Communications Intern Ii - Workforce Development Program

The King County Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) seeks full-time summer 2024 interns. WTD protects public health and enhances the environment by collecting and treating wastewater while recycling valuable resources for the Puget Sound region.
The Workforce Development Program provides recruitment, mentorship, training, placement, and retention services for entry-level King County Wastewater job seekers who are building their skillset or are new to the water sector. Program participants belong to a cohort that receives extensive onboarding, participates in tours and site visits, and is given challenging assignments while exploring our different work groups. Our goal is to help participants find their passion and place in our agency while we support their continued career growth. Candidates can work on projects and programs in our planning, engineering, project management, project control, and construction management units. The Program Intern will support the development of onboarding, training, and other communications materials and collateral, some of which will be created internally and some of which will be created by a consultant. You will learn about how to review and edit deliverables, engage the public in a communications campaign, lead meetings, and organize materials online for program participants and leadership.
Our internship is for active students only. To be eligible for this internship, you must be enrolled in a college, or university program for the duration of your internship. For example, if you are graduating from a college or university in June 2024 and are not enrolled for a fall 2024 academic program, you are not eligible for internship but rather highly encouraged to apply for our entry-level job openings.
Why It's a Great Opportunity:
WTD interns create real value for our projects, programs, and agency while getting real world job experience, networking opportunities, and learning about water systems. Summer interns join a group of their peers to take trainings, tour job sites, develop job skills, and complete their own projects. At summer's ends, interns present their projects to an audience of staff and hiring managers.
Interns get exposure to careers and opportunities they might not have imagined before. Participants have used their internships to acquire jobs at WTD and elsewhere in King County, their university, and elsewhere the public and private sectors.

Interns will primarily telework but have access to a downtown co-working space and various facilities to meet with and engage colleagues. The frequency of onsite work will depend on business needs. Some mandatory site visits and field work cannot be accessed via public transportation. Interns will have access to a County vehicle or can be reimbursed if using their personal vehicle. Interns will be issued a laptop, a regional transit pass, and a stipend for work boots and PPE.
About the Role:
Our regional wastewater treatment system has a big job. Not only does it operate around the clock to sustain a healthy environment, this vital infrastructure also supports economic development that enables our region to thrive.
King County is committed to recovering and reusing products from the wastewater treatment process. Beneficially recycling the treated water and nutrient-rich biosolids and recovering energy from waste gases increases the efficiency of our wastewater treatment plants, conserves resources, protects the environment, and saves money.
Using experience and application of coursework in the practical application of major infrastructure systems, this intern assignment will achieve the following:

• Gain experience in government communications through on-the-job training and being embedded within an active team of experienced communication professionals with WTD and across DNRP.
• Understand the full scope of communications work we do, including media relations, writing stories, creating social media posts, internal communications activities, events, and more.
• Create a portfolio with published materials including blog posts, social media posts, possible communications plans, photography and videography.
• Support the development of onboarding, training, and other communications materials.
• Learn about how to review and edit deliverables, engage the public in a communications campaign, lead meetings, and organize materials online for program participants and leadership.

This position performs work remotely and onsite.
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 Communications intern, 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 in 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.What You Will Be Doing:

• A workplan will be provided that will be design based on skills/interests and communication needs.
• From this workplan, the intern will be expected to build assets that will contribute to a strong portfolio they can use for future employment opportunities and networking.

Qualifications You Bring:
This internship would be ideal for students with a focus of academic studies in: communications, public relations, marketing, or journalism or any with interest and applicable skills / experience.

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including editing.
• Organizational skills and the ability to meet deadlines.
• Ability to effectively use Microsoft Office products.
• Detail-oriented and self-starter.
• Interest in current events, local government, and environmental issues.
• Ability to work independently.
• Creative problem-solving skills.
• Experience with social media, including creating content and managing platforms.
• Experience creating or edits staff onboarding and/or training materials.

Competencies You Bring:
Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
Collaborates - Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Action Oriented - Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Interpersonal Savvy - 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.
Nimble Learning - Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.
Tech Savvy - Anticipating and adopting innovations in business-building digital and technology applications.
Required License: Valid Driver's License
It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Experience with Microsoft SharePoint
• Exemplary and versatile writing skills.
• Strong social media, photography, and video skills.
• The ability to apply equity and social justice concepts and principles to this work.

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 teamdedicated 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.
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. Employment Type: Intern