Summary
Help shape the future of safety and emergency management across one of the largest park systems in the Pacific North West! King County Parks is seeking a field-oriented Safety & Emergency Management Coordinator to support frontline staff, strengthen operational resilience, and help build a proactive, people-centered safety culture across diverse park and natural area environments.
This role offers the opportunity to make a direct impact through hands-on field engagement, emergency preparedness coordination, incident response support, and practical safety problem-solving. Working closely with the rest of the Parks Safety Team, you’ll help implement and grow a modern safety effort grounded in collaboration, equity, continuous improvement, and real-world operational support. Ideal candidates are relationship-driven, adaptable, and passionate about helping teams work safely and confidently in dynamic public service environments. This role also offers broad exposure to safety operations, emergency preparedness coordination, and cross-divisional operational support within an evolving operational safety function.
About The Role
Reporting to the Parks Safety Manager, the Safety & Emergency Management Coordinator helps strengthen operational safety, emergency preparedness, and continuity of operations across the King County Parks Division. This role supports the teams who maintain and steward one of the largest park systems in the Pacific Northwest by helping ensure employees have practical safety resources, emergency support, and clear operational guidance across diverse fields and public service environments. The position leads and coordinates emergency preparedness initiatives, supports incident and emergency response efforts, and helps advance operational readiness for severe weather, disruptions, and emerging events. The role also works closely with frontline staff, supervisors, and leadership to identify hazards, improve safety practices, and implement practical, field-informed solutions that strengthen day-to-day operations.
This is an opportunity to contribute to an evolving safety and emergency management program with broad operational impact, including cross-divisional coordination, Emergency Operations Center support, and proactive safety improvement efforts that help build resilience, accountability, and a people-centered safety culture across King County Parks. This position follows a hybrid work model, blending remote and in-person work.
About The Team
The Parks Safety team supports safety, emergency preparedness, and risk reduction efforts across the King County Parks Division. Embedded within the Directors Office, the team works in partnership with Parks staff and leadership to help ensure employees have access to resources, guidance, and support needed to work safely across diverse operational environments including parks, trails, natural areas, and maintenance facilities.
The team is building a modern, people-oriented approach to safety and emergency management grounded in collaboration, operational support, continuous improvement, and equitable access to safety resources. This work directly supports the Parks Division’s mission by helping protect the people who steward public lands, maintain critical infrastructure, and serve 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 Safety & Emergency Management Coordinator, 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 Apply now for a rewarding career at the King County Parks Division of the 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:
- Coordinate emergency management and operational preparedness efforts across the Parks Division, including emergency action planning, drills, exercises, severe weather readiness, and continuity support.
- Conduct field safety visits, hazard assessments, and operational safety reviews across Parks facilities, trails, shops, and natural areas while providing coaching and real-time support to staff and supervisors.
- Support emergency response coordination, incident investigations, corrective action follow-up, and continuous improvement efforts related to operational safety and preparedness.
- Help implement and communicate safety policies, emergency guidance, and operational expectations through practical field support, resource development, and employee engagement.
- Serve as Parks’ representative on the DNRP Emergency Management Committee and collaborate with internal partners, leadership, and workgroups to strengthen divisional safety and emergency preparedness efforts.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Qualifications You Bring:
- Working knowledge of occupational safety principles, hazard mitigation practices, and applicable workplace safety regulations including OSHA/WISHA standards.
- Experience coordinating or supporting emergency management, emergency preparedness, or operational continuity efforts.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including experience working collaboratively with frontline staff, supervisors, leadership, and partner agencies.
- Strong observational, analytical, and problem-solving skills to identify operational risks, assess complex situations, and recommend practical solutions in dynamic work environments.
- Experience developing, organizing, implementing, or communicating operational policies, emergency guidance, reports, or program documentation.
- Experience using Microsoft Office Suite and digital systems to track incidents, preparedness activities, corrective actions, or operational records.
- Demonstrated commitment to fostering equitable access to safety resources, emergency preparedness support, and operational guidance across diverse workgroups and operational environments.
Physical Requirements
- Ability to travel to and move throughout Parks facilities, trails, natural areas, maintenance shops, and outdoor worksites across King County.
- Ability to walk over uneven terrain, gravel surfaces, and outdoor worksites during field visits and site assessments.
- Ability to occasionally life and carry materials or equipment weighing up to 25 pounds.
- Ability to work outdoors for extended periods in varying weather and environmental conditions.
- Ability to respond to operational incidents or emergency situations, which may occasionally require extended standing, walking, or movement through field conditions.
Workplace Exposures
- Regular exposure to outdoor weather conditions include rain, heat, cold, wind, smoke, and varying seasonal environmental conditions during field visits and operational response activities.
- Exposure to operational worksites that may include noise, traffic, tools, heavy equipment, construction activity, maintenance operations, hazardous vegetation, and uneven terrain.
- Occasional exposure to potentially stressful or time-sensitive situations during emergency response coordination, incident response activities, or operational disruption.
- Occasional exposure to environments where hazardous materials, chemicals, biological hazards, or environmental contaminants may be present.
Competencies You Bring
- Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
- Communicates Effectively: Developing and delivering multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences.
- Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
- Ensures Accountability: Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.
- Collaborates: Building partnerships and working collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives.
Required Licenses/Certifications
- Washington State Driver’s License
It Would Be Great If You Also Bring
- Experience supporting emergency management, emergency preparedness, or operational continuity efforts within a public sector, parks, utility, natural resources, or field operations environment.
- Experience participating in emergency response coordination, drills, exercises, or ICS-based operations.
- Occupational safety or emergency management certifications such as OSHA 30, ICS/NIMS coursework, Certified Safety Professional (CSP), Associate Safety Professional (ASP), or related credentials.
Supplemental Information
Working Conditions
- Work Location: The Parks Safety 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 Parks Central Maintenance Facility - 3005 NE 4th Street, Renton, WA.
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 works a 40-hour work week. This position is covered under the of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is overtime eligible.
- Union Representation: This position is represented by PROTEC 17.
- Duration: This recruitment aims to fill a Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position with an anticipated duration of 2 years. If the position is filled by a King County employee who has successfully completed their initial probation, they will be offered the role as a Special Duty Assignment.
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.
Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Nia Williams at niawilliams@kingcounty.gov.
Discover More About the Parks Division: Visit our website and check us out at Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.
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.
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.
Benefits
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 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.
01
Are you applying to this position as an eligible current or previous King County Employee Priority Placement Program Participant?
- 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 notice 2. The department you worked in 3. The effective date of your layoff
