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 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 water planning and instream protection.