Roadway Worker Protections (RWP) Program Manager

King County•Multiple locations in King County, WA

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

King County Metro Transit’s Rail Division has an exciting opportunity for a Roadway Worker Protections Program Manager (PPM III). This Program Manager role will lead the high-impact and broad-reaching programs and projects related to Roadway Worker Protections in alignment with Rail strategic priorities that support growth, strengthen partnerships, improve operations, and advance safety. Reporting to the Senior Program Manager in the Rail Division’s Performance Strategy Team, you’ll collaborate with Sound Transit and with our internal Rail teams to implement this cross-functional program, related projects, and initiatives aligned with the FTA’s Roadway Worker Protections safety requirements. Your work will play a key role in advancing a culture of safety across the organization. King County Metro's Rail Division manages and maintains Sound Transit's Link Light Rail, a growing network spanning 60 miles and serving 38 stations across the Puget Sound region. Together with Metro's extensive fixed-route bus system and mobility services, the Link Light Rail system is the backbone of an integrated regional transit network that gives people real freedom of movement. As Puget Sound transit agencies work together to build a seamless, connected system, our light rail system plays a central role in expanding access, reducing barriers, and ensuring that everyone across our region can get where they need to go. Joining Metro's Rail Division means joining an organization that is shaping the future of public transportation in the Pacific Northwest and setting the standard for modern rail operations nationwide. This is a division that values strategic thinking, collaborative leadership, and a deep commitment to the people we serve, both our riders and our teams. Whatever your role, your work here contributes to something that matters, a light rail system that thousands of people count on every day. This recruitment may immediately fill up to one (1) twelve-month Special Duty Assignment/Term Limited Temporary position. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment, and Term Limited Temporary vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Requirements

Three (3) years of project or program management experience including initiating, planning, executing, and closing out projects to achieve specific goals OR equivalent knowledge/experience to be successful in this role.
Ability to manage a wide variety of needs within a program or project, including setting priorities, meeting deadlines, organizing work assignments, and maintaining strong attention to detail.
Demonstrated experience managing and leading change, ensuring program/project execution and quality while successfully managing and mitigating risk.
Skill in analyzing information, solving complex and analytical challenges, and making recommendations based on analysis.
Demonstrates clear, concise, and thoughtful verbal and written communication, including ability to write, edit, and revise policy and procedure documents.
Experience collaborating with and presenting information to a diverse group of technical and non-technical employees, including line-level staff and executive leadership.
Experience facilitating meetings, leading discussions, and presenting complex information in an accessible manner.
Political savvy with ability to navigate interests from different groups while maintaining focus on overarching objectives
Experience with program development and maturation
Knowledge of equity and social justice principles and an ability to effectively integrate and communicate those principles within programs, projects, and initiatives.
Advanced skills with Microsoft Office, including SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Teams.
Possession of a valid Washington state driver’s license (or ability to obtain Washington state driver’s license upon hire) or alternate ability to travel to off-site locations.

Nice To Haves

Familiarity with local transit and mobility systems, including the business model and practices of Sound Transit and/or King County Metro.
Experience with the public sector, either through consulting or employment within a government agency.
Experience working in an Operations, Maintenance, or Service Delivery environment with a large, deskless workforce.
Experience working in a union environment.
Familiarity with safety management systems or experience working with safety programs.
Experience working with technical, maintenance, or operational line-level staff.
Familiarity or experience with change management or continuous improvement.
Familiarity or experience working in collaboration with Training & Learning experts.

Responsibilities

Work in partnership with senior leadership in Maintenance, Operations, and Safety Units, line level craft employees, Sound Transit oversight and safety partners, and the Rail Director’s Office Strategy teams (program/project managers, change management, internal communications professionals, data analysts, training professionals) to advance projects, identify needs, assign tasks, and support program and project success.
Utilize communication skills to develop, nurture, and advance strategic relationships across King County Metro, Sound Transit, and other internal Rail stakeholder groups.
Use various tools, including project management software and office applications, to manage project timelines and deliverables.
Apply a lens of innovation and continuous improvement to all programs and projects, with a focus on sustainability and system improvement.
Serve as a system of support and a critical problem-solver for leadership from across the Rail Division.
Integrate social justice principles into all projects, while identifying equity impacts of programs, projects, and safety policies on a diverse and large, deskless workforce.
Manage a combination of in-person and virtual project and program work spanning 4+ base locations across the Link Light Rail service area.
Support the scheduling and coordination of workshops, meetings, training sessions, and project teams.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Offer recommendations and guidance to leadership on RWP program development and maturation
Collaborate closely with sponsors and provide updates to leadership teams and agency partners about changes, needs, resources, policies, etc.
Provide interagency collaboration to coordinate work across KCM Rail and Sound Transit within the established program governance framework, ensuring clarity of roles, shared expectations, and unified communication.
Elevate cross-agency issues, policy questions, or decisions requiring broader organizational alignment through the internal supervisor and sponsor structure.
Act as central resource capturing and tracking updates to program, requests from internal stakeholders, oversight groups, Training & Learning partners, feedback from frontline staff, and other.
Support FTA and Washington State Safety Office audits, program reviews, and re-approval submissions by tracking requirements or findings, and managing relationships with stakeholders including Sound Transit Safety, King County Metro Safety Security and Quality Assurance, Rail Safety, Rail Maintenance, and Rail Training & Learning teams.
Budget tracking and advisement related to RWP resources and needs to senior leaders.
Sharepoint or website management and/or creation for RWP resources and sources of truth.
Close collaboration with Rail Training & Learning group on RWP training, documents, necessary related roadway worker trainings, processes/procedures/policies related to documenting.
Close collaboration with Rail Change Manager and Communications Manager on messaging and behavior change work related to RWP, as well as management of resources and single source of truth.
Collaboration with Safety partners on questions, policies and procedures that arise from RWP.
Gather ongoing frontline and subject matter experience input on program effectiveness, identify changes needed, and adjust resources as necessary.
Advise and maintain centralized content, including vocabulary and policies, as main Rail resource for RWP requirements that impact controlled documents in all areas of maintenance and operations.
Participate in Link policy and procedure committees to provide input, quality assurance, maintain awareness.
Serve as RWP content subject-matter expert for Rail staff updating or creating controlled documents, including tracking awareness, editing, commenting, and revisions that may impact the RWP program approval and/or documents.
Provide Quality Control and Assurance on procedural document content revisions, including monitoring updates on non-RWP-related documents to evaluate for needed RWP vocabulary or process changes that have not been integrated into existing Rail procedural documents.
Maintain and revise content of Washington State Safety Office-approved RWP documents, as well as internal Rail documents, including, but not limited to: RWP Change Log(s), RWP Manual, Track Access Guide, Job Briefing form(s), and other RWP-related documents.
Aligning internal maintenance, operations, and safety groups on RWP policies, expectations and integration into practices and procedures.
Serve as Project Manager for necessary revisions, additions, or related RWP projects.
Advise on the creation and establishment of permanent structure for RWP program management and program sustainment.
Lead revisions of initial RWP program and documents based on changes to operations or maintenance technologies, alignment, job classifications, or practices.
Coordinate distribution of RWP resources to agency staff as needed.
Responsible for understanding this policy and their role in safety.
Report all safety concerns.
Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training.
Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system.

Benefits

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment working in the office and at home.
The work schedule is normally Monday through Friday, between 8:00 a.m. to 5 p.m., however there is some flexibility in start and end time.
This position may require working a flex schedule as necessary.
The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment with a minimum of 3 days on-site at one of our Rail division locations.
Employee will have access to shared workspaces at various Rail facilities.
Employee must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Employee will be provided with a Sound Transit issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
Location assignment is dependent on workgroup needs.
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Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to work, live 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.