Community Engagement Specialist

Summary

Are you a people person who likes to engage with the community? Do you have a strong background in community relations and outreach combined with a strong commitment to the environment? Do you have a strong commitment to equity and social justice? Then, becoming the next Community Engagement Specialist (Project/Program Manager II classification) may be the right position for you.

This role offers an exciting chance to work with the Solid Waste Division’s Community Engagement lead, helping to advance capital projects, waste recovery, and prevention in the communities we serve, and providing effective outreach activities across King County. This includes developing and implementing public involvement plans for projects and programs to ensure the perspectives and thoughts of King County communities are reflected in our work and that our services equitably serve all of our customers.

This position performs work remotely and onsite.

About this Role:

This newly created role within the DNRP Solid Waste Division is an excellent opportunity to be a part of forward-thinking environmental policy and projects, connect with the community, and develop outreach strategies that help the division achieve its goals.

As a vital member of the Government Relations and Community Engagement team, you’ll work closely with the Community Engagement Lead to implement and facilitate successful outreach activities, develop and implement public involvement plans, provide excellent customer service to those we serve and help develop effective communications for a wide variety of audiences. These audiences include elected/appointed officials, agencies, environment and business representatives, neighbors of construction sites or solid waste facilities, and the general public.

About the Team:

The Government Relations and Community Engagement team is a high-performing team that includes government relations, communications, and public records officials who touch every corner of King County’s Solid Waste Division and lead internal and external efforts to achieve our goal of zero-waste of resources through our Re+ program, capital projects, and outreach.

This talented team works with elected officials at every level of government, provides transparency through efficient and effective public records response, and provides communications with internal and external audiences.

This new Community Engagement position will fill a critical gap in the department by providing additional capacity for engagement at our current and future facilities and to the communities we serve, ensuring timely, effective communications and outreach that is responsive to community and customer needs, while advocating for services on their behalf.

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. In this position, 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 Solid Waste Division of the King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks. 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 De Doing:

• Manage complex contracts or grants in coordination with the community engagement lead
• Manage inter-jurisdictional or interagency community outreach projects
• Implement public involvement plans for projects and programs to provide responsive customer service and equitable outreach for affected community members during all phases of a project.
• Monitor and amend, as needed, outreach materials and facility signage to improve customer experience at stations and promote recycling of materials
• Direct the work of consultants and staff in coordination with the Community Engagement Lead: delegate assignments appropriately; provide quality control and timely delivery of work products; and determine the best use of consultant and county staff resources.
• Other duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Skilled in contributing to community engagement plans that reflect the needs of the target community and provide insight into best practices for reaching a wide variety of audiences.
• Experience developing content for community outreach such as newsletters, websites, talking points, community correspondence, and presentations.
• Skilled at managing multiple time-sensitive tasks while ensuring compliance with safety and agency requirements and standards.
• Adept at crafting engaging messaging and designing graphics using tools such as Canva and Adobe Creative Suite, as well as scripting and producing high-quality video content.
• Experienced in working with project and program leads to develop relevant outreach strategies.
• Skilled at working directly with communities from a wide array of backgrounds and experiences.
• Ability to create impactful outreach strategies for diverse audiences, including BIPOC, LGTBQIA+, immigrant, refugee, and disabled communities.

Competencies You Bring:

• Racially Just - Ability to apply anti-racist and Equity, Social and Racial Justice principlesat work
• Interpersonal Savvy - Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.
• Effective Communication - Able to adapt approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.
• Customer Focus - Skilled in building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Manages Complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Being Resilient - Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.
• Organizational Savvy: Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics.
• Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Balances Stakeholders: Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders.
• Manages Ambiguity: Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.
• Persuades: Using compelling arguments to gain the support and commitment of others.

It Would be Great if You Also Bring:

• Experience managing community relations/public engagement
• Knowledge of government operations, planning techniques, and principles
• Experience working with community-based organizations and the ability to cultivate partnerships to further enhance outreach and engagement plans.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements typically twice a month. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. On-site reporting locations may be at various King County worksites, including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104).
• Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance of King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. Some evenings and weekends will be required. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime-eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Teamsters 117.

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.

A complete application is required. To apply, submit a Complete Application and cover letter . A Resume is highly recommended but is optional. Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Prakash Meloottu at prakash.meloot@kingcounty.gov

Discover More About the Solid Waste Division: Visit our website at Solid Waste Division and check us out at Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | YouTube

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 "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 Americans 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 Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

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.

Closing Date/Time: 8/13/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

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• King County Wastewater Treatment Division

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