Supervising Engineer IV

This recruitment is open only to current King County employees. External applicants are not being considered.  

In addition to the current opening, this recruitment may be used to establish a pool of qualified candidates to fill future Engineer IV career services vacancies within the Department of Natural Resources and Parks over the next 12-months.

Are you ready to become part of dynamic, diverse, and driven team of engineers and project managers who step together toward challenges and who strive to continually improve processes and outcomes. The Strike Team in the River and Floodplain Management Section is well-funded, mission-driven team who work at the interface of risk-reduction/infrastructure-protection and habitat restoration along major rivers throughout King County and we are looking for a Supervising Engineer to help lead this amazing team. You will have a chance to lead work on challenging river management and design projects in locations spanning from steep rivers of the Cascade Mountains to tidally influenced lowlands. 

About the Role: 
This Supervising Engineer (Engineer IV) position is a full-time Career Service role in the River and Floodplain Management Section within the Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD). The role is to lead a team of engineers dedicated to the delivery of flood risk reduction projects that foster healthy rivers and resilient floodplain communities. This engineering team is part of the Stike Team known for its collaborative approach and ability to deliver innovate solutions for projects along the major rivers of King County. The team priorities include completing design of active capital projects and the challenging work to develop and implement an approach to repair dozens of flood risk reduction facilities damaged during the catastrophic flooding of December 2025. The Supervising Engineer will have responsibility for engineering oversight of designs being completed in the Unit and will be the direct supervisor for 6 engineers on the team.

The successful candidate will collaborate with the Strike Team Unit Supervisor and Supervising Capital Project Manager to manage all phases of project delivery in the team portfolio including multiple complex and politically visible capital projects. In addition to working closely with staff throughout the River and Floodplain Management Section, this position will also require close coordination with the River and Floodplain Capital Unit and WLRD staff to implement a fast-moving work program. This work may include interface with Flood Control District staff and elected officials from King County and other jurisdictions.

This position follows a hybrid work model, blending remote and in-person work.

About the Team:
The Strike Team is the design engineering team in the River & Floodplain Management Section and coordinates closely with the capital program of the River and Floodplain Management Program. Our projects reduce flood and channel migration risk and restore habitat along major rivers in King County. We lead all aspects of capital projects, are a resource for the River and Floodplain Management Section, and participate in flood emergency response program. Our work makes a difference to the people and environment of King County!

The successful candidates will lead engineering on the team and will collaborate closely with leadership within the River and Floodplain Management Section, River and Floodplain Capital Unit, leadership in WLRD. The position will oversee multidisciplinary project teams advancing the projects in the Stike Team portfolio. To be successful in this role, the engineer must collaborate and build relationships with other county divisions and departments, regulatory agencies, tribes, community organizations as well as individual landowners and members of the public. The Strike Team is highly collaborative, hardworking, and welcomes diverse perspectives and we are looking for teammates who are ready to learn and contribute as part of a dynamic, innovative, and dedicated group.

Who Are We? 
The Water and Land Resources Division (WLRD) 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 in the face of climate change. We are a dedicated workforce of more than 450 supported by an annual budget of ~$280 million. WLRD has a strong track record of developing innovative strategies to protect working farms and forests, restore habitat, improve water quality, and provide county residents with equitable access to green space. We house the Land Conservation Initiative, which aims to preserve our last, most important lands. Our forestry and agricultural programs help individuals protect their lands and support local food production. We house four salmon recovery forums where we collaborate with scores of partners to plan, design, and build habitat projects. We partner with regional jurisdictions to help residents and businesses reduce the threats posed by production, use, storage, and disposal of hazardous materials. We are the primary service provider to the King County Flood Control District, contributing to flood preparedness and constructing and maintaining facilities that restore rivers and reduce risk. Finally, we provide regional science and laboratory services to an array of customers, maintaining high-quality data sets used to assess water quality and habitat trends, and provide Best Available Science to inform decision making. In two words, we are a watershed utility.

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 Supervising Engineer, 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.What You Will Be Doing:

• Provide engineering supervision, technical oversight, and quality control to an interdisciplinary team for the design and implementation of river and floodplain management capital improvement projects, often involving complex, sensitive, and politically visible issues. 
• Be a team supervisor / people leader for the engineers on the Strike Team including being responsible for hiring, performance management, career development, coaching and mentoring, and fostering a work culture where staff feel valued, utilized, and engaged.
• Collaborate with the Strike Team Unit Supervisor and Supervising Capital Project Manager to set and maintain collaborative team culture, plan delivery of work, identify and communicate priorities to the team, foster opportunities for team development, maintain safety culture, and deliver assigned work program. 
• Lead teams in the planning, design, and construction of river and floodplain management projects, including revetment, levee, floodwall or floodplain repairs, removals, and reconnection projects. Provide and/or direct technical, and quality engineering review of capital projects to apply accepted design and engineering standards, and oversee and supervise the preparation, review and approval of engineering design and construction contract documents. 
• Assist in the development, implementation, and continual improvement of workflow processes to ensure consistency in implementation and effective delivery of capital projects. 
• Proactively apply principles of Equity and Social Justice to build and maintain relationships internally within the team and Division as well as with other jurisdictions, governmental agencies, tribes, community members, and other interested parties by using effective engagement, communication and outreach efforts.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the River and Floodplain Management Program to participate in the development of annual capital improvement projects and budgets, including estimating costs, assigning work, and setting priorities.
  

Qualifications You Bring: 

• Bachelor of Science from an accredited college or university in civil engineering, environmental engineering, water resources, or closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience with open channel hydraulic engineering, river mechanics, large river engineering project design and/or floodplain management project design including production of river engineering and technical analysis/reports and hydraulic modeling.
• Demonstrated experience leading all aspects of design plans, specifications, or estimates (PSE) creation for multiple river and floodplain management capital projects. 
• At least ten (10) years of increasingly responsible experience is required. This experience should include expertise in field inspection, construction management, or project management of large-scale public works contracts (>$1M) and navigating challenges such as contractor relations, change order management, permit conditions, environmental condition enforcement. Experience should also include managing and implementing work of others (teams or junior staff), including assigning and scheduling work, reviewing products, and providing training and oversight.
• Demonstrated experience working collaboratively with a diverse, multidisciplinary technical team from different professional backgrounds and participating with perseverance, patience, and levity on high-paced projects with overlapping deadlines. Candidate will be required to lead and teach job requirements to team including design, construction management, and field inspections skills.
• Strong written, verbal, and graphic communication skills to communicate clearly and effectively with people of varying technical and cultural backgrounds.
• Demonstrated understanding of and experience working in situations requiring cross-cultural sensitivity and centering racial equity and social justice principles, and environmental justice.
• Demonstrated ability to lead effectively using tact and judgement while working in adverse or high-pressure situations such as flood emergency response. Experience should include high-pressure situations in-office, in field conditions, and during execution of construction contracts. 

Physical Requirements:

• Regular requirement to walk and navigate uneven ground outside along rivers, in forests, and rural areas during inclement weather and at all hours. These work areas can be dark, pose difficult terrain features, and often require specialized safety gear such as personal floatation devices (PFD) or construction safety devices. 
• Job requires ability to lift 20lbs regularly and 50lbs infrequently. 
• Job will be required to participate in flood emergency response requiring Swiftwater awareness training.

Workplace Exposures:

• Job requires being on or adjacent to Rivers and waterways of King County. Swiftwater training will be required for this position and provided by King County. This training requires swimming to practice self-rescue skills. 
• Regular presence on outdoor construction sites in hot, cold, wet, and dark environments and work occurs adjacent to streams/rivers, highways, forests, and sometimes remote locations of King County. 

Competencies You Bring:

• Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
• Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
• Action Oriented: Taking on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Manages Conflict: Handling conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.
• Builds Effective Teams: Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

Required Licenses/Certifications: 

• Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Washington in good standing the ability to obtain the license within six-months of hire.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Master’s of Science in civil engineering, environmental engineering, water resources, environmental science, natural resource management, urban/regional planning, communications, public administration or closely related field.
• Advanced knowledge and understanding of hydrologic and open channel hydraulic principles and geomorphic processes with an understanding of and experience in preparing plans, specifications, and cost estimates. 
• Construction management or contracting training or certification.
• A growth mindset and sense of humor.

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: The Strike 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. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104. 
• Remote Work Location Requirement: 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. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. 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 Schedule: This full-time position will work 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 PROTEC Local 17A bargaining unit.

Application Instructions:
We welcome applications from all qualified internal King County applicants, but first consideration will be given to all current King County PROTEC Local 17A bargaining unit employees eligible for a lateral transfer (transferring within the Engineer IV classification and having passed probation). We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds to apply. 

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. Please ensure that your application materials clearly detail how your skills and experience meet the minimum qualifications outlined in this posting.

Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position.

To apply, submit a:

• Complete Online Application with response to supplemental questions.
• Resume.
• Cover Letter.

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

Discover More About the Water Land & Resources 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. 

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.   

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.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Isaac Good at (206) 848-0576 or igood@kingcounty.gov.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

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No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

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.