Treatment Planning – Program Manager

Shape the Future of Water Quality in King County

King County’s Wastewater Treatment Division is seeking a passionate and strategic Program Manager to lead the Treatment Planning Program – the team responsible for charting the course for future expansion and upgrades to our region’s wastewater treatment plants. This position is a unique opportunity to be on the forefront of planning the policies and capital projects that will protect public health, improve water quality, and ensure responsible environmental stewardship for generations to come.

As a senior leader within the Treatment and Separated Conveyance Planning Group, you’ll guide strategic planning efforts, coordinate across technical disciplines, and play a pivotal role in developing both short- and long-range plans to prepare the treatment system for population growth and to meet evolving environmental regulations. You’ll collaborate with and guide a dynamic, high-performing team and influence decisions that will shape regional water quality for decades.

About the Role: 

As Program Manager for the Treatment Planning Program, you will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our regional wastewater system. This position guides a team of talented professionals who are tackling some of the most pressing environmental and infrastructure challenges of our time – ensuring our five treatment plants meet growing capacity needs and evolving regulatory requirements, while considering climate impacts and adaptation, equity and social justice, resource recovery (recycled water, biosolids, biogas, energy) needs and opportunities, management of aging infrastructure, cost and affordability, and component agency priorities.

In this role, you will:

• Drive major planning efforts, such as the Long-term Treatment Plan to provide a roadmap to guide treatment capital investments for decades to come.
• Address critical regulatory challenges, including nutrient reduction, NPDES permit compliance, and contaminants of emerging concern (such as PFAS), ensuring public health and environmental protection.
• Lead treatment process studies to improve and optimize treatment operations.
• Support and incorporate resource recovery, exploring opportunities for recycled water, biosolids reuse, and energy production and reduction.

• Develop conceptual capital projects that progress into project delivery and drive large capital investments in wastewater infrastructure.

• Lead strategic planning processes and recommend policy, guiding division and County decision-making at the intersection of infrastructure, environmental stewardship, and equity.
• Build strong partnerships with County teams, operations staff, consultants, and component agencies.

You will provide technical guidance, manage diverse teams, support junior and mid-level staff, and influence decisions that impact public health, environmental protection, and regional growth. With large-scale capital projects, evolving regulations, and complex, completing needs on the horizon, this role offers the opportunity to make a lasting impact on the region’s infrastructure and water quality. 

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

Job Duties

What You Will Be Doing:

• Guide long-term, strategic planning initiatives: Lead a team in developing long-term plans, decision-making processes, recommended policy, and obtaining necessary approvals for implementation. Establish processes for engagement with senior leadership, elected officials, regulators, tribal interests, and/or the public.
• Lead planning and analysis: Oversee, coordinate, and execute plans, studies, technical analyses, cost estimates, and policy evaluations to assess technical concepts and recommend long-term treatment planning and policy decisions.
• Foster collaboration: Work closely and coordinate across divisions, sections, and agencies to integrate system needs, opportunities, and priorities with capacity and regulatory planning. Build strong relationships with county staff, leadership, local sewer agencies, regulators, and other interested parties.
• Prepare planning documentation: Lead or guide the creation of planning documents, technical reports, memos, presentations, and other materials that outline methods and strategies for long-term investment in treatment plants.
• Manage program work: Develop and track program work plans, scopes, budgets, and schedules. Provide guidance, direction, and support to program staff and consultants to ensure successful project delivery.
• Guide and lead a team: Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful team culture while providing mentorship, guidance, and clear direction to staff and consultants to support both individual growth and program success.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Professional work experience and/or education in planning, engineering, science, business administration, public administration, or a related field, with increasing responsibility for managing large and complex programs or projects.
• Knowledge of water, wastewater, science, or environmental management.
• Experience developing and leading strategic planning, decision-making processes, and policy analysis.
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge of program management and planning techniques, principles, and/or practices.
• Experience leading a team to accomplish a complex program or work.
• Experience leading or preparing a variety of types of documents, plans, memos, briefings, and/or summaries describing complex projects, programs, policies, or processes.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for synthesizing and conveying complex information to a variety of expert and non-expert audiences.
• Experience working with minimal guidance where there may be ambiguity and established procedures and policies may not exist and must be developed to craft solutions and pathways leading to recommendations.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Knowledge of local government processes, public utility issues, policy, and/or communications. 
• Knowledge of environmental regulations, such as federal Clean Water Act and National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES).
• Knowledge of and experience with project and/or contract management.