Sr. Events & Culture Program Manager

King County•Multiple locations in King County, WA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

King County Metro Transit Rail Division is looking to fill a Senior Events & Culture Program Manager (PPM IV) with the Organizational Strategy and Administration Unit’s Engagement Strategy team. This role will lead the Events & Culture team, responsible for managing employee appreciation events and employee engagement programs that support and implement Rail’s Culture of Care & Safety strategic priority. The position will collaborate closely with internal communications, administrative teams, and managers for Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (EIB), Training Strategy, and Safety Strategy to deploy events and activities that foster employee community engagement, inclusion, and belonging. This position will supervise a small team of direct reports, fostering a collaborative team culture and providing coaching and development opportunities. About Metro Transit's Expanding Rail Division: King County Metro is the exclusive partner for operations and maintenance of Sound Transit's Link Light Rail system. Light Rail is crucial for the Puget Sound's mobility future and is set for significant expansion this decade. To manage this growth effectively, the Division has established strategic priorities: meeting obligations to Sound Transit through staff expansion, building a culture of care, belonging, and inclusion, ensuring safe and high-quality operations, and strengthening partnerships with Sound Transit. King County is a diverse region that values equity and social justice, employee engagement, innovation, and continuous improvement. The county has adopted a pro-equity agenda to advance regional change and improve outcomes for all residents. This commitment makes King County a desirable place to live, work, and play.

Requirements

Five years of project and/or events management experience including initiating, planning, executing, controlling, and closing out the work of a team to achieve specific goals OR equivalent knowledge/experience.
Three years of experience in workplace group facilitation, restorative practices, healthy conflict management, training, coaching, consulting and/or leadership development OR equivalent knowledge/experience.
Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams and work collaboratively with individuals from a variety of positions and backgrounds.
Experience developing and implementing employee engagement programs that prioritize equity, inclusion and belonging.
Must be able to set priorities, meet deadlines, organize work assignments, and operate with strong attention to detail while building authentic, trusting relationships with diverse stakeholders including leadership and employee groups.
Experience identifying and implementing creative solutions to persistent problems.
Demonstrated experience as a leader with the ability to represent senior leadership in various settings.
Strong oral and written communication skills.
Extensive knowledge of equity, racial and social justice principles.
Experience facilitating meetings and presenting information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
Advanced skills with Microsoft Office, including SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Teams.
Flexibility to shift priorities as needed.
Ability to perform occasional work outside of the day shift to meet the needs of a frontline workforce who operate 24/7.
Willingness to work in a team environment and perform other duties as assigned.
Possess 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.
Ability to adjust working hours to accommodate for early morning or late evening events.
Ability to travel between work locations.
Ability to lift 40 pounds.
Comfort with ambiguity in a fast-paced working environment.

Nice To Haves

Masters in Public Administration, Business Administration, Organizational Development or closely related field.
Skilled or knowledgeable with change management, continuous improvement, and organizational development principles and practices.
At least three years of experience supervising other professionals.
At least one year of experience leading a team.
Experience creating or informing strategic plans for a large organization.
Skill, knowledge, or familiarity with Lean methodology.
Experience with the public sector, either through consulting or employment within a government agency.
Familiarity with local transit and mobility systems, including the business model and practices of Sound Transit and/or King County Metro.
Experience using events or project management software.
Experience in budget development and identifying cost efficiencies.
Knowledge of HR principles, labor contracts, and/or experience leading recruitments.

Responsibilities

Design and deliver employee events and engagement strategic planning in alignment with the Culture of Care & Safety strategic priority.
Lead and oversee events and program management for division-wide employee appreciation events, employee engagement, and recognition initiatives.
Manage annual employee recognition processes and events in partnership with the internal communications team.
Partner with the Internal Communications team to communicate employee recognition, appreciation, and engagement initiatives.
Provide project and events management support to the Internal Communications team for Town Halls and related events.
Provide project and events management support to the Engagement Strategy Manager for Rail division leadership retreats and quarterly meetings.
Develop and refine employee engagement and events-related standard work and processes in collaboration with the Equity, Inclusion and Belonging Manager and Internal Communications Manager.
Oversee Rail’s Tour program in collaboration with the Internal Communications team.
Oversee management of the Strategy & Administration Unit’s job shadow program.
Oversee coordination with King County Metro partners on initiatives such as Green Jobs Fair, wellness programming, and EIB events and programs.
Use project and events management software to manage project timelines and deliverables.
Develop, propose, and track events’ procurement and spending budgets, retaining receipts and other documentation.
Procure and project manage events vendors.
Apply innovation and continuous improvement to all projects.
Lead other projects as assigned.
Co-design, deploy, and lead a team to implement the Culture of Care & Safety strategic vision, incorporating grassroots engagement strategies.
Provide project management support to the Culture of Care & Safety/Re Alignment division-wide initiative and other organizational development initiatives.
Oversee and facilitate the Women in Rail employee cohort group or assign to a designee.
Collaborate with emerging Rail division-based employee resource groups (ERGs) and provide project management support.
Collaborate with Rail, other Metro leaders, and Sound Transit partners to ensure leadership presence and participation in events and initiatives.
Coordinate and collaborate with Metro Rail Facilities and Business and Administration teams to facilitate event space access.
Collaboratively draft Rail Administrative Guidelines (RAGs) related to appreciation and recognition events, and employee engagement initiatives.
Develop, nurture, and advance strategic relationships across King County Metro, Sound Transit, and external stakeholder groups.
Work with external consultants, including executing contracts and managing project timelines.
Lead and participate in after-action reviews to improve employee engagement, recognition, and appreciation events and programs.
Facilitate discussions with diverse teams to ensure improvement ideas are implemented.
Identify metrics to measure success for the Events & Culture team and the Division.
Integrate equity, racial and social justice principles into strategic planning.
Perform other related duties as required; may be assigned to special projects.
Perform occasional work outside of the day shift to meet the needs of a frontline workforce.
Provide direct supervision to a small team.
Build an effective team through onboarding, individual development planning, coaching, mentoring, training, and teaching.
Foster a collaborative team culture.