SummaryTHE SCIENCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT SECTION of the Water and Land Resources Division is responsible for providing scientific information to inform important environmental policy and management decisions that protect natural resources and overall quality of life for King County residents. Scientists and technical staff in the Science Section oversee a wide variety of environmental monitoring programs; provide technical support for numerous County capital projects and operating programs; provide expertise on salmon recovery issues; impacts of land use change; restoration of aquatic and terrestrial habitat; water quality and quantity; impacts of contaminants on aquatic life; lake, stream, river and wetland ecology; river and floodplain processes; and marine, nearshore, and estuarine processes. Section scientists collaborate with other agencies in King County and the region to collect, model and interpret information that informs land use, habitat management, sewage treatment, water resource and surface water management decisions. For further detail on the Science & Technical Support Section’s programs, please see: http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/wlr/sections-programs/science-section.aspx.

The primary purpose of this position is to provide scientific technical support for the Water Quality Benefits Evaluation (WQBE) project. This position will work under direction of senior Science Section staff to assist in developing tools to evaluate the water quality benefits (e.g., decreased pollutant loading from stormwater runoff, decreased bacteria inputs from combined sewer overflows, etc.) of potential projects and programs (e.g., enhanced stormwater treatment, rain gardens, street sweeping, tree planting, etc.) that could be implemented in King County. A causal model will be developed to understand the relationships between the various actions (i.e., projects and programs) and their relative water quality benefits. The casual model output will facilitate decision making and help identify the most effective actions to improve water quality. Major responsibilities include assisting with scientific literature reviews, data organization and input, database management to support computer model inputs and outputs, and technical writing. The position will also provide support to workshop/meeting facilitators including note taking, meeting organization and logistics, generating meeting/presentation materials for a variety of audiences, and developing ideas for workshop activities. Workshop attendees will include technical subject matter experts and/or stakeholders on topics related to water quality, stormwater treatment, wastewater treatment, aquatic ecology, fisheries, ecotoxicology, and strategic planning.

King County and The Water and Land Resource Division values diverse perspectives and life experiences and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and veterans.

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified applicants.  If the successful applicant is a King County Career Service employee, this position will be offered as a special duty assignment.

DURATION:  this TLT is scheduled to end 12/2020; however, if funding is identified in the next biennium budget cycle the position may be extended through July 2021.

WORK SCHEDULE: This position is overtime-eligible. This position normally works 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Occasionally work in excess of 8 hours per day or in the evening and on weekends may periodically be necessary during critical project periods.

REQUIRED MATERIALS TO APPLY: Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

• King County application
• Resume
• Cover Letter
• answers to supplemental questions

Job DutiesLiterature review:

• Research and collect available scientific literature on key topic areas (such as water quality, marine and freshwater ecology, fisheries, stormwater, wastewater, and ecotoxicology) identified by senior Science Section staff.
• Work with the staff librarian to obtain scientific information on key topics.
• Review literature and identify key relationships between topic areas as they relate to water quality, ecological, and human-health endpoints (e.g., what factors impact salmon survival, what factors impact toxic algal blooms, etc.).
• Summarize pertinent scientific information and assist with identification of data gaps and uncertainties to share with the project team. Summarize findings in an annotated bibliography.

Database management:

• Assist with development of a database framework to organize scientific data for computer model input and analysis.
• Organize project data, derived in part from literature reviews, into a format appropriate for model input; input data into database.
• Maintain a database system to organize model outputs to allow data to be stored and efficiently used by project staff.

Technical writing: 

• Assist with preparation of technical reports and technical memoranda describing methods and findings of the literature review, model development, and results of the final evaluation.

Meeting/workshop logistics: 

• Assist in organizing meeting space logistics, including room reservation and set-up.
• Generate and send meeting invitations with input from project manager and maintain documentation of workshop invitees/attendees for each meeting.
• Secure meeting supplies, including printed materials, writing implements, sign-in sheets, and meeting refreshments, as required.

Meeting materials:

• Assist in preparing meeting materials to present key scientific information to a variety of audiences, including technical staff, King County leadership, external subject matter experts, and/or stakeholders. Meeting materials may include PowerPoint presentations, charts/figures, written lay summaries, meeting agendas, written materials for workshop activities, internal post-meeting summaries for the project team to inform next steps, and external-facing meeting summaries to share with meeting invitees.

Coordinate with project team members: 

• Attend project team meetings, report on status and findings of independent work, and provide support on other project tasks as needed.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Bachelor’s degree in ecotoxicology, aquatic toxicology, aquatic ecology, water quality, environmental science, fisheries, stormwater management or a related field; or any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge and abilities required to perform the listed job duties.
• Demonstrated skill in time management, prioritization of work and meeting deadlines; self-motivated with a proven ability to provide high quality customer service.
• Demonstrated experience conducting scientific literature reviews related to water quality; aquatic ecology; fisheries, including salmon ecology; stormwater management or ecotoxicology.
• Experience using Microsoft Office applications including Excel, Word, PowerPoint and Access.
• Demonstrated skill and ability to graphically present environmental data using a variety of software packages such as PowerPoint, Excel, SigmaPlot, R Statistical package, etc.
• Demonstrated experience with data management including efficient data organization, managing data sets, data manipulation and quality assurance/quality control of data.
• Skill in preparing and presenting information in a variety of formats and media (e.g., PowerPoint slides, fact sheets, memorandum, meeting handouts, and/or technical reports).
• Demonstrated experience preparing technical documents (e.g., technical memoranda, literature reviews, data reports, etc.) that describe and/or summarize technical results associated with scientific studies in the following areas: ecotoxicology, aquatic toxicology, aquatic ecology, water quality, environmental science, fisheries, and/or stormwater management.
• Skill in organizing meeting logistics, such as securing room locations and supplies and managing invitations/notifications.
• Demonstrated ability to work successfully under supervision and independently within a team environment.
• Demonstrated ability to promote mutual respect and acceptance of all workers in a diverse work group.

Supplemental InformationNECESSARY SPECIAL REQUIREMENT:
•Valid Washington State Driver’s License.
•Employee will be required to complete First Aid and CPR training, and other safety trainings deemed necessary for employee safety.

UNION AFFILIATION:  Local 117, Professional and Technical Employees.

CONTACT:  michelle.kobuki@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-4740 for questions related to this recruitment.

SUPPLEMENTAL QUESTIONNAIRE          
The supplemental questions must be completed and submitted with the application. These questions address important elements of the position and the information you provide will help determine your eligibility for further consideration.