Demographic Planner

As the only county in the United States named after Martin Luther King, Jr., one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation's history, King County is home to diverse and vibrant communities, with residents representing countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. These qualities make King County one of the nation's best places to live, work, and play.

Despite King County's overall economic success, the region has stark inequities by race and geography. King County has adopted a pro-equity agenda aimed at advancing regional change and is developing the systems and standards necessary to achieve better outcomes for all of our residents, regardless of their race or income. Together, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence, building on shared values of equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovation, and continuous improvement.

King County is seeking a team-oriented individual to provide growth trend analysis and demographic services to inform data-informed decision making and long range land use planning. This position requires broad vision, insight, and a balance of policy, technical and interpersonal skills.

The Demographic Planner is part of the Regional Planning work group that coordinates King County's long-range planning efforts under the Washington State Growth Management Act (RCW 36.70A). The Regional Planning group manages the King County Comprehensive Plan and collaborates regionally on countywide and multi-county planning. The Demographic Planner supports long range planning by working with cities and partner agencies to coordinate growth forecasting, growth targets, and the review and evaluation program required by the Act (referred to as "Buildable Lands").

In addition to supporting the Regional Planning team, the Demographic Planner provides demographic support to other county agencies, policymakers, and elected leaders, consulting and coordinating with staff in county agencies. The Demographic Planner helps translate and assemble demographic information into usable form for grant writers, planners, and decision makers. The Demographic Planner also helps King County align with strategic partners to advance priority initiatives.

This position requires both broad social science research skills and a customer service orientation. Communication skills, flexibility, adaptability, and the ability to work as part of a team are equally as important as the technical skills for this position.

WHO MAY APPLY:  This position is open to all qualified applicants.

WORK LOCATION:  Chinook Building, 401 5th Avenue #800, Seattle WA 91804

WORK SCHEDULE:  The Demographic Planner position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and is not overtime eligible.  The typical workweek is 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday.  This position is not covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Interviews are anticipated for the week of June 11 - 15, 2018.

FORMS AND MATERIALS REQUIRED: 
 
A NEOGOV/Governmentjobs.com online is required in addition to a resume and cover letter describing how your education and/or experience specifically relate to the qualifications for this position. 

You can attach multiple documents, such as your resume and cover letter to your application. Your options are: 

• Copy and paste one or more documents into the Text Resume section of the application, or
• Attach multiple documents/files in the Resume Attachment section.

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the online application and include the information only on the optional cover letter and resume. Applications responses stating "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

CONTACT:  If you have additional questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Seth Watson Seth.Watson@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-5330.

• Manage and coordinate, with city partners, King County's participation in the review and evaluation program required by the Growth Management Act, also referred to as "Buildable Lands" (RCW 36.70A.215)
• Work with city governments and regional agencies to develop and update countywide housing and employment forecasts and growth targets
• Provide technical support for the development of land use planning policies, including the King County Comprehensive Plan (and local subarea plans), countywide and multi-county planning policies
• Participate in countywide efforts to prepare for the 2020 U.S. Census
• Research and analyze demographic, economic, and housing trends
• Technical facility to make data and information available in readily understandable formats
• Present and explain data and information to public officials, the media, private and nonprofit stakeholders, and the public
• Manage consultants and/or advise stakeholder groups working with consultants
• Collaborate with research institutions and external agencies including local governments, Puget Sound Regional Council, Washington State Office of Financial Management, Washington State Data Center, and the U.S. Census Bureau

Degree from an accredited four-year college or university in urban planning, geography, economics, or closely related field. Five or more years of related experience in demography, long range planning, or growth management at the state, regional, or municipal level.
AICP certification (or interest in obtaining AICP certification) preferred, but not required.
Or any equivalent combination of education, experience, and training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.
Core competencies that are essential for this position include:

• Knowledge of and facility with concepts and practical applications of land use planning
• Ability to use automated data analysis systems and web-based applications, including U.S. Census data
• Ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and evaluate demographic data to identify trends and develop projections
• Ability to manage complexity, making sense of high volume and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems
• Ability to communicate effectively and convey a clear understanding of demographic data, information and trends, and the unique needs of different audiences
• Ability to build formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside King County
• Ability to gain the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity
• Ability to work with diverse people and teams, building partnerships and working collaboratively to meet shared objectives
• Awareness of King County's pro-equity agenda and of the particular role of demographics in raising awareness and driving action to address racial and socio-economic disparities
• Ability to anticipate and balance the needs of multiple stakeholders
• Project management skills
• Ability to interpret statutory requirements and guidelines