Environmental and Community Services Section Manager

This opportunity is open to current King County employees. 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 ECS 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 ECS 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.

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."

Our regional wastewater treatment system has a big job to do. Not only does it operate around the clock to sustain a healthy environment, but this vital infrastructure also supports economic development that enables our region to thrive. You will have the unique opportunity to work with across all wastewater workgroups and lines of business to help shape how we as a utility adapt and respond to changing regulations and build infrastructure for future generations. You will be a key part of one of King County's largest, most complex capital programs with a variety of interesting, challenging, and critical projects. You will be supporting the growth and strategic development of the largest capital program in King County with projects and programs stretching across 2200 square miles.

If you're passionate about making a difference and thrive in a collaborative environment, join us in our mission to safeguard our precious water resources.

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 a Wastewater Environmental and Community Services Programs Section Manager you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work.

What You Will Be Doing:

• 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 grantmaking 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 have the potential to significantly impact wastewater operations or capital investments. Develop a strategic vision and long-range planning for water quality improvements and site-specific treatment.
• Develop and monitor program policies and procedures and recommend changes to division/department leadership.

Qualifications You Bring:

• Politically savvy, well equipped with managerial courage, and the ability to incorporate conflict management and collaboration skills based on situational needs.
• Organizationally agile to manage multiple complex programs and projects, get things done and understand the culture of the organization.
• Knowledge of theory and practice of applicable discipline (environmental planning and/or engineering, biology, chemistry and/or microbiology, energy, industrial waste, real property, community relations, etc.).
• Knowledge of regulatory requirements such as environmental compliance regulations (i.e., NEPA/SEPA, DOE, and ESA), safety regulations (OSHA/WISHA), and Washington State Department of Health and Ecology permit and accreditation requirements.
• Knowledge of operating and capital budgeting procedures and processes.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of supervision, leadership, and human resources management.
• Knowledge of general management principles and business needs of the environmental and wastewater industries, including technology and regulatory trends.
• Knowledge of marketing and communications principles and practices.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of public administration, including public finance, development and analysis of public policy, organization, and contract management.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of wastewater operations, capital project delivery, and environmental compliance management.
• Knowledge of principles and practices of customer service and continuous quality improvement.
• Critical thinking and strategic planning skills, including long- and short-term goal-setting.
• Experienced in managing programs, ensuring deliverables, managing tasks, and communicating results.
• Knowledge of the principles and practices of management and supervision, budget development, financial management employed in capital improvement and operating programs, policy implementation and governance.
• Knowledge of human resources management techniques and principles, and the ability to utilize collaborative labor negotiation strategies and establish effective labor-management partnerships.
• Skill in dispute resolution, effective decision-making, and team consensus building.
• Skill in working effectively with a diverse workforce and community population (internally and externally).
• Excellent oral and written communications skills.
• Ability to communicate diplomatically on sensitive issues.
• Ability to manage a variety of programs and projects simultaneously.

Competencies You Bring:

• Decision Quality - Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Builds Effective Teams - Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Ensures Accountability - Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Drives Engagement - Creating a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.
• Strategic Mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Drives Vision and Purpose - Painting a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

Required Licenses:

• Washington State Driver's License.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Advanced Knowledge of supervisory techniques and principles and the application of this knowledge in a highly technical and political environment.
• Advanced knowledge of business management techniques including organization development and change management, financial forecasting, strategy execution, and business value realization.
• Knowledge of strategic planning techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of portfolio, program and project management, construction, project control, asset management and contract administration techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of public utility finance and budgeting techniques and principles.
• Knowledge of wastewater treatment systems and operations.
• Experience that demonstrates the ability to manage down to section staff, collaboratively across division leadership and up to department leadership and the Executive.

Work Condition: Work Details: The WTD Director's Office team works in a hybrid model, with days in