Wria 8 Salmon Recovery Technical Coordinator (Project/Program Manager Iii)

Why This Opportunity May Be Perfect for You: If you want to lead and guide technical aspects of Salmon Recovery, working with a variety of partners to bring best available science to bear on habitat restoration and recovery actions, then the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Technical Coordinator position is an excellent opportunity for you!
We are seeking a resourceful, effective, and outcome-focused team player that can coordinate multiple partners and technical experts to identify various technical and policy issues affecting Salmon Recovery in Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed (WRIA 8) and develop meaningful solutions to the most pressing challenges present in our watershed. The ideal candidate is someone who can advance scientific inquiry and apply best available science to inform land use and habitat protection and restoration policies, regulations, programs, and strategies. Additionally, the most successful candidate will have a demonstrated ability to work well with others, be a productive team player and high performer, be openminded, and bring a sense of humor to their work.
The WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery team leads local watershed-based salmon habitat protection and restoration in the Cedar River, Lake Washington, Lake Sammamish, Bear Creek, and Issaquah Creek basins. For over twenty years, local governments, state and federal agency, and community group partners in WRIA 8 have collaborated to plan and implement priority salmon habitat and restoration projects, integrate best available science into Salmon Recovery, support monitoring of salmon populations and habitat conditions, and support Salmon Recovery outreach and education efforts. With Salmon Recovery actions being led by many groups in the watershed, including Tribes, state and federal agencies, local governments, community groups, and others, the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery team builds and supports collaborative partnerships to implement the WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan, which guides salmon habitat protection and restoration locally and is a watershed chapter of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan.
For more information about the WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery effort, please visit our website.
Who Are We? The WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery team is housed in the King County Water and Land Resources Division, which 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 400 supported by an annual budget of ~$250 million. WLRD has a strong track record of developing innovative strategies for protecting working farms and forests, restoring habitat, protecting water quality, and ensuring people have equitable access to green space. We reduce flood hazards, manage stormwater facilities, and reduce toxic threats. Our Environmental Lab and Science sections maintain high-quality data sets used in long term-water quality trend analysis and use Best Available Science to inform decision making. We house three Salmon Recovery forums and support the Land Conservation Initiative, which will preserve our last, most important natural lands and urban green spaces over the next 30 years. Our forestry and agricultural programs help people protect their lands and support local food production.
Who is Eligible: This position is open to all qualified applicants. This posting may be used to create an eligibility list for future vacancies in similar positions over the next six months.
Commitment To Equity and Social Justice
As the only jurisdiction in the world named after Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the traditions of many cultures.
We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice and advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all - in our workplaces and our communities. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and ensure that residents from vulnerable communities are incorporated into our emergency planning and public outreach efforts. To learn more, please visit http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.

Work Schedule: This full-time position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and is not overtime eligible. This position is based on a 40-hour work week.

• Serve as lead technical analyst for WRIA 8, responsible for coordinating technical/monitoring activities with Tribes, state and federal agencies, local jurisdictions, and other partners in the watershed.
• Coordinate, facilitate, and support the WRIA 8 Technical Committee in guiding and advising on technical aspects of implementing the WRIA 8 Chinook Salmon Conservation Plan (WRIA 8 Plan).
• Lead and manage implementation of the WRIA 8 Monitoring and Assessment Plan, including developing data gathering approaches, marshaling resources for data collection, and synthesizing data for adaptive management and reporting purposes.
• Prepare reports and presentations that identify critical trends and developments (e.g., salmon populations, ecosystem/habitat conditions, policy, regulatory, programmatic) and adaptive management recommendations requiring potential Salmon Recovery Council action.
• Coordinate and lead efforts to address technical/information gaps identified in the WRIA 8 Plan, or which emerge during implementation.
• Provide technical support for, and review of, various policy and implementation topics, including preparing comment letters, issue papers, briefings and presentations.

Minimum Qualifications

• At least five (5) years of progressively responsible analytical, planning, and project management work experience in one or more of the following fields: fisheries biology, conservation biology, freshwater ecology, natural resources management, environmental science, public administration, environmental planning, or closely related field.
• Experience and demonstrated strong technical understanding of salmonid ecology and associated freshwater and marine environments (e.g., salmon habitat requirements, salmon lifecycle, current threats and issues related to salmon survival and recovery, etc.). This includes understanding of and experience in:
  • Basic research and monitoring methods and analytical tools (e.g., monitoring program design, statistical analysis, field-based and remote sensing monitoring protocols, etc.).
  • Standard watershed health metrics and indices (e.g., water quality index, wood volume, vegetative canopy cover, benthic index of biotic integrity, etc.).
  • Principles and practices of restoration ecology as applied to salmon habitat restoration.
• Ability to work both independently and as part of a team with minimal supervision.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate technical information to non-technical audiences and decision-makers, and experience facilitating groups and running meetings.
• Experience and ability to work collaboratively and maintain effective working relationships with multiple, diverse groups representing varying perspectives (e.g., Tribes, state and federal agencies, elected officials and local government staff, community organizations, etc.).
• Understanding of and commitment to supporting tribal treaty rights and equity and social justice concepts and principles.

Desired Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience leading teams in technical studies, assessments, data synthesis, and report development.
• Demonstrated experience presenting information to diverse audiences.
• Knowledge of local and regional Salmon Recovery and watershed management, especially in WRIA 8.
• Knowledge of salmon harvest and/or hatchery management principles.
• Familiarity and demonstrated proficiency with GIS software (e.g., ArcGIS).
  

Our Ideal Candidate Will Have the Following Competencies:

• Action oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Customer focused: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Communicates effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Instills trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• A valid Washington State Driver's License or the ability to obtain within 30 days of hire.
• Ability to travel throughout King County and Puget Sound as necessary.
  

Application and Selection Process: Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness including online application, cover letter, resume, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

• King County application
• Resume
• Cover letter detailing your background and what you can bring to the position
• Response to supplemental questions

Union Membership: This position is represented by Teamsters, Local 117 Professional & Technical.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Deena Prasad, Senior Human Resources Analyst
deprasad@kingcounty.gov
206-263-0101

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Employment Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week