Noxious Weeds Specialist II presso King County, WA

About the Department

                 

Summary

This position is a unique opportunity for a knowledgeable and motivated environmental professional to make tangible and substantial positive impacts to significant environmental outcomes through noxious weed control in a designated region of King County. These outcomes contribute to overall County environmental initiatives including the project, the Land Conservation Initiative (LCI)and the Clean Water Healthy Habitat Initiative. This position position joins a dynamic team that seeks to reduce the impacts of Noxious Weeds throughout King County through collaborative and innovative approaches to noxious weed control on a landscape scale. 

About the Role
The person hired for this position will work under the direction of the Noxious Weed Control Program manager to work with land managers to achieve noxious weed control in a designated geographic area of responsibility (one of eight regions in the county).

About the Team

The noxious weed control program works throughout King County to prevent and reduce the economic, environmental, and social impacts of noxious weeds in King County, Washington. Our mission is to provide benefits to the environment, recreation, public health, and economic resources of King County by preventing and minimizing harmful impacts of noxious weeds. We do this through education and technical assistance to landowners and public agencies to help everyone find the best control options for noxious weeds on each site and to reduce the overall impact of noxious weeds throughout the county.

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. As the Noxious Weed Control Specialist II, 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 Resources Division (WLRD) 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.

Position Duties

What you will be doing?

• Conduct field surveys to identify, document and map noxious weed infestations. 
• Implement rapid response weed control for high priority infestations
• Communicate with landowners to notify them of weed infestations and regulatory compliance requirements, and to provide educational and technical services. 
• Enter and maintain data in program databases (spatial and relational databases).
• Conduct community outreach, public presentations, training and educational events.

Minimum Qualifications

Qualifications You Bring:

• Subject matter expert in noxious weed identification, biology, control, and impacts.
• Demonstrated field experience and expertise in managing noxious weed infestations and their impacts to natural resources.
• Familiarity with integrated pest management and weed control methods including chemical, biocontrol, and manual methods.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate with the public on difficult, sensitive and technical issues, both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrated ability to do field work and weed control activities in challenging terrain including urban areas, wetlands, rivers, streams, and lakes.  
• Ability to successfully plan and manage complex weed control projects across multiple species and timelines.  Ability to perform multiple tasks simultaneously under tight deadlines, prioritizing work and managing own time.
• Demonstrated skill in data collection, data management, and reporting using ESRI, Salesforce, or similar applications

Competencies You Bring:

• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Decision Quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.

It Would Be Nice If You Also Bring:

• Demonstrated success developing, managing, and expanding environmental services projects to improve ecological and social outcomes on a landscape scale.
• Demonstrated field experience and expertise in managing noxious weed infestations and their impacts to natural resources. Familiarity with integrated pest management and weed control methods including chemical, biocontrol, and manual methods. 

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to do field work and weed control activities in challenging terrain including wetlands, rivers, streams, and lakes.  
• Ability to carry heavy loads on back (up to 44 pounds) over very uneven terrain
• Ability to work in a range of difficult conditions.

Workplace Exposures:

• Field work and weed control activities in challenging terrain including wetlands, rivers, streams, and lakes.  
• Use of herbicides
• Driving a variety of vehicles

Other Qualifications

Working Conditions:

Remote and Onsite Work Details: The Noxious Weed Control Program's Policy and Planning Team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office/field 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 King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104).  The frequency of in-person presence is guided by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly.  
 
Remote Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite 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.  While typical work hours are during the standard workday, this job requires evening and weekends to support public meetings/events.
 
Union Representation: This position is not represented.

Application and Selection Process:
We welcome applications from all qualified candidates who are current King County employees only. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply.
  
Application materials will be screened for clarity, completeness including online application, cover letter and resume, and responsiveness to the list of qualifications, skills, and abilities. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

• King County application
• Complete Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Cover Letter (Your cover letter should detail your background and what you can bring to this position and will be used in the screening process)

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

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Calvin Rivers at 206-263-1986 or [email protected]
    
Discover More About the Division: 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.
  
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. 

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