Project/Program Manager III

King County•Multiple locations in King County, WA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

King County Metro Transit’s Rail Division is hiring a collaborative, process-oriented Project/Program Manager III to lead development of a holistic program supporting nearly 200 Sound Transit-owned non-revenue vehicles (NRVs) operated by King County Metro staff. Reporting to the Performance Strategy Team, the role will establish a sustainable cross-agency program with clearly defined responsibilities, expectations, processes, and procedures for NRV fleet maintenance and procurement. The work is intended to improve operational efficiency, support on-time expansions, and strengthen partnerships between King County Metro Rail and Sound Transit. The position will work with Sound Transit and internal Rail teams, including Operations and Maintenance Crafts, Finance and Administration, Asset Management, senior and executive leadership, and contract-support teams. It will assess current processes and documentation, identify gaps and outstanding work, develop and manage a prioritized implementation roadmap, align stakeholders on responsibilities, establish sustainable resources and budget processes, and document procedures and training needs. The role also supports data reporting, NRV rental and utilization processes, compliance monitoring, and coordination of workshops and project teams. Work combines in-person and virtual collaboration across multiple Link Light Rail locations and applies social justice and equity principles. This recruitment is for one Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) position, anticipated to last until January 2028. The role is full time, 40 hours per week, typically Monday through Friday, and follows a hybrid schedule requiring at least three onsite days per week. It is represented by PROTEC17. Employees must reside in Washington state and be able to travel to designated work locations as needed.

Requirements

At least three years of experience creating and managing programs and projects, including assessing, initiating, planning, executing, and monitoring initiatives with defined deliverables.
At least three years of experience working with diverse stakeholders and navigating different perspectives and interests while maintaining focus on overarching objectives.
Ability to manage varied program or project needs, set priorities, meet deadlines, organize assignments, and maintain attention to detail.
Demonstrated experience applying change management and process improvement principles.
Ability to communicate clearly and thoughtfully in writing and verbally, facilitate meetings and lead discussions, and present to technical and non-technical audiences with communication tailored to their needs.
Ability to work through ambiguity, organize goals, and confirm alignment with multiple stakeholders.
Advanced Microsoft Office skills, including SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Teams.
King County employees applying for the SDA must have passed their six-month probationary period in their current career service position, or complete it by the posting's closing date.
Must reside in Washington state upon hire and be able to travel to designated work locations in a timely manner.
Application requires an online King County application, a cover letter of no more than two pages, a current resume, and complete responses to supplemental questions.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with Sound Transit, King County Metro, or other regional transit operations and practices.
Familiarity with multi-agency work environments, relationship management, and negotiation.
Experience in Operations, Maintenance, Procurement, Asset/Vehicle Management, or Service Delivery environments.
Familiarity with FTA state-of-good-repair and maintenance compliance programs.
Experience working with technical, maintenance, or operational line-level staff.
Experience working in a unionized environment.
Experience with data management or budget monitoring.

Responsibilities

Identify the processes, procedures, and roles needed for an effective NRV fleet management program.
Use program and change management practices to implement processes across teams that use NRVs.
Assess existing projects, processes, and documentation; identify gaps and address backlog items related to NRV maintenance and procurement.
Create a prioritized roadmap for implementing processes and procedures, and manage the projects on that roadmap.
Align agencies and teams on NRV process expectations, roles, and responsibilities.
Develop proposals for permanent ownership of projects and ongoing tasks; identify requirements and resources for sustainable NRV management.
Establish criteria for aligning vehicle usage expectations across agencies.
Create a budget process acceptable to both agencies and a timeline aligned with their budget cycles.
Apply innovation and continuous improvement to programs and projects, with attention to sustainability and system improvement.
Partner with maintenance and operations leadership, line-level craft employees, Sound Transit oversight and finance partners, and Rail Strategy teams to identify and align program needs.
Develop and maintain strategic relationships across King County Metro, Sound Transit, and other Rail stakeholder groups; negotiate roles and expectations with Sound Transit partners.
Create a transparent communication process for sharing NRV order status and expected arrival dates.
Provide support and problem-solving for leadership.
Document updated processes, procedures, responsibilities, and expectations, including NRV rental, utilization, and compliance-report monitoring.
Identify documentation and resource needs for Rail Administrative Guidelines, Standard Rail/Operating/Maintenance Procedures, and training and onboarding materials.
Support the scheduling and coordination of workshops, meetings, training sessions, and project teams.
Collaborate with King County and Sound Transit data teams to develop reports and use tools to manage timelines and deliverables.
Integrate social justice principles and identify equity impacts.
Perform other duties as assigned.