Opportunity

King County has established the Executive Climate Office (ECO) to elevate and accelerate Executive Constantine and the County’s commitment, coordination, and ability to deliver on climate action internally and in partnership with cities and partners. Since being established in 2023, the Executive Climate Office has grown to over 20 staff, fellows, and interns, and has secured over $60M in state and federal grants. ECO is looking to fill one Climate Preparedness Coordinator position to support the Climate Preparedness section of King County's Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP).  

As a part of this office, the Climate Preparedness Specialist will collaborate with the ECO Climate Preparedness Team to implement and track progress on key initiatives that help King County communities and local governments prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change. This position includes supporting SCAP action implementation through researching related climate topics, developing and executing action workplans in partnership with the Climate Preparedness Team, and tracking action progress. The County is committed to partnering with and supporting frontline communities historically excluded from the environmental and climate change action. The Executive Climate Office commits to prioritizing inclusion and justice for all people in County work on climate, with the aim of decreasing disparities in our organization and our communities.

This term-limited temporary position funded until December 31, 2025, with the possibility of an extension if additional funds become available. This position will report to the Climate Preparedness Manager of the Executive Climate Office.

Responsibilities:

Supporting Implementation of the Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP)

• Support research and implementation of SCAP climate preparedness actions related to sea level rise, resilience hubs, and wildfire risk reduction. This includes:
  • Conducting research and internal and external engagement to develop a sea level rise strategy for unincorporated King County and supporting cross-jurisdictional engagement on planning for sea level rise, 
  • Supporting pilot efforts to increase access to community cooling locations, 
  • Tracking implementation of King County’s Wildfire Risk Reduction Strategy including tracking wildfire risk reduction activities and engagement with partners.
• Work with King County agency staff to track progress on climate preparedness actions and performance measures.
• In partnership with the Climate Preparedness Team and communications staff, develop summaries of SCAP progress and key achievements related to climate preparedness. Research and ideate creative and effective ways to communicate progress, such as StoryMaps. Present on action progress to internal and external audiences as needed. 
• Other duties as assigned.

General Climate Preparedness Program Support  

• Support content development for existing climate preparedness-related sites, such as the ECO climate preparedness landing pages and the internal Climate Resource Hub SharePoint site. 
• Assist with coordination of monthly Climate Action Talks with King County staff by identifying potential speakers, setting up calendar invites, and sending out relevant materials afterwards. 
• Where needed, support the development of interim project needs related to climate preparedness topics.

Qualifications:

• Two or more years of experience (professional, academic, organizing, lived, etc.) in a climate specialist, climate adaptation, or other closely related role. 
• Experience with developing project recommendations based on current climate research. 
• Knowledge of regional climate change impacts.
• Experience supporting justice, inclusion, and equity at an individual and organizational level.
• Experience with following project workplans and reporting on progress. 
• Experience with organizing and supporting discussions in virtual meetings and other collaborative mediums.
• Demonstrated success managing multiple projects and priorities and working collaboratively within a team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite. 
• Proven ability to work on multiple projects with changing priorities and/or conflicting deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a multi-agency team of dedicated King County staff to develop and implement the King County Strategic Climate Action Plan.
• Strong systems thinking and organizational skills.
• Creativity and ability to operate with ambiguity.
• Demonstrated ability to research and provide recommendations on complex issues using analysis, experience, and judgement.
• Evidence of advanced oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills in engaging with diverse audiences, collaborators, and staff.

Preferred:

• Technical knowledge of regional climate impacts on people and infrastructure. 
• Experience in framing climate and/or equity topics in a relevant manner for a variety of audiences, including community members and decision makers.
• Experience working with/in limited English-speaking populations, immigrant/refugee communities, BIPOC communities and culturally diverse communities.

Please submit a complete online application, resume and cover letter describing how your education and/or experience relate to the qualifications for this position. Your options are to:

• Copy and paste one or more documents into the Text Resume section of the application, or 
• Attach multiple documents/files in the Resume Attachment section. 

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the online application and include the information only on the cover letter and resume. Applications responses stating "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.