Careers

Description:

Are you passionate about flood mitigation and habitat infrastructure that fosters climate resilience and environmental justice, and builds sustainable urban communities? Seattle Public Utilities (SPU) is seeking an inspiring leader to manage the new Duwamish Valley Water Resilience Program—an ambitious place-based initiative addressing sea level rise, flooding, and environmental challenges along over three miles of shoreline in the heart of the Duwamish Valley.

As the Duwamish Valley Resilience Section Manager, you’ll guide a transformative program that blends infrastructure innovation, evaluation and potential implementation of targeted retreat, shoreline restoration, contamination remediation and community empowerment. The section leads long-term infrastructure planning, near-term emergency management planning and oversight, and the City’s involvement in the Lower Duwamish Waterway Superfund Cleanup.  This role will oversee interagency collaboration, community engagement, master planning, and capital program development to enhance climate resilience while prioritizing equitable development and environmental justice.

Key Responsibilities

• Oversee the new Duwamish Valley Water Resilience Program within SPU’s Drainage and Wastewater Line of Business, coordinating land use planning,  capital program development, infrastructure and upland remediation projects, permitting, and shoreline restoration to address sea level rise, flooding, and area-specific drainage and wastewater needs

• Hire and supervise two strategic advisor positions focused on land use/shoreline master planning and water infrastructure coordination in the Duwamish Valley, as well as engineers and scientists working on Superfund sediment cleanup in the Duwamish River

• Lead collaboration for the Duwamish Valley Water Resilience and Superfund Cleanup efforts between SPU and the Office of Sustainability & Environment’s Duwamish Valley Program, the Office of Planning & Community Development, Seattle City Light, US Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington Department of Ecology, US Army Corps of Engineers, the King County Flood Control District, and other City and agency partners

• Foster funding partnerships to support sea level rise adaptation infrastructure

• Coordinate and collaborate with subject matter experts across SPU and the City of Seattle to support funding, permitting, environmental justice programming, and capital project delivery

• Engage with community stakeholders to ensure community capacity building and equity-driven outcomes that reflect local visions, voices, and needs

Skills/Eligibility:

Qualifications

Education: Bachelor’s degree in public administration, environmental studies, urban or comprehensive planning, landscape architecture, engineering, or related fields 

Education/Experience Equivalency: 2 additional years of related work experience (no substitution for the required supervisory experience)

Experience: At least five (5) years progressively responsible experience in a community-based organization, non-profit, government, or utility setting, including 3 or more years of supervisory experience. Combinations of appropriate education, training, certification, and experience will be evaluated on an individual basis for comparability to the minimum education and experience requirements.   

Desired Experience:

• Complex Program/Project Management and Funding
• Multi-agency and SME Collaboration and Coordination
• Environmental and/or Shoreline Permitting Experience (prefer remediation experience)
• Water Infrastructure Project Delivery (prefer sea level rise adaptation infrastructure experience)
• High Stakes Political, Community, and Stakeholder Engagement
• Area-wide Redevelopment
• Comprehensive infrastructure planning and program development