Climate & Communities Intern

Climate & Communities Intern Salary: $24.78 - $31.41 Hourly Location: King Street Center - 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA Job Type: Intern Job Number: 2026-27372 Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks Division: Director's Office FLSA Status: Non-Exempt Bargaining Unit: Z3: KC Personnel Guidelines Full- or Part-Time: Full Time Hours/Week: 40 hours/week Summary As part of King County’s commitment to regional partnership on climate action, the County serves as an organizational host and co-chair of the Puget Sound Climate Preparedness Collaborative (the Collaborative), a network of more than 30 local and county governments, Tribes, regional agencies, and other organizations working to build community, economic, and environmental resilience to climate change. The Climate & Communities Fellow will support the development and implementation of a new Climate & Communities Learning Series (CCLS) hosted by the Collaborative. The CCLS is a Puget Sound–focused effort to build greater regional understanding of climate impacts on underserved and under-resourced communities, to increase local government knowledge and capacity for incorporating frontline community needs into climate preparedness, and to facilitate prioritization of community-based solutions that have multiple benefits for people and the environment. Beyond leading the CCLS, this internship will provide the opportunity to assist with community engagement and inclusion across other Collaborative programming, including regional alignment workshops and convenings focused on key climate resilience topics. About the Role The Climate & Communities Fellow is responsible for working with the King County and Collaborative project team, a community consultant, and a community Advisory Committee to create and facilitate a community-centered climate learning series and to support integration of community priorities into other Collaborative programming. The internship provides a unique opportunity to work with climate adaptation practitioners and community leaders across the Puget Sound region on building local and regional capacity for climate preparedness, and to grow the Collaborative’s role as a leading resource for climate preparedness learning and practice that is responsive to community needs. About the Team The Collaborative is a network of local and county governments, Tribes, and organizations in the Puget Sound basin working together to advance climate preparedness. The Collaborative’s work includes sea level rise, wildfire risk reduction, extreme heat mitigation, flooding, and integrating climate change into county policies and practices. Job Duties Create and manage a CCLS Advisory Group (15%): Support the creation and management of a CCLS Advisory Group, to consist of five to eight representatives from community-based organizations and/or frontline communities. Design and deliver the CCLS (65%): Work with the CCLS Advisory Group, Collaborative Steering Committee and staff, a community consultant, and other partners to co-develop the content, format, and schedule of the CCLS, including content on climate change impacts, climate justice, climate storytelling basics, and best practices for frontline community engagement. Secure participation from community members, presenters, and subject matter experts; conduct outreach to recruit attendees; facilitate webinars, meetings, and trainings; ensure accessibility; summarize notes and key messages; elicit feedback; and compile guidance documents and training materials. Support integration of climate equity and community priorities across grant activities (10%): Support integration of climate equity and community engagement principles in Collaborative webinars, regional convenings, and workshops; identify opportunities to highlight climate and community equity principles in webinars, technical guidance, and case studies. Support grant reporting and communications (10%): Track activities, participation metrics, and outcomes of the CCLS; contribute to reports and presentations on program progress; collaborate with staff to share updates and support continued program development; participate in Collaborative grant staff team meetings, convenings, and other activities. Qualifications Currently enrolled graduate student in environmental studies, environmental justice, public policy, or related fields. Strong relationship-building skills with an ability to work across cultural and organizational contexts. Strong writing skills and ability to communicate clearly with teams and partners from various backgrounds. Experience with organizing and supporting discussions in virtual meetings and other collaborative mediums, including proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite. Demonstrated success managing multiple deadlines, managing multi-step tasks, and working collaboratively within a team. Competencies Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer‑centric solutions. Balances Stakeholders: Anticipating and balancing the needs of multiple stakeholders. Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm. Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments. 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. Racially Just: Identify and replace racist systems and structures with anti‑racist and pro‑equity approaches. Nimble Learning: Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder. It Would Be Great If You Also Bring Experience with facilitating workshops, trainings, or public presentations. Familiarity with climate change, community resilience, and environmental justice. Experience with conducting community engagement or drafting public‑facing educational materials in multiple mediums. Supplemental Information Working Conditions: The Climate Preparedness team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. Employees will be provided with a County‑issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Work Location: The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. Work Schedule: This full‑time position works a 40‑hour work week. Union Representation: This position is not represented by a union. Duration: This recruitment aims to fill an internship position with an anticipated end date in December 2027. 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. #J-18808-Ljbffr IMDiversity