Job Description

SUMMARY:

In order to hire and maintain a quality workforce that reflects the diversity of the community and works well within our True North values-based organization, the Department of Local Services (DLS) is accepting applications for the position of Strategic Planning Manager I.

The Strategic Planning Manager I manages and participates in advanced and complex community and interagency planning activities. This position serves as the team manager and lead for the development of the King County Subarea Planning and Policy Plan. The Strategic Planning Manager I exercises a significant degree of independence and judgment, while under the general supervision of the Director of the Department of Local Services. This position will lead the required statutory update of the King County Subarea Plans and other related work programs.

The Strategic Planning Manager I is responsible for making the County’s planning processes transparent and accessible to all people in King County. The ideal candidate will have experience centering communities that have historically been underrepresented in and often most harmed by planning processes, especially Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. An understanding of the role comprehensive and land use planning has played in creating and exacerbating inequities, and a commitment to working with community to develop and implement reparative policies and processes, is essential.

To manage the complexity and range of issues that are addressed in the Subarea Planning process, the successful candidate will have broad experience and a deep understanding of current and long-range land use planning. To effectively navigate a complex and decentralized organization, the successful candidate will have strong relationship building and management skills, as well as a nuanced understanding of organizational decision-making and operations. Additionally, the successful candidate will have demonstrable experience balancing long-term land use policy needs for both urban and rural areas, in partnership with communities with the ability to form partnerships with historically marginalized communities. 

JOB DUTIES:

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.

• Supervise and guide the Subarea Planners as well as other program managers.
• Coordinate the development and supervise the County’s subarea planning process for unincorporated areas.
• Provide, through leadership of an interdepartmental teams, overall management of King County Subarea Plan development, including management of updates, major amendment processes and implementation efforts.
• Collaborate and closely coordinate with Government Relations Manager on legislative and policy related matters.
• Provide guidance and support the County Code programs.
• Develop and manage public engagement plans that ensure early and continuous public participation and that centers and authentically engages underrepresented communities.
• Monitor and ensure compliance of county comprehensive plan with local, state, and federal laws.
• Develop objectives, policies, assessment criteria, deliverables, and timeframes. Report on project and plan status, budget, schedules, and other issues.
• Collaborate with and support other members of the Regional Planning team working on countywide and regional planning, growth forecasting and demographics, and annexations. Ensure consistency with the County’s Comprehensive Plan.
• Manage complex planning studies; conduct research and prepare reports and recommendations on land use planning as needed.
• Manage consultant contracts, including reviewing consultant analysis and recommendations.
• Serve as the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) official in compliance with RCW 43.21C and the County’s SEPA regulations as needed.
• Present reports and other findings to staff, elected officials, legislative committees, community organizations, stakeholder groups, and regional and statewide planning organizations.
• Participate as a core leadership team member and help ensure consistency of department activities with its mission and goals. Develop annual objectives, work priorities and work plan.
• Participate in development of the Section’s annual budget and monitoring of expenditures.
• Exhibit and support a culture of superior customer service.
• Other duties as assigned. 

EXPERIENCE, QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS:

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in planning or a closely related field and experience in the planning profession, preferably for a county or other general purpose local government; OR any combination of education and experience that clearly demonstrates the ability to perform the duties of the position.
• Experience in leading and managing matrixed teams of high performing staff with or without formal supervisory authority.
• Skill in making timely and quality decisions.
• Strong project management skills; must have demonstrable experience managing complex projects with multiple stakeholders.
• Knowledge of historic planning, housing, and development practices that have had disparate impacts on Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, and other underrepresented communities and that have created deeply rooted racial and socioeconomic inequities across all quality-of-life outcomes.
• Knowledge of and ability to apply and use the County’s Equity and Social Justice tools and resources, including the ability to successfully manage an Equity Impact Review.
• Knowledge of federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations related to land use planning. The successful candidate must demonstrate knowledge and understanding of King County’s responsibilities under the Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A) and the State Environmental Policy Act (RCW 43.21C).
• Professional familiarity with rural land use and development issues, including those pertaining to the regulation of agriculture, mining, and forest practices.
• Experience developing and implementing reparative policies and programs designed in partnership with communities most harmed by racial and socioeconomic inequities.
• Experience in a broad range of public engagement & outreach techniques and processes, including use of social media and online / virtual meeting platforms.
• Experience in legislative drafting conventions and with drafting policies, codes, and regulations.
• Demonstrated proficiency with business applications, such as Microsoft Office suite and internet applications.
• Strong and emotionally intelligent interpersonal skills to support working relationships across agencies and branches of government to effectively address and manage conflict.
• Superior written & strong verbal communication and presentation skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and effectively with broad range of internal and external stakeholders, elected officials, community advocates, and the public.

 Desired Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in planning.
• Working experience as a current or long-range planner within King County Washington.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• Must have a valid Washington State driver’s license, or the ability to obtain one before hire.
• Must be able to operate a motor vehicle safely throughout the County.

SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION:

Applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to interview the week of August 14, 2023.

If selected to move forward, you will be invited to come back the week of August 21, 2023, for a final interview.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants.

Work Schedule: This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime-eligible. The position is paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour work week. The work week is normally Monday through Friday. The position may be required to attend evening meetings with extended and/or flex scheduled work hours to respond to service needs. Please note that this may include organizing and attending evening and weekend meetings.

Forms and Materials: A completed King County Application is required. A cover letter detailing your interest in the position, your background and describing how you meet or exceed the required qualifications, knowledge, skills, and experience listed in this job announcement is also required.

Selection Process: Applicants will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Interviews will be conducted via Teams. Reference checks and file reviews will be conducted.

Union Membership: Non-Represented.

Teleworking Requirement: 

The work associated with this position will be performed through a hybrid work schedule of teleworking, onsite work and meetings as needed.

Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department’s hybrid environment.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Vivienne Swai
Human Resources Analyst
206-477-1538


vs***@ki********.gov

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.

About the department of local services:
King County is the local service provider for the roughly one quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; collectively, these communities would be the second largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director’s Office, and the Road Services and Permitting Divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivering local services to the unincorporated areas.

King County commitment to equity and social justice:
As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr, one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation’s history, King County is a vibrant community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. Together, we’re changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence.

King County employees provide more than 2 million residents with essential services that make this one of the nation’s best places to live, work, play, and raise a family. We continue to build on an enduring legacy of shared values of equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovative thinking, and continuous improvement. With this commitment, King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda aimed at advancing regional change and is developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all our residents, regardless of their race or income.

How to Apply

Strategic Planning Manager I (Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines) | Job Details tab | Career Pages (governmentjobs.com)

Job Categories: Equal Opportunities. Job Types: Full-Time. Salaries: 100,000 and above.

78 total views, 0 today

Apply for this Job