Geologist

Summary

This recruitment aims to fill a Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) benefit eligible position with an anticipated duration of 3 years.

Are you ready to apply and build your fluvial geomorphology and engineering geology skills to the glacial landscape of scenic King County, Washington ? King County River and Floodplain Management Section (RFMS) is a leader in integrated floodplain management because we build multi-benefit projects that protect people and the environment. Working in the Technical Services unit of RFMS and the Rivers Capital unit , you will participate i n multiple diverse, multi-disciplinary teams t hat manage flood risk and restore important aquatic habitat. From mapping and identification of hazards to capital project design, implementation and effectiveness monitoring , you will experience many opportunities to build and showcase your analytical and communications skills.

About the Role :
The Geologist (Environmental Scientist II) in the Technical Services Team of the River and Floodplain Management Section (RFMS) will be a key technical team member working with senior scientists and responsible for helping to identify and map geologic hazards including channel migration, alluvial fan, landslide, earthquake, and volcanic hazards and working with design teams to mitigate hazard risk to King County residents. This position will collaborate with senior technical staff including geologists, water resource engineers, and ecologists in developing flood risk reduction strategies and projects, addressing climate change impacts, and ensuring the effective management of floodplains and river systems. This is an exciting opportunity to develop your technical skillset, gain project management experience, and add to your list of geology projects!

This position performs work remotely and onsite.

About the Team:
The Water and Land Resources Division is at the forefront of King County’s efforts to protect and restore clean water and healthy habitat and strengthen the resilience of communities, environment, and infrastructure from existing natural hazards and in the face climate change. WLRD has a strong track record of reducing flood risk to communities, developing innovative strategies for protecting working farms and forests, restoring habitat, and ensuring the county residents have equitable access to green space. We plan, design, and build flood and stormwater facilities that help to protect people and infrastructure while also enhancing habitat for salmon. King County's Clean Water Healthy Habitat initiative plans on investing more than $9 billion over the next 10 years to protect water quality and habitat throughout the county. This will benefit the people, salmon, and orcas that call our region home. King County’s Strategic Climate Action Plan (SCAP) is a five-year blueprint for County climate action, integrating climate change into all areas of County operations and work with King County cities, partners, communities, and residents. These, and many more programs, make WLRD an exciting and fulfilling place to work.

Commitment To Equity 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. As a Science Communications Specialist, 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 Water and Land Resource 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

What You Will Be Doing:

• Perform office and field work to assess the potential impacts of flood risk reduction actions or other activities on natural resources in the river environment. Includes evaluating previous studies, collecting, and analyzing physical data, predicting future behavior of river systems, and writing reports.
• Prepare maps using GIS software and other analytical tools and technical documents for use by technical staff, management, regulators, elected officials, and the public.
• Work with planners, engineers, and other scientists to identify and implement appropriate solutions to problems related to fluvial geomorphology, flood risk reduction, channel migration, and geologic hazards.
• Assist with design and implementation of monitoring programs that evaluate the geomorphic response of rivers to flood risk reduction projects such as changes in sedimentation patterns.
• Conduct channel migration hazard mapping following King County methods and best available science to be used for hazard communication and land use regulation.
• Participate in the Flood Warning Program during flood season. This may include work on nights or weekends with short notice and may include overtime.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Bachelor’s degree in geology, earth science, geomorphology or closely related field.
• 2 years relevant work experience post-undergraduate education OR an equivalent combination of education and experience providing the necessary knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the described duties.
• Awareness of geological hazards and geomorphic processes that contribute to flood hazards within King County and strong interest in developing proficiency in identifying and evaluating geologic hazards.
• Proficient with ArcGIS mapping and geodatabase management and analysis.

Competencies You Bring:

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Manages complexity: Make sense of complex, high quality, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Communicates effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing multiple work efforts to meet organizational goals.
• Nimble learning: Actively learning through experimentation, questioning and analysis of both successes and failures.
• Technically Savvy: Comfortable learning and applying new technologies and research to improve project outcomes.

Required Licenses:

• Washington state Geologist License, Geologist-in-Training (GIT) license OR ability to obtain within 6 months of hire.
• Washington state driver’s license.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• One (1) year of experience in closely related professional field.
• Experience programming in Python within ArcGIS.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with onsite reporting requirements at King Street Center typically 1-2 times per month, and onsite field work up to 1-4 times per week. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104). This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department’s vision of Green Where We Work .
• Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to meet workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week.This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible. The typical work schedule is 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday- Friday.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by P ROTEC Local 17 A bargaining unit.
• Physical Requirements: This position requires the ability to work outside conducting physical site inspections and evaluations, including in times of inclement weather conditions. There is often a need to walk on uneven terrain for extended periods. Field conditions include brushy, forested environments; river, stream, and wetland corridors; and slippery, and uneven surfaces. Work tasks may also include in-water situations involving wading and the use of rafts or canoes.
• Duration: This recruitment aims to fill a Term-Limited Temporary (TLT), fully benefit eligible position with an anticipated duration of 3 years. If the position is filled by a King County employee who has successfully completed their initial probation, they will be offered the role as a Special Duty Assignment.

Application and Selection Process:
We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value divers ity , diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. This posting may be used to create an eligibility list for future vacancies in similar positions over the next six months.

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. The final candidate will be required to successfully pass a pre-employment physical.

Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.
To apply, submit a:
Complete application .Cover LetterResume NOT required but will be reviewed if submitted. Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Isaac Good at (206) 848-0576 or igood@kingcounty.gov .

Discover More About the Water Land & Resources Division: Visit our website .

Discover More About Rivers and Floodplain Management Section: Visit our website .

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 recently 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 related to this recruitment process, 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:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
• 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: King County employees are eligible to 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: 6/23/2024 11:59 PM Pacific

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