Strategic Internal Communications Lead

This position will establish trusted sources of employee communication with employees wherever they are through new innovations in digital and in-person touchpoints.

About The Role:

This role will be integrated into the WTD Communications Team, a group within the Director’s Office advancing division-wide communications work and matrixed to other internal communicators with the Department of Natural Resources and Parks and other county colleagues.

This is an exciting opportunity to advance WTD’s efforts to inform and engage a growing and dedicated workforce of 800-plus employees who are taking on the momentous responsibility of protecting public health and the environment and advancing social equity in the delivery of our services across the Puget Sound region.

Our goal is to improve WTD’s reputation and credibility by creating opportunities to showcase the impressive and inspiring work our Division does to protect water quality, turn waste into resources, and promote environmental and financial stewardship. This is a small and mighty team with high impact managing a range of issues across the Division. For this position, we need someone with a strategic mindset who can develop and implement campaigns to find new and improved ways to connect with and unify staff serving a diversity of roles, including almost half who work on-site as essential workers without easy access to computers or email.

About The Team:

We’re a team that promotes innovation and adaptability. This person will be encouraged to try new approaches, take creative risks, collaborate with peers, and keep our team at the forefront of innovative content and engagement.

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 Strategic Internal Communications Lead, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity.


What You Will Be Doing:

• Identify and evaluate internal needs across the Division and develop campaigns to support strategic goals
  
• Provide back-up external PIO support when needed, and serve in emergency on-call rotation
• Support the development of a major initiative for a long-term vision and update to the wastewater services plan through coordination with internal planning teams, employees, and outside consultants. (25-30% of the time)
• Actively participate with WTD employee engagement communicators and King County internal communications leads to incorporate and collaborate on department-wide and County-wide initiatives
• Produce and execute a rapid communications response to quickly evolving or sensitive situations, including ensuring we are communicating with staff during an emergency
• Provide general emergency on-call backup support when needed

Qualifications You Bring:

• Research, create and coordinate the production of public and employee communications products
  
• Identify and analyze issues of concern and emerging trends to key audiences; oversee the development and review of strategic communication objectives, techniques and plans
• Knowledge of communications principles, methods and materials

Preferred Qualifications:

Direct experience providing internal communications support for a public service organization

Competencies You Bring:    

Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
Strategic Mindset: Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.

Working Conditions:

• Work Location:  The communications team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is the collaboration space at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week. This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Local 117 WTD.

Discover More About the Wastewater Treatment Division: Visit our website and check us out at Facebook (formerly Twitter), Instagram, YouTube, and the WTD Blog.

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our DNRP 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 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.

Salary : $116,125 - $147,752