Sustainable Purchasing Graduate Intern

King County’s Finance and Business Operations Division, Procurement & Payables section, is seeking a Sustainable Purchasing Graduate Intern to join our Education, Compliance and Training team!

This position is expected to begin in May or June and will continue through the 2025/2026 academic year. Interns must be enrolled in a Graduate (Master’s) program for the full duration of the internship and may be asked to provide proof of enrollment at any time. Typically, interns work part-time (10-20 hours per week) during the academic term and may work full-time (40 hours per week) during the summer and school breaks. 

Our ideal candidate is a quick and versatile learner with excellent research and communication skills and high attention to detail.  

This intern will be assisting the Sustainable Purchasing Program Manager in implementation of the County’s sustainable purchasing, green building and strategic climate action policies as they relate to reducing the environmental impact of county purchases.

Internship Learning Objectives:

• Conduct research related to sustainable purchasing policies, environmental standards and certifications, product specifications, and industry best practices.
• Assist with developing outreach tools, including policy implementation guidance and identifying sustainable products, services and contracts.
• Collect, tabulate, and summarize purchasing data.
• Assist in the 2025 Strategic Climate Action Plan update process as it relates to purchasing goals.
• Assist with internal/external communications about sustainable policies, products and services, via e-mail, reports, training materials and website.
• Maintain sustainable purchasing program website and on-line guides content.
• Support meetings and training events; plan, organize, schedule, attend and present.
• Support internal sustainable purchasing efforts as needed.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Currently enrolled in graduate school for Business Administration, Public Administration/Policy, Environmental Science or another related program;
• Basic knowledge of the principles of public procurement processes;
• Basic principles of sustainability, including environmental, social and fiscal aspects;
• Have an interest in and understanding of public sector and are responsible in a professional environment;
• Strong communication, interpersonal, writing and customer service skills;
• Intermediate level of technology proficiency using MS Office Productivity tools in your daily work;
• Ability to manage your time and adapt to changing priorities, work on multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, meet quick deadlines, and produce timely and quality work products;
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

We would love it if you had:

• A passion for sustainability
• Knowledge of environmental attributes of products, including recycled content, resource efficient, toxicity, end-of-life management, product stewardship and total cost of ownership.
• Knowledge of greenhouse gas emission impacts
• Experience with LEAN processes and principles.
• Experience with SharePoint, MS Teams and other collaborative online tools.

The Procurement & Payables Section is part of the larger Finance and Business Operations Division portfolio of countywide services. FBOD’s vision “Count on Us” reflects the division’s deep-seated commitment to customer success, equity, employee engagement, resource stewardship, and operational excellence. If these values align with your own, please apply and join FBOD for a rewarding internship!

Position Information:

• Work Site Details: The work associated with this position will primarily be hybrid. FBOD employees are currently required to work two assigned days a week in the Seattle office. In office requirements may change as required by King County business needs.
• Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: During the academic term, the work week will consist of 10-20 hours. During summer and other school breaks, the work week will consist of 40 hours. This position is Non-Exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore is overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop. When working remotely employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work, remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours, and follow FBOD’s Hybrid and Remote Guidelines including on-camera participation during virtual video meetings. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. 

The Application/Selection Process:

• A completed King County Application is required.
• A Cover Letter is recommended.
• A current Resume is recommended.

The selection process typically consists of a phone screen, video interview, and reference checking.  For some positions the process may also include skill testing, writing samples or additional interviews. Candidates will be updated on the status of their application via the email address used to apply.

Note: Online applications are preferred. However, if you cannot apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for other options.

If you have any questions or concerns while applying, please contact:
Lisa Manasan, Recruiter
lmanasan @kingcounty.gov

Supplemental Information

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.