Recycled Water Project Manager

Job Description:

Recycled Water Project Manager

Description

Summary

The Resource Recovery unit within the Operations & Maintenance Section of King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division strives to bring valuable resources, technology, and sound business practices together to deliver products and programs that inspire our customers to be part of an environmentally sustainable future. The Recycled Water Project Manager (Water Quality Planner/Project Manager III) offers a unique opportunity to support King County’s recycled water initiatives by driving outcomes for the recycled water program, county wastewater treatment plants, and recycled distribution systems. You will serve as a subject matter expert in recycled (reclaimed) water and participate in a range of planning and multi-jurisdictional efforts and will include planning, project management, technical leadership, and execution of project tasks. King County is reducing long-term discharges to Puget Sound by producing and using recycled water as a valuable resource. Recycled water helps return nutrients to the environment, conserves drinking water, and keeps more freshwater in rivers and streams for fish and wildlife. To fulfill this mission, we ensure recycled water meets or exceeds quality standards, promote water reuse across the region, deliver recycled water reliably and efficiently, and educate the public about the safety and benefits of water reuse. If you thrive in a collaborative, entrepreneurial environment and want to make a meaningful impact on regional sustainability, this role offers that opportunity. You’ll join the Renewable Products & Services work group, surrounded by professionals who value innovation, performance, and transformation, and contribute to shaping the future of wastewater resource recovery.

This recruitment will be hiring for two (2) positions.

About The Role:
This position supports reuse of highly treated wastewater-marketed as recycled water-across King County’s treatment plants and distribution systems. By developing policy recommendations, managing projects, and ensuring compliance with regulatory and contractual requirements, the role advances the County’s sustainability goals by reducing discharges to Puget Sound, conserving drinking water supplies, and supporting regional climate resilience. As part of the Resource Recovery Unit in the Operations & Maintenance Section, you’ll join a mission-driven team at the forefront of sustainable resource recovery. This role blends stakeholder engagement, environmental compliance, and strategic planning to deliver real-world climate solutions.

With meaningful opportunities to collaborate with peers within other clean water agencies, water users and regional stakeholders to ensure recycled water is produced, monitored, and delivered safely, and helps protect public and environmental health, this role supports a recycled water program that is reliable, science based, and community focused. This position will also support communication material development, and outreach efforts for the recycled water program and may also support similar efforts across the broader Renewable Products & Services work group.

This position follows a hybrid work model, blending remote and in-person work.

About The Team:
The Renewable Products & Services work group within the Resource Recovery Unit includes both the Recycled Water and Biosolids Programs. This position serves in the Recycled Water Program, which transforms highly treated wastewater into a reliable resource for environmental restoration, irrigation, climate mitigation and other non-potable uses. Recycled water is produced at our treatment plants to rigorous quality standards, ensuring it is safe, dependable, and protective of public and environmental health.

For more than two decades, King County has partnered with farms, recreational venues, and habitat restoration projects to put recycled water to beneficial use-reducing discharges to Puget Sound, conserving drinking water supplies, and keeping more freshwater in rivers and streams for fish and wildlife. The program plays a critical role in advancing the County’s climate goals by supporting drought resilience, nutrient recycling, and long-term water sustainability across the region. Our team brings an entrepreneurial spirit and deep technical expertise to recovering resources that mitigate climate impacts. We prioritize transformation, innovation, and performance, and we value employees who take initiative, build strong partnerships, and want to help shape the future of sustainable water management.

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. In this role, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at http://www.kingcounty.gov/equity .

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Wastewater Treatment Division of King County Department of Natural Resources & Parks (DNRP). Join our talented workforce in protecting and restoring the natural environment and promoting more resilient, sustainable, and equitable communities. Enjoy training, comprehensive benefits , and growth opportunities.

Job Duties

• Support strategic planningfor the Recycled Water Program, including long range planning, alignment with division wide resource recovery goals across the Renewable Products & Services work group.
• Cultivate and strengthen relationships with key stakeholders, including water users, partner agencies, regulators, external and internal work groups. Develop strategies to expand recycled water use, support customer success, and advance regional water reuse initiatives. Represent King County in external stakeholder meetings and planning groups involving water reuse and water resources management.
• Participate in strategic planning, policy, design and implementation efforts and recommendations related to water reuse and water resources management for internal teams, leadership, and cross divisional projects. Provide expert guidance on policy and regulatory requirements, system planning, and design considerations.
• Lead complex studies, planning efforts, and design projects, working with cross-divisional teams or consultants. Develop scopes, schedules, and budgets; provide direction on ambiguous or precedent setting issues; and ensure projects advance program and utility priorities.
• Support regulatory compliance and reporting with internal teams to ensure adherence to user agreements, permit conditions, and state recycled water standards. Prepare permit applications and act as primary regulatory liaison on permit development. Monitor the recycled water regulatory and policy landscape at the state and federal levels and advise on policy actions our utility should pursue.

• Oversee development of program communications and educational materials developed by internal communications resources, including web content, fact sheets, public facing documents, and internal briefings. Provide oversight and strategic direction for staff responses to potential customers, existing customers, general public, state and local agencies, regulators, elected officials and the media.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Must Bring:

• Knowledge of water quality, drinking water systems, treatment processes, and recycled water, wastewater system operations, or similar utility-based experience including familiarity with policy development and regulatory frameworks, permit requirements, and principles that support safe, compliant, and beneficial use of recycled water.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience preparing technical documents, regulatory reports, policy recommendations, and outreach materials, and presenting complex information to regulators, customers, elected officials, and the public.
• Experience using environmental or operational data to inform program decisions, including maintaining detailed records, developing systems, producing summaries or visualizations, and applying data to improve recycled water (or similar utility-based resource) production, distribution, or compliance strategies.
• Proven ability to build and sustain relationships with a wide range of stakeholders-including regulators, customers/users, partner agencies, researchers, and internal teams-while navigating competing priorities, complex technical issues, and long-term program planning needs.

Competencies You Bring:

• Plans and Aligns - Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
  
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Collaborates - Works cooperatively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas. Partners with others to get work done. Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments. Gains trust and support of others.
• Organizational Savvy - Maneuvering comfortably through complex policy, process, and people-related organizational dynamics.
• Strategic Mindset - Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies.
• Manages Complexity - Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Manages Ambiguity - Operating effectively, even when things are not certain, or the way forward is not clear.

Required Licenses:

• Must possess a valid Washington State Driver’s License to regularly travel to field sites and event locations not served by public transit.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading strategic planning and execution within a utility, environmental, or public-sector setting, including the ability to translate long term vision into actionable plans that advances system reliability, and regional sustainability goals.
• Demonstrated skill in developing, interpreting, and implementing policy, including experience assessing regulatory requirements, anticipating long range regulatory impacts, and shaping policy recommendations that support safety and compliance, specific to recycled water or related resources.
• Experience leading cross disciplinary collaboration and organizational alignment, including the ability to coordinate across technical, operational, policy, and communications teams to advance integrated initiatives and program strategies that are consistent with broader priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to support strategic alignment and coordinate with technical staff, planners, communicators, and operational partners to ensure policies, and program initiatives are integrated, consistent, and advancing shared unit and work group priorities.
• Experience with water and wastewater planning, including water demand planning for municipal, commercial, agriculture and instream water demands, and water policy and water resource management, including water rights, municipal waterplanning andinstream protection.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: The Resource Recover Unit 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 and King County Treatment Plants . 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, Monday - Friday with occasional evenings and weekends to meet business need. 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 Technical Employees’ Association (TEA) - Wastewater Treatment Division
• Physical Requirement: Incumbents performing field work at a wastewater treatment plants and associated facilities are required to walk and stand, lift, navigate wastewater treatment facilities. i.e. outdoor work with uneven terrain.

Application and Selection Process:
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We value diverse perspectives, life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.

Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness and alignment with the experience, qualifications, knowledge, and skills essential for this role to determine which candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. A pplications without the following required materials will not be considered for this position.

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Anticipated Timeline for this recruitment (subject to change):

• Virtual Technical Interviews (20 minutes) - Week of 6/22
• Onsite Panel Interviews (50 minutes) - Week of 6/29

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Angelia Remolana - [email protected]

Discover More about DNRP: Visit our 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

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental,family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position.Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

Closing Date/Time: 6/11/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$114,412.27 - $145,024.26 Annually