Washington State Paralegal Association

King County Senior Deputy Ombuds

SALARY:$118,414.40 - $151,216.00 Annually

JOB TYPE : Appointed

DEPARTMENT: KCC - King County Council 

OPENING DATE : 07/17/2023

FLSA: Exempt 

LOCATION : Seattle, WA

JOB NUMBER : 2023AW19457

DIVISION: Ombuds

CLOSING DATE: 8/6/2023 11:59 PM Pacific

BARGAINING UNIT : F19 : L117-Office of Ombuds 

Summary

Are you passionate about doing work that promotes justice and equity in the workplace and the community? If so, we have an opportunity that is just right for you! The King County Office of the Ombuds is seeking to fill a vacancy which focuses on rural and general county issues.

About the King County Office of the Ombuds

The King County Office of the Ombuds is an independent office within the legislative branch of government that reports to the King County Council. We are committed to equity, social justice, and ensuring that King County is an accountable, inclusive, and anti-racist government. Our work improves the quality of life for all King County residents in a number of areas, including public health and safety, the environment, transportation and infrastructure, and equity and social justice.

About the Senior Deputy Ombuds Position
As a Senior Deputy Ombuds, your primary role is to investigate and make determinations on complex complaints about the County’s operations, including some ethics, whistleblower, and lobbyist disclosure allegations. The Office of the Ombuds responds to complaints related to a wide range of county functions including transit, law enforcement, jails, wastewater, solid waste, parks, public health, elections, procurement, and others.

Senior Deputy Ombuds typically works on ten or more projects concurrently, meeting statutory timeframes for completion, and generally requires some supervisory support, coaching, and editing of written products.

Job Duties

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. You will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.

General responsibilities include:

• Conduct routine and complex intake, investigations, complaints, and/or assistance within statutory timeframes. Develop multi-faceted preliminary case research, define scope of inquiry, conduct equity analyses, and develop investigative plans for review by the Ombuds Director or designee.
  
• Execute investigative plans, collect and review evidence, conduct analyses, apply appropriate legal and evidentiary standards. Research and evaluate issues, policies, laws, and procedures.
  

Independently develop formal written reports for review and issuance by the Ombuds Director or designee that include well-supported findings, conclusions, and recommendations.

In addition to performing the general senior deputy ombuds duties described, the work includes a specialized focus on assisting residents in rural and unincorporated areas of King County with issues such as permitting, land use, roads, and compliance with King County’s Critical Areas Ordinance and other related processes. You would occasionally visit wetlands, farms, and rural residences and businesses. Your work would strengthen clean water, healthy habitat, community resilience, and quality of life in the county.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

We are looking for candidates who have a minimum of six years of successful work experience in performing professional- level investigative, analytical, legal, and dispute resolution work within a public agency.

An advanced degree in law, public administration, or related discipline and any relevant experience including lived, volunteer, professional OR a combination of experience and education that demonstrate the ability to perform the work will be considered. A master’s degree is preferred and may substitute for some experience. Investigative experience with a focus on writing detailed analytical findings is strongly desired.

Ideal candidates will possess:

• Specialized professional knowledge of the principles, methods, and techniques used in the research and investigation of complaints. Knowledge of the principles and practices in one or more of the following areas: government ombuds, administration, management analysis, research, planning, social work, or the equivalent that can aid investigation and complaint resolution work.
  
• Advanced knowledge of codes, regulations, administrative, and legal procedures as they apply to the operation and jurisdiction of the Office of Ombuds.
  
• Advanced knowledge of local government operations and services provided.
  
• Well-developed quantitative and qualitative analysis skills, including sufficient math skills to develop and interpret statistical and operating information.
  
• High emotional intelligence and public relations skills to adapt to diverse and sometimes challenging personalities and styles, gain trust while working with others in sensitive and difficult situations, resolve conflict, and employ lines of questioning for fact finding.
  

Desired Experience and Knowledge:

• Investigative experience with a focus on writing detailed analytical findings. Working in local government.
  
• Mediation or dispute resolution.
  
• Credentials and experience in behavioral health or public health.
  

Rural Experience and Knowledge:

• Working in rural environments.
  
• Legal experience with land use, property rights, and/or environmental law. 
• Credentials and/or experience in engineering or environmental sciences.
  

Supplemental Information

Application and Selection Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. Applications will be screened for completeness, writing accuracy, and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a skills assessment test and one or more panel interviews. Candidates invited to participate in a final interview must agree to complete a reference check before the final interview.

To apply for this position, you must submit:

• A completed job application.
  
• A cover letter detailing your background and describing how you meet or exceed the requirements (Supplemental question #1, no more than 500 words).
  
• A resume.
  
• A writing sample demonstrating complex detailed analytical findings. This can be a writing product produced in a previous professional role.
  
• Response to supplemental questions
  

NOTE: Online applications are preferred; however, if you are unable to apply online, visit www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for other options. Failure to submit all required forms and materials may prohibit further consideration.

Who May Apply

This position is open to all qualified applicants. Acceptable proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States are required by federal immigration law.

Work Schedule

This is a salaried, at-will, overtime-exempt position that is not eligible for the county Career Service system. The standard workweek is 40 hours. Non-traditional work hours and travel throughout King County may occasionally be required.

Union Representation

The Deputy Ombuds position is represented by a bargaining unit and is the first classification in a three-part series. A $2.00 per hour contribution to the Western Conference of Teamsters Pension Trust Fund is mandatory for all represented employees in this union. The pension contribution is reflected in the stated wage rates on this announcement.

Telework

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment, working in the office and at home. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. If selected for this position, you must be available for periodic in-person work.

You must have a secure and reliable internet connection for remote work—a minimum of 30 megabits per second download speed to accommodate video meetings. All staff must commit to standards related to independence, ethics, code of conduct, team engagement, and telework.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to a hybrid environment.

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.

Please contact Arlecier West, Sr. HR Business Partner at arlecier.west@kingcounty.gov if you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process.

Job Code 007151 Senior Deputy Ombuds

This position is part of a bargaining unit represented by Teamsters Local 117.

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:

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage: King County pays 100% of the premiums for eligible employees and family members
  
• 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: King County employees are eligible to 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.

Agency:King County

Address:

King Street Center

201 South Jackson Street Seattle, Washington, 98104

Phone:206-477-3404

Website: http://www.kingcounty.gov/

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