Currently enrolled student in environmental studies, Indigenous studies, public policy, or a related field.
• Background knowledge or lived experience related to Tribal communities, Indigenous climate leadership, or frontline community impacts of climate change.
• Strong relationship‑building skills with diverse cultural and organizational contexts.
• Excellent verbal and written communication abilities.
• Experience organizing virtual meetings and collaborative discussions; proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines within a team.

• Customer Focus
  :
  Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer‑centric solutions.
• Balances Stakeholder Needs
  :
  Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Action Oriented
  :
  Taking on new opportunities and challenges with urgency and enthusiasm.
• Ensures Accountability
  :
  Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Collaborates
  :
  Building partnerships and working collaboratively toward shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively
  :
  Developing multi‑mode communications for diverse audiences.
• Racially Just
  :
  Identifying and replacing racist systems with anti‑racist, pro‑equity approaches.
• Nimble Learning
  :
  Actively learning through experimentation and using successes and failures as learning fodder.

• Experience facilitating workshops, trainings, or public presentations.
• Familiarity with climate adaptation, resilience planning, or intergovernmental collaboration.
• Experience conducting community engagement or drafting public‑facing educational materials across multiple mediums such as newsletters, flyers, and social media.

• Work Location: The Tribal Partnership team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office and telecommuting. Primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite.
• Work Schedule: Full‑time position, 40‑hour work week; covered under FLSA and overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is not represented by a union.
• Duration: Internship position with an anticipated end date in December 2027.

7/7/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions.