RWSP Facilitator (WQPPM IV)

Full Job Description

About the Role:

As the Facilitator for the team updating the Regional Wastewater Services Plan you will be responsible for:

• Facilitating communications, meetings, process among a large internal project team that spans the entire organization and includes staff and managers with expertise on various topics
• Co-leading the engagement effort to obtain input and feedback from numerous interested parties including facilitation of engagement events
• Driving the development of messaging about project status, progress, feedback, anticipated outcomes, and other topics

You will also support other planning efforts by facilitating project team, committee, and public engagement meetings and providing guidance to various planning programs.

This position follows a hybrid work model, blending remote and in-person work.

About the Team:

King County Wastewater Treatment’s mission is to protect public health and the environment by collecting and cleaning wastewater while recovering valuable resources for a thriving Puget Sound.

Our regional wastewater treatment system serves about 2 million residents and an area of about 424 square miles in the greater Seattle metropolitan area.

The system operates around the clock to sustain a healthy environment and support economic development that enables our region to flourish.

Wastewater Treatment’s Planning and Project Delivery Section has over 250 employees, is on track to deliver nearly $500M in capital projects this year and is anticipated to deliver over $1B per year by the end of the decade.

The Combined System and Utility Planning group within this section serves a critical role at the leading edge of the capital delivery pipeline by identifying future projects to be constructed.

Our Combined System and Utility Planning group develops short and long-range plans for upgrading the combined system, adapting to climate change, renewing and replacing aging assets, and updating the agency’s comprehensive sewer system plan.

The Combined System and Utility Planning Group is committed to Wastewater Treatment’s core values of environmental stewardship, quality of service, and financial accountability.

Team members are empowered to work collaboratively, communicate effectively, learn and grow from each other, and create innovative solutions.

Our commitment to equity and social justice, consistent with King County’s values, makes our teams stronger and allows us to serve King County residents more effectively, especially related to environmental determinants of equity.

Working in the Combined System and Utility Planning Group offers:

• Highly collaborative and supportive colleagues
• Opportunities for professional growth and continuous learning
• Flexible schedules and work arrangements
• A mix of independent and team-based work
• Cross-divisional collaboration with staff across operations and other work units

Our staff are critical strategic partners in shaping the processes and deliverables that guide major investment decisions, contributing directly to the long-term resilience and sustainability of King County’s wastewater system.

Requirements

• Facilitate project team meetings, meetings with interested parties, committee meetings, and other meetings.

Foster collaboration: Work closely and coordinate across divisions, sections, and agencies to integrate system needs, opportunities, and priorities with capacity and regulatory planning.

Build strong relationships with county staff, leadership, local sewer agencies, regulators, NGOs, CBOs, the general public, and other interested parties.

• Guide long-term planning initiatives: Help guide the team’s development of long-term water quality improvement plans. Establish and facilitate processes for engagement with senior leadership.
• Incorporate principles of sustainability and equity, as described in the County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan and Equity and Social Justice Strategic Plan, into the Asset Renewal and Replacement Planning Program.
• Manage program work: Develop and track program work plans, scopes, budgets, and schedules. Provide guidance, direction, and support to program staff and consultants to ensure successful project delivery.
• Prepare planning and engagement documentation: Lead or guide the creation of planning documents, engagement reports, memos, presentations, and other materials that outline methods and strategies for updating the RWSP.

Qualifications

• Professional work experience and/or education in planning, engagement, communication, facilitation, business administration, public administration, or a related field, with increasing responsibility over time.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for conveying technical information to a wide variety of expert and non-expert audiences.
• Strong facilitation skills for leading large and potentially contentious meetings about complex and difficult subjects.
• Experience working independently with minimal guidance where there may be ambiguity and established procedures and policies may not exist and must be developed to craft solutions and pathways leading to recommendations.

• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Racially Just - Identify and replace racists systems and structures with anti-racists and pro-equity approaches.
• Situational Adaptability - Adapting approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

• Knowledge of local government processes, public utility issues, and communications.
• Skill using graphic design software for creating communication materials.

Additional Information