About Us

4Culture is an independent public agency, chartered under state law and King County ordinance in January 2003, after 35 years as the King County Office of Cultural Resources. The ideal candidate for this position champions public support for arts, culture, science, and technology and has demonstrated sustained commitment to advancing racial equity and social justice. As the cultural funding and services agency for King County, Washington, 4Culture works to make the region vibrant. The organization’s five program areas—Arts, Heritage, Historic Preservation, Public Art, and Science and Technology—put public resources to use all over King County.

Guided by a vision of a King County in which every person has what they need to explore and create culture, we’re working to become an actively anti-racist organization. We know that this work is urgent and ongoing; as a public agency, we’re committed to being transparent about our successes and failures. 4Culture is part of the system of white supremacy that has historically disadvantaged Black, Indigenous, and other People of Color. We are working to understand systems of structural racism, dismantle them with the tools available to us, and build up something equitable that supports and recognizes the value in cultural expression of all of people, especially those in King County.

Building for Equity

In 2019, a joint initiative between 4Culture, and the King County Executive and King County Council was passed to create a pathway to racial equity in 4Culture’s facilities funding. As a result, the Building for Equity program was created to reconfigure 4Culture’s existing Cultural Facilities Program with equity measures built in, prioritizing organizations serving historically underinvested communities.

Currently, Building for Equity is an interdisciplinary program providing a unique combination of funding, technical support, and strategic partnerships geared toward dismantling racism in cultural facilities funding and fostering equitable development throughout King County. Existing grants under this program are Building Community Facilities grant, Anchoring Community Facilities grant and Project Development grant. Native, as a term for the current iteration of the Native Cultural Facilities program is:

1. American Indian: Members and descendants of federally recognized, state recognized, and unrecognized tribal nations and communities Indigenous to what is now the continental US.
2. Alaska Native: Members and descendants of Alaska Native villages and corporations

The Native Cultural Facilities grant will be an annual program funding facilities projects serving Native Communities through the advancement or preservation of culture.

About the Role

Building for Equity Support Specialist II is an interdisciplinary role that provides programmatic and administrative support for all Building for Equity programs and initiatives. We are seeking qualified candidates who are excited to center anti-racism, decolonization and equity in their work while serving as a collaborative partner within 4Culture and the culture, science & technology sectors of King County. This position reports directly to the Senior Building for Equity Program Manager and works on a dynamic and interdisciplinary team under the Preservation Department. Core aspects of this position include the following:  

1. Provide support for Building for Equity funding and technical support program administration.  
2. Work with 4Culture staff and partners to conduct outreach, surveys, data analysis, tracking and monitoring and technical support aimed at current and potential grant applicants.  
3. Arrange logistics and provide administrative support for internal and external meetings and events. 
4. Support anti-racist, decolonized, and equitable grantmaking practices and procedures in the management, development, maintenance, and evaluation of Building for Equity funding programs and initiatives. 
5. Participate in a standing Support Specialist Team to align procedures and practices across departments. 

You will be most successful in this position if:

1. You are committed to expanding and protecting space for King County culture and science and technology-focused organizations, Tribes, or projects, especially those historically underinvested in by cultural philanthropy and grantmaking.
2. You can thrive in the experimentation and exploration of anti-racist, decolonizing practices in cultural funding. 
3. You can work both independently and with 4Culture staff, board, County employees, media, and members of the general public in an effective and professional manner.
4. You have ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet multiple varied deadlines.
5. You have experience with and enjoy working with CRM (Salesforce preferred) or other data management systems.
6. You have effective communication skills, as well as aptitude for group facilitation and presentation, and interest in further developing these skills. 
7. You have experience working with a range of cultural workers, such as nonprofit staff, informal community groups, and volunteers of all socioeconomic backgrounds. 
8. You have familiarity with King County cultural activity, history and its built environment, and enthusiasm for advancing the cause of building, sustaining and growing cultural spaces.