Strategic Communications Officer- Parks and Recreation

Salary: $108,652.75 - $137,723.66 Annually
Location : Seattle - Regional area, WA
Job Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week
Job Number: 2025-24418
Department: DNRP-Natural Resources & Parks
Division: Parks
Opening Date: 04/21/2025
Closing Date: 5/5/2025 4:00 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week

Summary
NOTE: This opportunity is open to current King County employees only. We are not accepting external applications at this time.
Lead the Voice of King County Parks

Are you a visionary communicator passionate about equity, sustainability, and community engagement?

Join King County Parks as our Strategic Communications Officer, where you'll craft clear, consistent messaging that aligns our internal teams and engages the communities we serve, showcasing the transformative impact of our parks and programs.

About the Role:

As a key member of the Parks Director's Office, the Strategic Communications Officer will lead and align our messaging across the division. This pivotal role will craft and execute strategic communications that resonate with both internal teams and the public, highlighting the impactful work of our dedicated teams, whose efforts-supported by the voter-approved King County Parks Levy-have led to significant enhancements across the county.

By strengthening public trust in our mission, you will help dismantle systemic racial, social, and economic barriers to open spaces-contributing to a more equitable, inclusive, and vibrant future for all who call King County home.

Why You'll Love This Job:

• Make a Tangible Impact: Your work will directly contribute to creating equitable, inclusive, and vibrant communities by enhancing access to parks and open spaces.
• Lead with Purpose: As a trusted advisor to the Division Director, you'll guide high-profile messaging and serve as the division's primary media spokesperson.
• Collaborate and Innovate: Work alongside a talented community engagement team to produce outstanding content and coordinate communications across various sections.
• Champion Equity and Inclusion: Help dismantle systemic racial, social, and economic barriers to open spaces, contributing to a more equitable future for all King County residents and reinforce public confidence in our work.

About the Team:

King County Parks and Recreation Division is a steward of one of the nation's most expansive and diverse park systems, encompassing over 250 parks, more than 185 miles of regional trails, over 215 miles of backcountry trails, and more than 32,000 acres of open space.

Our team is dedicated to maintaining and enhancing these vital public spaces, ensuring they remain clean, safe, and accessible for all residents. As we approach the 2026-2031 Parks Levy cycle, we're embarking on ambitious projects aimed at expanding recreational opportunities, improving trail connectivity, and fostering inclusive community engagement.
Joining our award-winning team means contributing to a dynamic period of growth and innovation, where your work will have a lasting impact on the well-being and cohesion of communities throughout King County.
Commitment to Equity, Racial 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 Strategic Communications Officer, you will actively apply these principles in all aspects of your work. Learn more about our commitment at

Apply now for a rewarding career at the Parks 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.

Job Duties
What You Will Be Doing:

• Develop and execute strategic communications plans that reach employees, partners, and the public.
• Advise the Division Director on messaging for high-profile, challenging circumstances.
• Coordinate communications across each Section of the Parks and Recreation Division to ensure message accuracy, quality, and consistency.
• Coordinate with the Public Affairs team at the Department of Natural Resources and Parks.
• Demonstrate how we are delivering on commitments made in the King County Parks Levy, which includes grant funding and capital projects.
• Serve as the primary media spokesperson for the Parks and Recreation Division.
• Coordinate high-profile events, groundbreakings, and celebrations.
• Collaborate with our community engagement team to determine the most effective ways to provide communications support to our program staff and our capital projects staff.
• Produce high-quality content, including employee newsletters, news releases, and web content, including creating authentic two-way conversations with our talented employees, most of whom work outdoors and do not have constant access to email.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Qualifications You Bring:

• Strategic Communications Expertise: Demonstrated knowledge and practical application of strategic communications planning, including familiarity with current tools, policies, and emerging trends in social media, traditional media and communications.
• Commitment to Equity and Inclusion: Experience integrating race and social justice principles into communication strategies and deliverables, ensuring messages are inclusive and resonate with diverse audiences.
• Collaborative Engagement: Proven ability to work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners, fostering strong relationships to achieve communication objectives.
• Project and Time Management: Demonstrated skill in managing multiple communication projects simultaneously, prioritizing tasks effectively, and meeting established deadlines.
• Media Relations Experience: Experience engaging with news media, including crafting key messages and facilitating media interactions to effectively convey organizational initiatives.
• Internal Communication Strategies: Experience developing and implementing internal communication plans aimed at enhancing employee engagement and organizational cohesion.
• Audience-Centered Communication: Ability to assess the needs of diverse audiences and tailor communication methods and tools to effectively reach and engage them.
• Digital Communication Proficiency: Professional experience utilizing various digital platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, blogs, and content-rich websites, to disseminate information and engage with stakeholders.

Competencies you bring:

• Balances Stakeholders: Understands internal and external stakeholder requirements, expectations, and needs. Balances the interests of multiple stakeholders. Acts fairly despite conflicting demands of stakeholders.
• Plans and Aligns: Sets objectives to align with broader organizational goals. Breaks down objectives into appropriate initiatives and actions. Stages activities with relevant milestones and schedules. Anticipates and adjusts effective contingency plans.
• Collaborates: Builds partnerships and works collaboratively with others across the organization to achieve shared objectives. Represents own interests while being fair to others and their areas. Credits others for their contributions and accomplishments. Gains trust and support of others.
• Communicates Effectively: Develops and delivers communication that meet the unique needs of different audiences. Provides timely and helpful information to others across organization. Encourages the open expression of diverse ideas and opinions.
• Strategic Mindset: Anticipates future trends and implications accurately. Creates competitive and breakthrough strategies that show a clear connection between vision and action.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Understanding of Local Government and Political Processes: Demonstrated knowledge of local government operations and the political landscape, enabling effective navigation and communication within a governmental context.
• Dynamic Public Speaking Abilities: Proven experience delivering compelling presentations to diverse audiences, showcasing strong verbal communication skills and the ability to engage stakeholders effectively.
• Expertise in Public Information Strategies: Skilled in planning, developing, and executing comprehensive public information campaigns, utilizing various techniques to inform and engage the community.
• Media Spokesperson Experience: Experience serving as an official spokesperson, adept at managing media relations, conducting interviews, and conveying key messages clearly and confidently.
• Crisis Communication Proficiency: Demonstrated ability to develop and implement communication strategies during emergencies or high-pressure situations to maintain public trust and organizational integrity.

Supplemental Information
Working Conditions:

• Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role pre-dominantly work remotely from home, with onsite reporting requirements typically 4-6 times a month. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and may be adjusted accordingly. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites including the collaboration space at King Street Center (201 S. Jackson St, Seattle, WA 98104) or various park locations for site visits. This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department's vision of
• Work Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington State and be within a reasonable distance to King County worksites to meet onsite reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This full-time position works a 40-hour work week, Monday through Friday, Standard hours are 8:00 am - 5:00 pm. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is not represented by a union.

Anticipated Timeline for this recruitment: (Subject to change)

1st round of Interviews- (Virtual Interviews) Week beginning 5/12/2025

2nd Round of Interviews- (In-Person Interviews) Week beginning 5/19/2025

Application and Selection Process:

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. 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.

To apply, submit a:

Completed Application (Please fill out your application as fully as possible. We cannot accept attached resumes (or "see resume") in lieu of the application section.)

Resume

Cover Letter highlighting how your skills and experience align with the qualifications and responsibilities of the role.

Incomplete applications or applications without the above required attachments may not be considered.

For more information regarding this recruitment please contact:

Divya Mathew at

Discover More About King County Parks:
King County Parks is dedicated to stewarding, enhancing, and acquiring parks to inspire healthy communities. With over 205 parks, 175+ miles of regional trails, and 250+ miles of backcountry trails, we strive to provide park amenities that can be enjoyed by King County residents today and for generations to come. We value collaborative partnerships with community organizations and work towards the common goal of creating a vibrant and inclusive park system. Learn more at www.kingcounty.gov/parks

And check us out on the socials at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Vimeo
Discover More About DNRP:
Visit our website, explore an interactive mapof our recent accomplishments, and check us out at Facebook, X (formerlyTwitter), 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.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. 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.

Guided by our , we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

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.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01

Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant? ANDIs this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? ANDDo you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?

• Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my Career Service role at King County and I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. Additionally, the position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
• No.

02

If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided:1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice2. The department you worked in3. The effective date of your layoff
Required Question