Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging Manager III

King County•Seattle, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

King County Metro seeks an expert race equity practitioner to lead its Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (EIB) team. The position ensures Metro’s Equity and Social Justice (ESJ) initiatives are aligned with King County’s equity goals and approaches and advances Metro’s vision of becoming a racially just, equitable, and inclusive department. The EIB team works to develop and retain a diverse and supported workforce and operationalize belonging across leadership, management, and staff. The manager refines the strategic direction of the EIB portfolio, develops and implements the Metro EIB Workplan, supports Division Racial Equity Action Plans, and builds internal coalitions committed to race equity. The role leads and develops the EIB team and builds the capacity of leaders, employees, and partners to create conditions for a healthy and thriving workforce. It also advances racial, gender, disability, and digital equity through consultation, conflict response, planning, training, evaluation, and community engagement. This is a Career Service position. It is a hybrid supervisory role requiring at least three onsite days per week, primarily at King Street Center in Seattle. Employees must reside in Washington state within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite. The typical schedule is 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday; the role is exempt from the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime. The position is not represented by a union.

Requirements

Preferably at least seven years of increasingly responsible experience in racial equity, social justice, organizational development, or a related field, including three years of leadership or supervisory experience; equivalent education, training, professional experience, community experience, or lived experience may qualify.
Excellent organizational and project management skills, including the ability to complete complex, multidisciplinary projects.
Knowledge and demonstrated experience with change management methodology, facilitation, and conflict resolution.
Self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and ongoing self-exploration related to race, power, and privilege, including power analysis.
Ability to navigate challenging situations with honesty, tact, and diplomacy while fostering meaningful engagement.
Strong critical thinking skills, including ability to analyze power, identify manifestations of racism and oppression, and support leadership growth.
Demonstrated experience dismantling institutionalized racist practices in a community, business, government, or political setting.
Facilitation, mediation, and conflict resolution skills focused specifically on racialized conflict.
Experience creating processes and systems to document, report, and monitor equitable outcomes.
Strong quantitative and qualitative analytical skills and ability to translate metrics, research, and trends into strategy and improvement opportunities.
Creativity and imagination in developing and supporting processes that promote more equitable outputs and outcomes.
Ability to clearly communicate new and updated programs, policies, and processes to diverse audiences at all organizational levels.
Ability to work with people with diverse opinions and backgrounds and handle politically sensitive inquiries.
Experience working with varied stakeholders, such as unions, elected officials, leadership, and workers.
Skill in communicating effectively with employees to inspire culture change regarding communities historically harmed, neglected, or excluded.
Experience engaging historically marginalized employees in leadership development and organizing for change.
Experience in budget development and resource allocation, including expenditure monitoring and alignment of financial decisions with organizational equity goals.
Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office 365, including Word, Excel, Outlook, SharePoint, and OneDrive.
Must reside in Washington state within a reasonable distance of the King County worksite.
Must maintain a home workspace with reliable internet and be available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of King County’s Equity Inclusion and Belonging Principles, concepts, and ESJ Strategic Plan.
Knowledge of King County Metro’s workforce, operations, mission, and policies, ideally with experience in equity, inclusion, or social justice initiatives.
Evidence of prior leadership that notably impacted systems of oppression or institutional racism.
Professional experience in a nonprofit or public organization.
Knowledge and experience navigating a unionized environment.

Responsibilities

Supervise, support, and develop members of the EIB team.
Consult with, coach, and support employees and leaders in developing innovative and adaptive racially equitable programs and services.
Ensure work units and teams are informed and empowered to make strategic decisions that support Metro’s ESJ goals.
Provide timely support to leaders and employees experiencing racialized and gendered harm.
Facilitate leadership and workgroup discussions to advance racial and gender equity.
Advance disability and digital equity by supporting ADA-aligned departmental planning and accountability.
Facilitate department-specific trainings and workshops to strengthen outreach, engagement, and equity learning.
Identify opportunities to improve equitable access to services, programs, and resources.
Assess institutional equity goals and advise Metro leadership on appropriate outcomes.
Align departmental equity goals and workplans with countywide values, frameworks, and enterprise equity priorities.
Conduct Equity Impact Assessments and track department-level equity performance measures.
Communicate new or updated programs, policies, and processes to department leadership and employees.
Develop and monitor budgets to allocate resources appropriately.
Build trusted relationships with Metro leaders, teams, employees, and partners.
Provide direct support to Metro Employee Resource Groups, Equity Champions, and other employee-led efforts.
Establish internal coalitions across divisions with partners such as Organizational Health, EEO, Labor, and Human Resources.
Collaborate with internal and external partners to foster equitable, inclusive, and just outcomes for all communities.
Lead community engagement to identify service barriers and strengthen equitable access.
Partner with department leadership and Human Resources to advance ESJ action plans throughout the department.
Support Metro Transit’s Safety Policy and its implementation; promote a positive safety culture and resolve hazards within the manager’s purview.
Ensure SMS implementation, measurement, and documentation within areas of responsibility; communicate employee needs and training requirements; and establish accountability and corrective actions.