Engineer III

The Department of Local Services, Permitting Division is recruiting for TWO Engineer III positions. Our successful candidate will serve in a lead capacity in a multi-disciplinary team and oversee commercial and/or residential projects. The person in this position will produce timely, accurate, quality reviews and approvals of building and land use development projects, including County initiated comprehensive reviews of mining operations. Working in a collaborative manner, Engineer III's work with a higher degree of independence. They apply their years of engineering and project management experience to review a variety of permit types ranging from single-family projects to complex commercial projects, but may work more often on complex high profile, and/or time-sensitive projects. An essential part of the job is to work in a positive, solution-oriented manner with customers and their design/engineering professionals, members of the public, and colleagues.

About the Department of Local Services:
 King County is the local service provider for the roughly one quarter-million people who live in the unincorporated areas of the county; collectively, these communities would be the second largest city in the state. The Department of Local Services includes a Director's Office, and the Road Services and Permitting Divisions. Together, this department provides a single executive point of accountability for delivering local services to all unincorporated areas.

Our Commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity and Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge this journey is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

To learn more about the Permitting Division please visit our website at King County Permits.

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

• Act as a Lead for a Product line team by training, planning, directing, and monitoring their daily work on development applications.           
• Providing feedback to product line manager regarding team performance; contribute to performance evaluations.     
• Conduct final quality control review of development applications for compliance with applicable codes, standards, and best management practices.     
• Work cooperatively with others in the division and other partner agencies to resolve permit- and process-related issues, including those related to compliance with King County Road Standards and the King County Surface Water Design Manual.     
• Participate in the analysis, interpretation, and application of relevant federal, State, and local, laws and regulations.     
• Review development applications independently for compliance with applicable codes, standards, and best management practices.     
• Read and locate legal descriptions of property and easements.           
• Communicate on the job in ways that reflect well upon King County, the County Executive, the department, and the incumbent.     
• Exhibit and support a culture of superior customer service.     
• Scrupulously honor commitments made to customers and others.     
• Approve plans and specifications for construction in consultation with higher level staff.
• Act as project manager for assigned projects. Initiate and/or review and approve revisions for assigned projects in consultation with higher level staff. 
• Model and apply equity and social justice shared values, behaviors, and practices.     
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Values (ACTIVATE)

• Accountable
• Collaborative
• Timely
• Impactful
• Value Employees
• Accessible
• Trusted
• Equitable

• A Bachelor of Science degree in civil engineering; or any equivalent combination of education and experience demonstrating knowledge of engineering principles and site design such as surface water hydrology, soils, traffic, structural, survey, and road geometrics.     
• Professional License in Civil Engineering, and/or Engineer in Training.
• Advanced knowledge of functional discipline of engineering.     
• Advanced policy and code analysis and development     
• Knowledge of supervisory techniques and principles     
• Proficiency in analytical thinking, problem solving, resolving conflicts, and bringing others to consensus.     
• Ability to convey technical information to the public, government agencies, engineering and environmental consultants, and developers.     
• Experience in the interpretation and application of the King County Road Standards and the King County Surface Water Design Manual, or similar or equivalent standard/manuals.     
• Experience in using common desktop tools, including but not limited to the Microsoft Office suite: Excel, Word, Outlook and PowerPoint.     
• Demonstrated competence in applying advanced project management principles and practices.           
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including staff training and presentations.     
• Skill in providing excellent customer service.     
• Skill in handling multiple competing and changing priorities while producing quality detailed work within tight timeframes.     
• Skill in working effectively and cooperatively with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.     
• Ability to research and interpret applicable codes, policies, and regulations.     
• Ability to use engineering software to analyze proposals.  
• Experience either designing or reviewing civil engineering plans for code compliance.

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience in local government permit processing and regulations, or experience in roadway and storm water design and construction.     
• Experience with Blue Beam (Revu 2018 extreme) or similar versions.     
• Experience with HEC-RAS, MGS Flood and GIS programs. 

Requirements: 

• An offer of employment will be contingent on the success of a pre-employment physical examination.
• Must have a valid Washington State driver's license and the ability to safely operate a motor vehicle throughout the county.
• Must have the ability to work in the field in difficult terrain.

Interview Schedule: 
Those applicants who pass the initial screening will be invited to participate in a15-minute phone interview in the week of 22-27th November 2026. If you are selected to move forward after the phone interview, you will be invited for a 45 minute virtual interview the week of 30th - 4th December, 2026.

Who May Apply: 
This recruitment is open to all qualified applicants and may be used to fill current and or/future career service, term-limited temporary, short-term temporary, and or/special duty positions over the next six months.

First consideration will be given to current (insert union affiliation here if applicable) members in the same classification that are eligible for lateral transfer. (if applicable)

Special duty opportunities are open only to current King County career service employees who have completed their initial probation. Special duty applicants must have approval from their current supervisor to accept an assignment. Current employees selected for special duty will be compensated based upon the provisions of the collective bargaining agreement, King County Personnel Guidelines, or Coalition Labor Agreement for their base assignment.

Application Process: 

A full and complete King County application along with your resume and a cover letter is required. 

Applications will be screened for clarity, completeness, and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Minimum qualifications and answers to supplemental questions must be demonstrated in your application materials.

For interviewing tips, please see the STAR-LA method: star-la_interview_method.pdf

Work Schedule: 

The work week is normally Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standard Act and is eligible for overtime pay, with prior supervisor approval.

Emergency Designation Status:  This position has been designated as:  

Non-Mission Critical -Employees who staff county functions or services that may be delayed, suspended, or diverted in an emergency while essential functions are prioritized Mission Critical.

Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. 

Union Membership: 

This position is represented by C1

Teleworking Requirements: 

This is a hybrid position. We will work in the office at least three days a week to foster connection and responsiveness, arrive prepared and on time, and structure meetings with clear goals and next steps.

Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

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 in a hybrid environment.  

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Sonali Naidu, [email protected]/206-684-2454

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.

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.