Duwamish Valley Program Manager

THE DEPARTMENT

The Office of Sustainability & Environment (OSE) develops and implements citywide environmental policies and programs that propel our city toward a sustainable, equitable, and carbon neutral future. OSE is committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace. The sustainability and environmental fields have often failed to reflect the experiences and identities of people affected by their decisions and outcomes, including Black, Indigenous, People of Color, Immigrants, Refugees, People with Disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage people with these identities or from other marginalized communities to apply.

THE CONTEXT

The Duwamish Valley's South Park and Georgetown neighborhoods are home to approximately 5,600 people and numerous businesses and industries. They are resilient, close-knit communities that are bound together by social and cultural ties. At the same time, these communities face many stressors, including exposure to air pollution, noise pollution, highways, and industrial pollution, including in the Duwamish River - a federally designated Superfund site.  The distribution of environmental benefits such as access to open space and access to healthy and culturally appropriate food is lower, and the outcomes for many health indicators are significantly worse in these communities than they are elsewhere in the city. The Duwamish Valley is also an area subject to flooding, which is projected to increase due to climate change. The City, community, and other agencies have been working since 2016 to advance environmental justice and equitable development in the Duwamish Valley through the Duwamish Valley Action Plan.

THE JOB

As Duwamish Valley Program Manager, you will be a key advisor and thought leader on equitable and inclusive strategies for climate and community resilience in the Duwamish Valley. You will bring a vision for the future of this work and play a critical role in developing, leading, defending, and implementing policy and program recommendations on the City's climate and community resilience goals in the Duwamish Valley neighborhoods of South Park and Georgetown. You will represent OSE internally and externally with audiences like elected officials, leadership, local and regional agencies, City Departments, and community members working on climate, health, and environmental justice. Climate and community resilience includes responding to sea level rise, advancing holistic environmental justice strategies, and supporting community leadership. In this job you will report to the Healthy Communities Director and participate on a cross-departmental Duwamish Valley Resilience team and may supervise one or more staff positions.

Your work will focus on five major areas:

• Ensure authentic collaboration with BIPOC community leaders and community members to define and elevate the community's vision.

• Develop and advance a vision for the future of community and climate resilience in this neighborhood.

• Manage grant- and city-funded work, across multiple stakeholders to develop a holistic approach to climate and community resilience in the Duwamish Valley

• Develop, advise, implement, and monitor strategies for policy development and programs citywide.

• Advance interdepartmental policy, strategy, and funding efforts with City executives and staff.

You will be successful if you are committed to:

• Working with a diverse range of stakeholders including the Mayor's Office, City Council, City departments, King County, businesses and workers, educational and other institutions, philanthropic organizations, tribal and fishing communities, and residents to facilitate short- and long-term actions to address health, livability, and other Duwamish Valley community priorities.

• Facilitating across multiple departments and community to develop, guide, and implement a range of City policies, programs, and investments - in partnership with community - to carry out the goals of the Duwamish Valley Action Plan (DVAP) and the Duwamish Valley Resilience District.

• Bringing bold ideas and creating the partnerships, strategies, and processes to implement them.

• Supporting City staff in evaluating and shifting their work to better serve low income and BIPOC communities and deliver meaningful outcomes in the Duwamish Valley.

• Integrating future climate conditions into planning and strategy development and identifying short- and long-term resilience strategies.

• Driving innovation from inside government to align and shift goals and investments, advance community leadership, and deliver outcomes on the ground.

• Convening people, authentically bringing together individuals and groups to find common goals and priorities, galvanize collective action, and deliver outcomes

Your effectiveness will depend on your ability to:

• Manage multiple, complex, and high-profile bodies of work with internal and external project teams, including the development, roll-out, communication, measurement, and ongoing evaluation and assessment of multi-phased projects or campaigns.

• Develop policy, provide strategic briefings, and make the case for strategic actions to senior officials or management groups to design and deliver significant policies, programs, and investments.

• Distill research and frame issues to facilitate decision-making.

• Engage diverse communities and local leadership to build community partnerships and support ongoing involvement of community in the work, with a focus on building partnerships with Black, Native and Indigenous, people of color, people with low incomes, immigrants and refugees, and English language learners

• Develop strategic communications materials to tell the story of the Duwamish Valley program.

• Thrive in highly political and dynamic environments, where change is normal and the ability to adapt and respond quickly to new priorities is the standard.

• Foster and cultivate relationships with philanthropic and other funding resources to advance priorities in the Duwamish Valley.

• Experience working in the Duwamish Valley or a comparable community on issues such as economic opportunity, food access, flooding, environmental justice, urban planning, green infrastructure, Superfund cleanup, and community health.

We are looking for applicants who demonstrate the skills listed through a combination of their work, education, and life experience as demonstrated in their resume, cover letter, answers to the supplemental questions, and at each step of the assessment process.

Thinking you don't qualify? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every qualification. However, everyone brings different strengths to the table for a job, and people can be successful in a role in different ways. If you are excited about this job but your experience doesn't perfectly check every box in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway.

This job is classified as a Strategic Advisor 2, Exempt and the salary range for this classification is from $47.85 to $71.80.   For the scope of this job and internal equity our target salary is $62.00.

This job includes frequent meetings in South Park and Georgetown and occasional work after business hours and on weekends.  Otherwise, work is Mon-Friday 8am-5pm with the flexibility to work remotely 3 days a week.

Why work at the City?

The City of Seattle recognizes every City employee must play a role in ending institutional and structural racism. Our culture is the result of our behavior, our personal commitments, and the ways that we courageously share our perspectives and encourage others to do the same. To cultivate an antiracist culture, we seek employees who will engage in the Race and Social Justice Initiative by working to dismantle racist policies and procedures, unlearn the way things have always been done, and provide equitable processes and services.

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans

In addition, to completing the application at www.governmentjobs.com/careers/seattle fully, please attach:

• A PDF of your current resume
• A cover letter explaining how your experience, skills, and values align with this job

Questions? Please contact Kate Moore at kate.moore@seattle.gov

This hiring process involves a background check of conviction and arrest records in compliance with Seattle's Fair Chance Employment Ordinance, SMC 14.17. Applicants will be provided an opportunity to explain or correct background information.

Who may apply: This position is open to all applicants that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The City encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with diverse life experiences.