Environmental Markets Support Specialist

Job Description:

Environmental Markets Support Specialist

Description

Summary

Are you passionate about protecting and restoring natural resources through innovative, market-based solutions? King County’s Environmental Markets Team is seeking an Environmental Markets Support Specialist (Project/Program Manager II) to support three highly successful market-based programs- Transfer of Development Rights (TDR), Mitigation Reserves (MRP), and Forest Carbon Program (FCP) . These programs have pioneered creative funding approaches to achieve large scale conservation of rural and working lands, restore healthy wetlands and salmon habitat, and support long-term forest protection and management. To date, these programs collectively have conserved more than 148,000 acres of forestland, farmland, and other open space, and generated nearly $100 million in revenue from credit sales.

This role is a great match for someone who’s detail-oriented, organized, and eager to learn. You’ll assist with essential behind-the-scenes and publicly-facing work including data management, GIS mapping, document preparation, and site visits. Your contributions will help to shape projects that protect natural and working lands, restore wetlands, and improve forest health across King County, the 12 th most populous county in the nation.

You’ll work alongside experienced professionals, supporting a wide range of tasks that advance key county initiatives like the Land Conservation Initiative . It’s a meaningful opportunity to apply creative problem-solving and organizational skills to applied environmental policy projects and cross-agency collaboration-all in the service of a healthier future for King County’s residents

About the Role:

The Environmental Markets Support Specialist provides administrative support, data management, and mapping services to the TDR Program, MRP, the FCP, and periodic technical support for Division- and Department-level conservation planning efforts.

This position will be an integral part of a small team running the MRP and TDR Program, supporting the FCP, and working to develop other programs and policies to achieve lasting conservation of King County's landscape.

This position performs work remotely and onsite.

About the Team:

The Environmental Markets Team is part of King County’s Open Space Acquisitions Unit and works closely with the Agriculture, Forestry, and Incentives team, which manages the FCP. The Open Space Acquisitions Unit plays a key role in advancing the County’s ambitious Land Conservation Initiative-an effort to protect more than 60,000 acres of land for public access, climate resilience, and habitat preservation within 20 years. The unit also includes the Conservation Futures Grant Program, whose funding supports the protection of open space and natural resources. Our staff bring expertise in land acquisition, funding, policy development, and environmental markets, all driving creative solutions that maximize conservation outcomes.

Known for leading innovative approaches to land conservation and growth management, the Environmental Markets Team creates and operates tools such as transferable development rights, in-lieu fee mitigation, and the nation’s first local government forest carbon program that protects both rural and urban forests. The team is small and its success relies on a collaborative approach to program management.

The Environmental Markets Team is part of the Rural and Regional Services Section within the Water and Land Resources Division of the Department of Natural Resources and Parks. We collaborate closely and build relationships across the County and with external partners to achieve goals of the programs.

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 an Environmental Markets Support Specialist, 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 Resources 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:
Support and assist with the administration of multiple environmental market programs, including the TDR Program, MRP, and FCP.Perform regular database, website, and credit ledger updates and identify and implement process improvements to increase efficiency.Support development and review of documents and manage processes related to mitigation planning, mitigation credit sales, TDR enrollments and sales, and forest carbon credit verifications and sales.Generate GIS maps and analyses for use in planning, monitoring, and reporting related to mitigation credits, TDR enrollments, and forest carbon.Conduct field site visits and engage with private landowners as part of enrolling, monitoring, and reporting for market-based programs. Respond to inquiries from regulators, consultants, and the public regarding market-based programs in a tactful and diplomatic manner. Collaborate with King County staff across work groups and departments, and occasionally present program information to diverse audiences, including community members and agency partners.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Qualifications You Bring:

• Proven ability to gather, write, and edit information clearly and concisely, with experience contributing to substantial documents such as regulatory reports, mitigation plans, site conditions reports, or internal management materials.
• Skilled at data management, streamlining workflows and supporting accurate reporting and decision-making, with intermediate to advanced skills using Microsoft including Office and SharePoint, and strong problem-solving skills.
• Practical experience using ESRI GIS software, including ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, and/or ArcGIS Online to create maps and perform basic spatial analyses. Ability to produce clear and accurate GIS work products that support program goals, including visualizations, reports, and spatial data summaries.
• Demonstrated experience working on land conservation projects or programs, environmental markets, or planning or conducting ecological restoration projects or programs.
• Ability to synthesize and communicate technical information clearly and effectively to a broad range of audiences, including King County staff, management, technical committees, and the general public, with a strong emphasis on responsiveness, professionalism, and customer service.

Physical Requirements:

Travel throughout King County will be required to conduct physical site inspection of lands. Site inspections may include the need to walk on uneven terrain for extended periods of time. Field conditions may include brushy, forested environments, farms, stream corridors, and slippery, uneven surfaces in the outdoors.

Competencies You Bring:

• Customer Focus - Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Cultivates Innovation - Creating new and better ways for the organization to be successful.
• Communicates Effectively - Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
• Optimizes Work Processes - Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.
• Nimble Learning - Actively learning through experimentation when tackling new problems, using both successes and failures as learning fodder.

Required Licenses/Certifications:

Washington State Driver’s License

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Demonstrated intermediate to advanced skills (e.g., working with multiple file formats, georeferencing, geometry calculations, summary statistics, importing/exporting data, projections, merge, dissolve, creating/editing feature classes) and experience using ESRI GIS software, including ArcMap, ArcGIS Pro, and/or ArcGIS Online, to plan, analyze and make maps related to mitigation, transfers of development rights, and ecological analyses at multiple geographic scales. Strong cartographic skills highly desirable.
• Demonstrated combination of technical experience (e.g. data management and analysis and GIS mapping) and policy/program experience in land conservation and aquatic/wetland mitigation.
• Familiarity with conservation easements, land transactions, and incentive-based stewardship program models.

Supplemental Information

Working Conditions:

• Remote and Onsite Work Details: Employees in this role work remotely from a home location, with periodic onsite reporting requirements and field visits 4-6 times per month. The frequency of onsite work is determined by business needs and season 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). This work arrangement promotes work-life-balance and reduces carbon footprint under the department’s vision of Green Where We Work.
• Remote 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. This position is covered under the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Teamster’s Local 117 Professional & Technical and Administrative Employees.

Application and Selection Process:

We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives, and life experience and encourage people of all background 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:

• Complete Application
• Resume
• Cover Letter

Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.
This posting may be used to establish a list of qualified candidates for the Project/Program Manager II in the Water and Land Resources Division or throughout the Department of Natural Resources & Parks during the following six months .

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Morgan Knight Hermann at 206-477-9092 or mhermann@kingcounty.gov .

Discover More About the Division: Visit our website .

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our webs ite , 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.

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 "True North" , 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
• 12paid holidays each year plus twopersonal 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 Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page .

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.

Closing Date/Time: 8/25/2025 11:59 PM Pacific

Salary:

$94,241.26 - $119,456.27 Annually