Recycled Water Project Manager

Recycled Water Project Manager Salary: $114,412.27 - $145,024.26 annually Location: King Street Center - 201 S Jackson St, Seattle, WA Job Type: Career Service (Exec) Job Number: 2026-27120 Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks Division: Wastewater Treatment FLSA: Exempt Bargaining Unit: W4 : TEA-WTD, DNRP-Staff Full- or Part-Time: Full Time Hours/Week: 40 hours/week Summary 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, including 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. 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. 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. Job Duties Support strategic planning for the Recycled Water Program, including long‑range planning and 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, including web content, fact sheets, public‑facing documents, and internal briefings. Provide oversight and strategic direction for staff responses to potential customers, existing customers, the general public, state and local agencies, regulators, elected officials, and the media. 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, representing own interests while being fair to others and their areas. 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 advance 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, agricultural, and instream water demands, and water policy and water resource management, including water rights, municipal water planning, and instream protection. Supplemental Information Working Conditions Remote and Onsite Work Details: The Resource Recovery Unit 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. The primary onsite location is the Collaboration space at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104 and King County Treatment Plants. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. Work Schedule: This full‑time position works a 40‑hour work week, Monday to Friday with occasional evenings and weekends to meet business needs. Union Representation: This position is represented by Technical Employees’ Association (TEA) – Wastewater Treatment Division. Physical Requirement: Incumbents performing field work at a wastewater treatment plant and associated facilities are required to walk, stand, lift, and navigate wastewater treatment facilities, i.e., outdoor work with uneven terrain. Equal Employment Opportunity 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 EOO 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