Park Ranger Supervisor

Make a positive and lasting impact as the leader of the Parks Division’s Park Ranger Program in the role of Park Ranger Supervisor. This position is responsible for the effective leadership, development, and daily operations of the Ranger team, serving as a key partner to both internal colleagues and the broader community.

If you excel at engaging with people, educating the public, fostering connection in shared outdoor spaces, and working outdoors in all types of weather, the Park Ranger Supervisor role offers an exceptional opportunity to thrive. This position is ideal for someone who values community service, enjoys dynamic work, and is committed to creating welcoming and safe park experiences for all.

About the Role:You will lead the day-to-day operations of a new program within the Parks Division, overseeing both the development and supervision of a team of Park Rangers and the overall design and management of ranger services. Core responsibilities include budget oversight, scheduling, staff leadership and development, establishing protocols and procedures, and modeling the standards and values expected of the program.

A central focus of this role is the continued growth and refinement of the ranger program to enhance the experience of all county park users. The Parks Division is seeking an experienced leader who is deeply committed to public lands, community connection, and the effective delivery of programmatic services for our constituents.

Success in this position requires strong public-facing leadership, including navigating diverse community dynamics and resolving complex situations to ensure a welcoming and safe environment for all visitors. This is an onsite, mission-critical role that may serve as a point of contact during countywide and park-specific emergencies, requiring availability during such events.

About the Team:This position leads and supervises a team of 5 Career Service Park Rangers within the Operations (OPS) Section with the potential for additional seasonal short-term temporary staff additions. The rangers are a frontline service team that works directly with the community in their daily use of the county’s park system as well as internal partners across the division. While many OPS staff focus on physical maintenance, repair, and restoration of park properties, the Park Ranger Supervisor and Ranger team complement this work by providing interactive programming, information sharing, park use compliance, and direct public-facing customer service.

The core function of the Ranger team is to deliver effective internal and external customer service, provide educational programming and information, and help ensure a safe, welcoming environment for all community members. Rangers also collaborate closely with other Parks Division sections, King County partners, and community stakeholders to support meaningful programming and consistent information delivery . The Ranger Supervisor will also lead the effective deployment of educational and physical programmatic resources via an evidence-based approach to ensure community needs are supported and addressed.

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 Park Ranger Supervisor 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 theKing County Parks Divisionof 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.

What You Will Be Doing:

• Maintain a positive, welcoming, and professional presence to park users and Parks staff, as well as to your team each day.
• Supervise and build an effective team and manage and organize program deliverables, outcomes, and expectations.
• Promote safe use of our parks and maintain an inclusive environment for all according to King County Parks rules and other County codes and State laws.
• Communicate professionally and coordinate with various internal and external customers to inform work priorities where Rangers can be most effective via use of radio, cell phone, computer and other means of communication.
• Effectively collect and document interactions with the public using various electronic platforms for data analysis and program development. Consistent communication of key data and metrics will be required for keeping managers, stakeholders as well as your own team updated on programmatic needs, goals, and refinement of service.
• Safely operate King County assigned equipment in the execution of duties - such as motor vehicles and bicycles, while navigating various terrains across the Parks system on a daily basis.

Qualifications You Bring:

Programmatic Proficiency

• Demonstrated experience designing and managing programs and aligning resources and stakeholders to achieve program intent.
• Experience in using data to gauge challenges and successes in a program and making informed decisions based on data.

Supervisory Experience

• Minimum two (2) years supervisory experience of multiple reports.
• Experience developing a team.

Communication and collaboration

• Experience interacting with the public, in any of the following categories: Park Ranger; Community Engagement; Land Management; Outdoor Education.
• Exceptional ability to communicate effectively both verbally and in writing, including during stressful public encounters.
• Strong ability to work collaboratively with various teams and agencies, specifically under urgent circumstances.
• Strong skills in documenting incidents, writing reports, and communicating issues to relevant authorities.
• Ability to utilize communication technology, such as radio and phone apps for effective coordination and language interpretation in the field.

Conflict resolution

• Demonstrated experience resolving issues and finding common ground during tense situations.
• De-escalation training is a plus.

Physical Requirements:

• Ability to ride a 2-wheel non-electric mountain bike without accommodation over uneven terrain throughout a full shift in various weather conditions.
• Ability to work in all types of weather and walking, hiking, and biking on various uneven terrains for multiple hours per day.
• Ability to safely drive a vehicle and potentially tow and place mobile message boards, speed limit devices, or other devices to help with safety in parks or informing the public.

Competencies You Bring:

• Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer-centric solutions.
• Manages Complexity: Making sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems.
• Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.
• Builds Effective Teams: Building strong-identity teams that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.
• Instills Trust: Gaining the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity.

Required Licenses/Certifications:

WA. State driver’s license.

It Would Be Great if You Also Bring:

• Current certification in CPR and AED.
• Ability to communicate in non-English languages.
• Training in de-escalation techniques.
• Experience in emergency management.
• Experience working in a public service setting.

Working Conditions:

• Work Location:This role requires daily onsite reporting. Onsite reporting locations may be at various King County worksites and parks including the Parks Central Maintenance Facility located at 3005 NE 4thSt, Renton, WA 98056.
• 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. The current Supervisor schedule is 7:30am-4pm Tuesday-Saturday.
• Union Representation: This position is not represented by a union.

Application and Selection Process:We welcome applications from all qualified applicants. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all backgrounds 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
• Optional Resume(will be reviewed if submitted)
• Optional Cover Letter (will be reviewed if submitted)

Note: Additional documents won't be considered during minimum qualification screening.

Who to Contact: For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact Patty Jurgens at patty.jurgens@kingcounty.gov.

Discover More About the Parks Division:Visit our website and check us out atFacebook, Twitter, Instagram and Flickr.

Discover More About DNRP: Visit our webs­ite,explore aninteractive mapof our recent accomplishments and check us out atFacebook,X (formerly Twitter),LinkedIn,TikTok,Instagram,YouTubeand Keeping King County Green News.

Sign up forJob 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.

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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 teamdedicated 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.