Sustainability Program Lead

The Sustainability Program Lead at King County, WA, will provide leadership for the Wastewater Treatment Division's sustainability initiatives, focusing on climate mitigation in wastewater infrastructure. This full-time role involves collaboration across various teams to implement the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan and Green Building Ordinance. The position is open only to King County employees and is based in Seattle, WA.
Salary : $118,408.37 - $150,089.47 Annually
Location : Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 2025HD24336
Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks
Division: Wastewater Treatment
Opening Date: 04/30/2025
Closing Date: 5/14/2025 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: W4 : TEA-WTD, DNRP-Staff
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time

Summary

This position is open to King County Employees Only.
This posting may be used to establish a list of qualified candidates in the following 6 months, after a selection has been made.

About the Role:
The primary function of this role is to provide leadership for the WTD Sustainability Program and advance climate mitigation efforts associated with planning, designing, building and operating wastewater infrastructure. This position will work with staff from all WTD sections and units, including close coordination with WTD's Energy and Equity and Social Justice Programs, to implement and report progress on climate initiatives including the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan and Green Building Ordinance. The Sustainability Program Lead will reside in WTD's Climate Energy and Sustainability Work Group (CES) and report to the CES Supervisor.

This position provides an opportunity to work on a fun and innovative team that is advancing sustainable infrastructure strategies and climate mitigation efforts across WTD and the region. This is an opportunity to shape the future of sustainability efforts in WTD, while fostering relationships, collaboration, and teamwork across the division.

About the Team:
The Climate, Energy and Sustainability work group is part of the Resource Recovery Unit in King County Wastewater Treatment Division's (WTD's) Operations and Maintenance Section. The Resource Recovery Unit strives to bring valuable resources, technology, and sound business practices together to deliver products and programs that inspire our customers to be part of an environmentally sustainable future-today. It is responsible for ensuring safe, environmentally friendly products are made from an urban renewable waste stream including, Loop® biosolids soil amendment, recycled water, and renewable energy, as well as managing programs including sustainability, energy, technology assessment, and nutrient management.
The Climate, Energy and Sustainability work group includes the Sustainability Program. This team is focused on development and implementation of King County sustainability policies, including the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) and Green Building Ordinance (GBO). Work performed by the team includes efforts to increase green building, use of low-embodied carbon construction materials, and construction and demolition waste diversion in WTD operations and capital projects.

WTD's mission is to protect public health and enhance the environment by collecting and treating wastewater while recycling valuable resources for the Puget Sound region. To our agency, success means clean water. It means honoring our legacy while keeping a promise to future generations that our beautiful environment will be there for them to enjoy. We are committed to the principles of equity and social justice. We value diverse perspectives and life experiences in our workforce and are committed to building a culturally diverse and inclusive environment. WTD strives to provide equitable services to residents and businesses across King County.

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 a King County Employee you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.
Apply now for a rewarding career at the Wastewater Treatment Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP). Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits, and growth opportunities.

Job Duties

What You Will Be Doing:
• Lead implementation of the WTD Sustainability Work Plan, develop and report on program metrics.
• Provide sustainability support to WTD's capital improvement program by: (1) serving as a sustainability subject matter expert on multiple major facility programs and capital projects, and (2) educating capital project teams on sustainable infrastructure and King County policy requirements related to sustainability.
• Develop tools and resources to advance the implementation of sustainability and efficiency strategies in capital programs, and operations and maintenance of WTD facilities.
• Help develop Sustainability Program staff work plans and track progress. Provide input on staff performance appraisals and recommend staffing actions (hiring, promotion, discipline, etc.).
• Assign work to Sustainability Program staff and review staff work as needed. Provide coaching and mentoring to Sustainability Program staff on technical and interpersonal issues related to assigned work and career development.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:
• Bachelor's degree in Sustainability, Engineering, Public Administration, Urban Planning, Environmental Science/Environmental Studies or closely related field, plus significant professional work experience in a similar field OR an equivalent combination of education and/or experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the job duties.
• Knowledge of, and work experience with sustainability concepts such as sustainable infrastructure, third-party sustainability scorecards, sustainable materials and waste diversion, greenhouse gas and air pollutant emissions reduction, climate mitigation, equity, social justice, and community engagement.
• Familiarity with the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) and Green Building Ordinance (GBO), and experience with the practical application and tracking compliance/reporting of these policies to County activities.
• Experience interpreting initiatives and policies for which there are no established guidelines for practical application to specific projects and activities. Experience developing tools and resources to implement policy directives and achieve policy goals.
• Knowledge of capital improvement planning, design, and construction processes and experience working on capital improvement projects and programs.
Competencies You Bring:
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Manages Ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain or the way forward is not clear.
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences
• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals
• Manages Complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
Required Licenses/Certifications:
• Washington State Driver's License or the ability to provide transportation to remote work locations with limited or no public transportation service options.
It Would Also Be Great If You Bring:
• Knowledge of wastewater systems and operations, and experience working on capital conveyance, treatment and resource recovery projects.
• Sustainability certifications, such as Envision Sustainability Professional (ENV SP) and LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP).
• Experience implementing sustainable infrastructure through the WTD Sustainable Infrastructure Scorecard.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions
• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements 1 - 2 times monthly at a King County worksite. 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 treatment plant facilities. This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department's vision of
• 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 not covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not overtime-eligible
• Union Representation: This position is represented by King County Technical Employees' Association (TEA) bargaining unit.
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 Required
• Cover Letter Required - Please describe how your knowledge, skills and abilities meet the expectations for the position.
Note: Additional documents will not be considered during minimum qualification screening.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:Helen David
HR Analyst
hdavid@kingcounty.gov

Discover More About the Wastewater Treatment Division: Visit our website and check us out at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube and our WTD Blog.

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our website, explore an interactive map of our recent accomplishments and check us out at Facebook, X (formerly Twitter), LinkedIn, TikTok, Instagram, YouTube and Keeping King County Green News.
Sign up for Job Alerts to be notified of additional career opportunities with King County. Select the Natural Resources category for DNRP opportunities and explore other categories of interest.
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

Guided by our , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

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.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:
• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs
For additional information about employee benefits, visit our

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01

Do you currently possess a valid, unencumbered Washington State Driver's License?
• Yes
• No

02

Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? ANDIs this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? ANDDo you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
• Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my Career Service role at King County and I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. Additionally, the position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
• No.

03

If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided:1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice2. The department you worked in3. The effective date of your layoff
Required Question