Principal Technology Strategist - Strategic Planning & Innovation

King County•Seattle, WA

7h•Hybrid

About The Position

King County’s Department of Information Technology (KCIT) is seeking a Principal Technology Strategist to lead strategic planning and innovation across the organization. Reporting directly to the Chief Innovation Officer, the position is a member of the KCIT Extended Leadership Team and mobilizes people across disciplines to develop and deliver IT strategy, advance IT capabilities, improve service delivery, drive experimentation and proofs of value, measure results and performance, and pursue innovation and continuous improvement. The role helps the County keep pace with technology trends and prepare to use emerging technologies to improve residents’ lives and support better government. The strategist leads the development, management, and maintenance of the Strategic Information Technology Plan and roadmap, aligning them with IT goals, County priorities, and risk posture. The position establishes frameworks for evaluating and prioritizing strategic opportunities and investments based on value, feasibility, risk, and organizational readiness. It manages strategic initiatives, pilots, and proofs of concept that support learning, strengthen IT readiness, reduce technology debt, and advance mission impact. It also monitors emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to identify responsible use cases and develop standards, policy guidance, and training and education plans, while ensuring alignment with IT standards, governance, security, privacy, compliance, and service-delivery expectations. The position partners with KCIT and agency leadership, facilitates multidisciplinary teams through discovery, design, testing, operational readiness, and adoption, champions change-management practices, and fosters experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement. It establishes and maintains relationships with industry bodies, government organizations, community groups, academia, and vendors. This opportunity is open only to current King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) and Business Resource Center (BRC) employees. The position follows a hybrid work model, with the remote-to-onsite ratio dependent on business needs and subject to change. The primary onsite location is the Chinook Building in Seattle, Washington. Employees must reside in Washington state within a reasonable distance of their King County worksite, and maintain an internet-connected home workspace. The normal workweek is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; alternative schedules may be considered by the manager. The position is FLSA-exempt and not eligible for overtime pay, and is represented by Local 117: IT Managers and Supervisors.

Requirements

Progressive responsibility in business or technology management, including leading cross-functional teams and contributing to enterprise-wide programs.
Deep experience in business operations, process and service design, program/project management, and organizational change management.
Systems and enterprise thinking, including the ability to identify relationships, dependencies, effects, and constraints across complex problem spaces.
Experience with public-sector technology environments, regulatory compliance, and government procurement practices.
Ability to engage effectively and sustain relationships with people from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
Comprehensive knowledge across multiple technology areas.
Ability to analyze complex environments and develop durable, scalable, data-driven solutions.
Proven facilitation and stakeholder-management abilities across roles and levels.
Ability to deliver multiple competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including translating complex technical concepts clearly for diverse audiences.
Must be a current King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) or Business Resource Center (BRC) employee.
Must reside in Washington state within a reasonable distance of the King County worksite.
Must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Nice To Haves

Prior experience evaluating, implementing, and maintaining AI-enabled systems.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, management, and maintenance of the Strategic Information Technology Plan and roadmap.
Align IT strategy with IT goals, County priorities, and risk posture.
Establish frameworks to evaluate, compare, and prioritize strategic opportunities and investment areas based on value, feasibility, risk, and organizational readiness.
Manage a portfolio of strategic initiatives, pilots, and proofs of concept that support proactive learning, strengthen IT readiness, reduce technology debt, and advance mission impact.
Ensure strategic and innovation efforts align with IT standards, governance, security, privacy, compliance, and service-delivery expectations.
Monitor technology trends and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to identify responsible use cases and develop standards and policy guidance.
Contribute to training and education plans related to emerging technology.
Partner with KCIT and agency leadership and facilitate multidisciplinary teams through discovery, design, testing, operational readiness, and adoption.
Champion change-management best practices and foster experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.
Establish and maintain relationships with industry bodies, government organizations, community groups, academia, and vendors.
Measure results and performance and pursue opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement.