Maintenance Team Staff

Full Job Description

Are you ready to start your career in the world of River and floodplain Maintenance? Do you have a background in natural resource maintenance work? Do you enjoy field work in the Great PNW?

As a member of the RFMS Maintenance Team, you will be working to maintain levees, revetments and properties that keep people safe during floods. You could be kayaking in the river one day and making a repair to a levee the next. You will work on a diverse portfolio of properties and build strong relationships throughout King County. You will Provide support for river restoration, facility maintenance, and natural resource conservation all while you help improve conditions for salmon and the environment.

About the Role:
We are seeking to hire four (4) Maintenance Team Staff (Utility Worker I). The role of these positions is primarily to maintain our KC managed natural areas, properties and facilities. While performing the maintenance work, staff will develop skills in working with communities, build confidence in working as a part of a government agency, and develop skills in multiple areas of property management and natural resource work.

These positions follow a hybrid work model, blending remote and in-person work.

About the Team:
The River and Floodplain Management Section is a nationwide leader in integrated floodplain management, development of innovative flood risk reduction strategies, and improved river and environmental conditions and solutions across King County’s six major river systems (White, Green, Cedar, Sammamish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish) as well other tributaries and floodplains. RFMS leads a diverse work program to reduce flood risks to the residents of King County in a manner that restores river and floodplain processes, considers equitable outcomes and future conditions related to climate change, and provides a collaborative and engaged professional environment where RFMS staff can grow and thrive. The Maintenance Unit plays an integral role in the Section’s success by maintaining and managing the County’s flood protection levees, revetments and flood buyout properties to ensure their ongoing structural integrity and the long-term success of multi-benefit flood risk reduction and floodplain restoration projects.

Who Are We?
The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) is at the forefront of King County’s efforts to protect and restore clean water and healthy habitat and strengthen the resilience of communities, environment, and infrastructure in the face of climate change. We are a dedicated workforce of more than 450 supported by an annual budget of ~$280 million. WLRD has a strong track record of developing innovative strategies to protect working farms and forests, restore habitat, improve water quality, and provide county residents with equitable access to green space. We house the Land Conservation Initiative, which aims to preserve our last, most important lands. Our forestry and agricultural programs help individuals protect their lands and support local food production. We house four salmon recovery forums where we collaborate with scores of partners to plan, design, and build habitat projects. We partner with regional jurisdictions to help residents and businesses reduce the threats posed by production, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. We are the primary service provider to the King County Flood Control District, contributing to flood preparedness and constructing and maintaining facilities that restore rivers and reduce risk. Our one true local service to unincorporated King County is stormwater management, protecting water quality, reducing flooding, and building and maintaining facilities. Finally, we provide regional science and laboratory services to an array of customers, maintaining high-quality data sets used to assess water quality and habitat trends, and provide Best Available Science to inform decision making. In two words, we are a watershed utility.


Apply now for a rewarding career at the Water and Land Resource 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.

Requirements

What You Will Be Doing:

• Maintenance work associated with the RFMS inventory or properties and facilities throughout King County. Activities include mowing, brushing, planting, debris removal and access control.
• Performing maintenance activities to preserve the function and longevity of levees, revetments, and associated features, such as culverts and flap gates while making hands-on repairs and managing vegetation.

Qualifications

Qualifications You Bring:

• Experienced in doing natural resource stewardship work, and/or landscaping, groundskeeping, or property maintenance experience.
• Experience doing manual labor in natural areas such as parks, rivers and public lands.
• Experience working outdoors under adverse weather conditions in and along rivers and natural areas.
• Experience with the use of landscaping tools.

Required Licenses:

• Valid Washington State driver's license or the ability to obtain one prior to starting work if selected for this position.

Competencies You Bring:

• Manages Conflict: Handling conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Optimizes Work Processes: Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Self-Development: Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and informal development channels.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Applicators license, GIS experience, natural resource background or education.
• Knowledge of native vegetation.
• Experience using and maintaining landscaping and maintenance tools.

Additional Information

Working Conditions:

Remote and Onsite Work Details: The Maintenance Team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting.

The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104.

Other work locations are at project sites and other site locations near the rivers of King County and at the King County Office of Emergency Management in Renton, WA.

Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Work Schedule: These full-time positions will work a 40-hour work week. These positions are covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.

The typical work schedule is 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday– Friday. Work outside the typical work schedule including early mornings, evenings and weekends may be required from time to time.

Participation in flood warning and emergency response programs and activities in support of King County's Flood Warning Center operations during flood events.

Union Representation: These positions are not represented.

Physical Requirement: These positions have a regular requirement to walk and navigate uneven ground outside along rivers, in forests, and rural areas during inclement weather and at all hours.

These work areas can be dark, pose difficult terrain features, and often require specialized safety gear such as personal floatation devices (PFD). Job requires ability to lift 50lbs frequently.

Job will be required to participate in flood emergency response requiring Swiftwater awareness training.

Duration: This recruitment aims to fill four (4) Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) positions with an anticipated duration of two (2) years with the possibility of a one (1) year extension.

If the position is filled by a King County employee who has successfully completed their initial probation, they will be offered the role as a Special Duty Assignment.

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.

The final candidate will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment physical.

Please ensure that your application materials clearly detail how your skills and experience meet the minimum qualifications outlined in this posting.

Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Online Application with response to supplemental questions.

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

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Isaac Good at (206) 848-0576 or igood@kingcounty.gov.

Discover More About the Water Land & Resources Division: Visit our website.

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 recently 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 "True North", 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.