Are you passionate about making an impact on natural lands conservation and open space? If so, King County Parks is seeking two (2) Open Space Project/Program Manager III'sto play key roles to help grow, steward, restore, plan/program, and activate natural lands in partnership with the community.

About the Role:

This position will serve as one of five senior planners/project managers on the Open Space Team within  the Environmental Policy & Initiatives Unit, leading open space land acquisitions and  supporting site planning, management, and stewardship activities. This position will be involved in developing strategic proposals and securing funds to acquire open space lands, coordinating natural restoration and passive recreation development projects, writing grant applications, participating in partnership opportunities and community engagement, researching and writing site management plans while conducting public input, and managing ongoing property issues. In your capacity as an Open Space Project/Program Manager III, you will have the opportunity to actively engage in strategic planning initiatives and contribute to the efforts of cross-disciplinary teams.

The Open Space Program is leading Parks' efforts to meet ambitious goals identified in the Land Conservation Initiative, 30-Year Forest Plan, Clean Water Healthy Habitat initiative, and Strategic Climate Action Plan. Integrated throughout the team's work is dedication to equity: identifying and addressing gaps in park access and engaging communities in solutions that best meet local needs. This work will be geographically based, covering a portion of the county to be determined by the team's needs and the successful applicant's expertise. Tentatively, these positions will likely focus within portions of the Middle/Lower Green River, White River, Duwamish River Basin, Vashon & Maury Islands.

This position performs work remotely and onsite.  

About the Team:

King County Parks is growing a public lands legacy, with open space conservation at the heart of our work. We are leaders in planning, developing, and stewarding public open space that enhances our region's quality of life.

In partnership with others like Parks' Operations Section and the Water and Land Resources Division, the Open Space Program is accelerating natural lands conservation in King County. This position will play a key role with a talented and dynamic team, conserving natural lands and open space to (among other benefits):

• Expand outdoor recreation opportunities and human health benefits through access to nature 
• Increase climate resilience through forest conservation and stewardship 
• Improve ecological function, salmon habitat, and water quality 
• Provide green space in urban areas lacking parks 
• Support cultural heritage and historic values

Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice:

King County, named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., is a diverse and vibrant community that represents cultures from around the world. Our True North is to create a welcoming community where everyone can thrive.  We prioritize equity, racial and social justice, making it a foundational and daily expectation for all employees. As an Open Space, Project/Program Manager III you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

What You Will Be Doing: 

• Natural land acquisition and conservation: Assess and pursue open space land acquisitions opportunities consistent with the division's mission and goals.
• Site planning and activation: Manage site level planning processes, including restoration, trail planning, use compatibility, access and development. Assess, recommend, and develop capital improvements and restoration opportunities on open space lands. 
• Grant writing and management: Prepare and manage grant applications for land acquisition and park development.
• Property management support: Address property-related issues on open space lands (for example, encroachments, illegal activities, access issues).
• Collaborate with diverse interests: Work with internal teams, elected officials, municipalities, federal and state agencies, Tribes, members of the public, and community groups to develop and implement projects, programs, and policies.

Qualifications You Bring:    

• Relevant and progressive program/project management experience with a Bachelor's degree in Regional/urban Planning, Environmental Sciences, Forestry, Public Administration, or a related field OR any other combination of relevant education and experience may be considered.
• Demonstrated experience communicating technical and policy issues with varied diverse individuals, which can include levels of staff, consultants, community groups, landowners, government officials, and the public.
• Experience in natural lands conservation and/or acquisition with working knowledge of planning, environmental and land use regulations, natural resource management, real estate law, and project management (including grant and budget management).
• Experience in open space site planning and activation, such as backcountry trails, trailheads, recreational amenities, programming, and volunteer coordination. 
• Demonstrated experience in developing, presenting, and managing grant applications and awards.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office products (Excel, Word, Outlook, SharePoint, Teams), Zoom or similar video conferencing software, and shared file management software.
• Experience establishing and maintaining partnerships with diverse partners, including organizations, agencies, Tribes, local communities, and landowners.

Competencies You Bring:  

• Strategic Mindset: Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies.
• Manages Complexity: Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Action Oriented: Takes on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Decision Quality: Makes good decisions based upon a mixture of analysis, wisdom, experience, and judgment.  
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Plans And Aligns: Plans and prioritizes work to meet commitments and align with organizational goals.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

Required Licenses:

• Valid Driver's License or ability to get to project sites across the county.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Five (5) or more years of increasingly responsible work experience at the policy and project management level, supported by a Bachelor's degree in Regional/Urban Planning, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Forestry, Public Administration or a related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Additional combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience and knowledge working on natural lands conservation in King County.
• Master's Degree in Regional/Urban Planning, Environmental Sciences, Natural Resources Management, Forestry, Public Administration or a related discipline.
• Working knowledge of King County Comprehensive, Strategic and Parks Open Space Plans, Zoning Code and Park Regulations and Rules.
• Experience with GIS and GPS.
• Five (5) or more years of experience with land acquisitions, leading public planning processes on natural lands, drafting and finalizing planning documents. 

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements typically 1 to 2 times a week. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104) and parks and trails within King County. This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department's vision of Green Where We Work.  
• Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by PROTEC17: Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17.
• Physical Requirement: The position requires frequent site visits to project locations county-wide that that may include forest areas with thick trees, bushes, and vegetation. This may necessitate the ability to traverse rough terrain covered with slash and brush, which generally include unlevel surfaces. These work areas expose the selected individual to varying weather and environmental conditions such as heat, rain, snow, mud, dust, wind and construction sites in various stages of completion. Work involves walking moderate distances on even and uneven surfaces in the field year-round.

Application and Selection Process:

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness and alignment with the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills essential for this role to determine which candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews.  

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

Note:  Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Jessica Fuqua at jfuqua@kingcounty.gov.

Discover More About the Parks Division: Visit our website and check us out atFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our website, explore aninteractive mapof our recent accomplishments and check us out atFacebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, YouTubeand Keeping King County Green News.

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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, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.