The Road Services Division is currently seeking a well organized, and technically proficient Communications Support Specialist (Project/Program Manager II).  This is a great opportunity for an individual who enjoys managing multiple projects, handling a variety of tasks, and is interested in expanding their writing and public outreach skill set.

As a key member of our dynamic and fast-paced Communications team, you will be at the forefront of keeping the public well-informed and engaged. This multi-faceted role balances both individual autonomy and collaborative teamwork. The work environment is fast paced with a high project volume, and a team that works together to meet the challenges.

This position will keep the public informed of traffic interruptions and delays due to roadwork construction, weather-related events, and emergencies in unincorporated King County. In this role you will be tracking and managing internal and external communication for dozens of different projects, coordinating direct mail campaigns, updating content for multiple project websites and implementing communications and outreach plans. This position will also develop creative content for social media and produce other communications materials. If you have a passion for organization, enjoy juggling multiple tasks, and coordinating many moving parts, we want to hear from you!

About us (King County Road Services Division)
As the largest division within the Department of Local Services, we are responsible for about 1,500 miles of roads, 182 bridges, and other related infrastructure in the unincorporated areas of King County. At any given time, we have 20-40 active road projects impacting a wide spectrum of communities and people.

We work in underserved neighborhoods like White Center and Skyway, and in rural areas of unincorporated King County from Duvall to Enumclaw to Vashon Island. We engage people who monitor social media by the moment and those who only have a land line. Our communications team is small but mighty, and we are looking for an experienced implementor who can work across our agency of engineers, planners, consultants, and crews to bring the knowledge to the people!

We take pride that King County is the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King Jr. True to his name, King County is committed to advancing equity and racial and social justice within county government and in partnership with communities. Applying equity and racial and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all employees.

King County has adopted a pro-equity, anti-racist 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.  Together, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence.

Job Duties:

This position is assigned to the Road Services Division and will support the Road Services Communications and Community Relations Team.

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.

• Provide project management support by pro-actively monitoring tasks, timelines, and communications-related resources for major roadwork construction projects.
• Schedule and organize Communications and Social Media calendars, take notes during meetings, disseminate, and follow up on tasks assigned to team members and contractors involved with the roadwork construction process. 
• Develop project management tools to track and communicate process flow, and project status. 
• Provide accurate and timely notifications by email, web, social media, phone and direct mail to public and key service agencies, such as emergency responders, regarding current and upcoming road closures, lane restrictions and major capital road projects.
• Create engaging content for website and social media channels that draw peoples’ attention and keeps them engaged.
• Draft visual and written communication materials for a variety of audiences.
• Engage as a collaborative team member on various projects while providing valuable administrative support.
• Use communication skills and good judgment to escalate issues, assist with problem-solving and/or issue resolution.
• Support and implement communications and outreach plans, which may include coordinating and staffing internal and external events.
• Support implementation of communications and outreach plans.
• Other duties as assigned.

 Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills:

• Demonstrated  knowledge of project management principles and practices, such as planning, timeline development, and tracking.
• Demonstrated experience developing projects, programs, guidelines, or processes.
• Demonstrated experience thriving under tight deadlines while managing multiple tasks simultaneously; ability to organize and prioritize work quickly in response to changing needs.
• Experience writing in simple, plain language with the ability to explain complex or technical information to a general audience or non-native English speakers.
• Skilled in informal, concise storytelling such as for website, media articles, photo captions or e-newsletters.
• Skilled in effective time management and utilizing problem-solving methods.  
• Demonstrated commitment to championing social and racial justice, equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Possess strong interpersonal skills with the ability to engage well with diverse groups, communities, and government officials while being aware of the political environment.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills. 
• Are skilled and comfortable using a variety of technology, including Microsoft Office 365 Suite products, SharePoint, Teams and other internet-based tools.
• Ability to contribute both as a collaborative team member and work independently.

 We would love it if you:

• Enjoy taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with enthusiasm.
• Are familiar or experienced with LEAN process improvement.
• Are able to work effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.
• Have exemplary customer service skills.  
• Are able to keep pace with new communications and social media trends.
• Have experience with video, film, graphics and/or photography production. Enjoy working with public and governmental agencies.

Supplemental Information:

Those applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to interview the week of October 18, 2023. 

Second interviews will be held the week of October 23, 2023. 

WHO MAY APPLY: 
This position is open to all qualified applicants and may be used to fill current and or/future career service, term-limited temporary, short-term temporary, and or/special duty positions over the next six months.  First consideration will be given to current PROTEC17 members in the same classification that are eligible for lateral transfer.
 
NOTE: 
Special duty opportunities are only open to current King County career service employees who have completed their initial probation.  Special duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment.  Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the collective bargaining agreements or Coalition Labor Agreement for their base assignment.  
 
WORK SCHEDULE: 
The work week is normally Monday through Friday, 8.00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but may at times require work outside of normal business hours. This position is Non-Exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is eligible for overtime pay.
 
FORMS AND MATERIALS: 
A completed King County Application and letter of interest summarizing how you meet the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills for the position is required.  We highly recommend that you also provide a resume.

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:  PROTEC17
  
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Cassandra Montgomery
Human Resources Analyst
206-263-5866
cassandra.montgomery@kingcounty.gov
 
Teleworking Requirement 
This is a hybrid position. The work associated with this position will be performed by teleworking, onsite work and meetings as needed. The responsibilities of this position may include regular and ongoing in-office work involving in person customer service in accordance with the division's available customer service options.
 
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. Please note that when an employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is doing its part to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and remains committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
   
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.   

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.

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.