Capital Equity Program Manager

King County•Seattle, WA

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

This position is open to current KING COUNTY EMPLOYEE ONLY. King County's Department of Natural Resources and Parks (DNRP) is seeking an enthusiastic, motivated, and collaborative individual to serve as the Capital Equity Program Manager in the capital Project Planning and Delivery (PPD) section at King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD). WTD’s growing capital program is one of the largest in the region and touches many communities in King County. The Capital Equity Program Manager will collaborate with Capital Division staff and management, WTD’s ESJ (Equity and Social Justice) Committee, community partners, vendors, and other interested parties within King County who are responsible for delivering capital programs for their respective organizations. The Capital Equity Program Manager will serve as WTD’s lead equity expert for staff involved in the planning, design, and delivery of the division’s Capital Program. In this role, the manager will ensure that capital teams have the tools, resources, and guidance needed to incorporate equity into project development and to use capital investments to positively influence the Determinants of Equity identified by King County as fundamental to the wellbeing of all communities. Key responsibilities include helping design and refine tools, systems, and procedures that embed equitable practices and outcomes throughout the Capital Program. This position plays a central role in integrating ESJ policies into WTD’s capital processes, ensuring that infrastructure decisions reflect both countywide goals and community priorities. The role will provide strategic advice and practical support to advance ESJ at the capital portfolio, program, and project levels. This work includes gathering data, monitoring progress, and reporting on compliance with the DNRP and WTD Strategic Plans and support outcomes in the WTD 3-year Strategic Equity Plan. It must also support outcomes for the Sustainable & Resilient Frontline Communities section of the Strategic Climate Action Plan. Particular focus will be given to addressing the needs of historically underserved communities, including residents with limited English proficiency. In addition, the Capital Equity Program Manager will serve as a policy advisor to the Division Leadership Team and a resource to the division Equity, Inclusion & Belonging Manager and capital program - especially Capital Project Managers. They will help staff apply a pro-equity lens to decision-making and develop processes to prioritize, measure, and track how the Wastewater Treatment Division’s Capital Improvement Program advances equitable practices, outcomes, and benefits throughout the capital lifecycle.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree in business administration, public administration, project management, engineering, architecture, urban planning, or a related social or technical field.
5 years or more of experience building and managing community development programs, monitoring performance results, or providing technical assistance to diverse organizations.
Demonstrated commitment to creating fair and equitable outcomes, with strong understanding of systemic inequities affecting historically underserved communities.
Understanding of capital project management budgeting, contracting processes, schedule control, and regulatory compliance.
Excellent written, verbal, public speaking, and stakeholder facilitation skills to build trusting relationships with internal and external partners.
Strategic Mindset : Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
Action Oriented : Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
Drives Results : Consistently achieving results, even under tough circumstances.
Collaborates : Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Racially Just: Identify and replace racists systems and structures with anti-racists and pro-equity approaches.
A valid Washington State Driver’s License or an alternate ability to get to meetings and other King County sites not served by transit at varying times of day.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, project management, engineering, architecture, urban planning, or a related social or technical field.
10 years or more of experience building and managing community development programs, monitoring performance results, or providing technical assistance in the public sector.

Responsibilities

Provide strategic guidance and operational assistance in developing and advancing ESJ within the WTD Capital Program at the capital portfolio, program, and project level.
Develop, communicate, organize, and maintain program documents, tools and resources (including workflows, talking points, protocols, toolkits, and policies) relevant to the work of the capital program.
Collaborate with internal staff and external partners to gather information and build a strong understanding of local community and stakeholder concerns related to capital portfolio, program, and project decisions.
In alignment with the community workforce agreements and the DNRP and WTD Strategic Plans, use data that identifies under-represented and marginalized communities to work with internal project teams and external consultants, contractors and suppliers to improve the Determinants of Equity within these communities.
Assist with needs assessments to identify individual, group, team, divisional, departmental, and organizational ESJ training opportunities; collaborate on training delivery.
Stay current on emerging best practices and innovations in advancing equity through capital programs and use that knowledge to continually strengthen and improve the Capital Equity Program.
Be a champion for ESJ. Understand that systematic racism and its long-term effects are pervasive in our society. Be comfortable having candid and sincere conversations with all employees about race and equity in the workplace and how we can advance equity across our capital programs and in the communities we serve.