Transit Technology Project Management Team Manager

King County•Seattle, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

King County Metro is seeking an experienced, strategic, and collaborative leader to join its Technology Section as the Transit Technology Project Management Team Manager. This is a pivotal moment for the section, which was established two years ago as part of a modern IT operating model and is still defining its future. The role involves leading a team of project managers responsible for delivering business-critical technology from concept through lifecycle management. These systems are essential for keeping buses running and riders connected. The manager will also collaborate with Metro Division Directors and the KCIT leadership team to shape the Metro Technology Roadmap and represent the Transit Technology Capital Project Management group on various committees and initiatives. As a senior leader in an emerging office, this individual will help define its identity, culture, and visibility across King County.

Requirements

A Bachelor’s degree in Information Technology, Business Administration, or a related field.
At least ten (10) years of increasingly responsible experience in IT project management that includes analyzing, planning, designing, deploying, and implementing complex IT projects and programs related to operations and infrastructure.
A minimum of five (5) years of experience in IT management/leadership position, managing and/or leading technical staff, developing and executing work programs, developing performance measures, setting performance expectations, and providing coaching and feedback.
OR An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the role effectively.
Demonstrated knowledge and skills in: Enterprise-scale complex technology project life cycles, development strategies, and management principles.
Systems analysis, design, deployment, and implementation.
Mass transit business operations and strategic information needs.
IT contracting, vendor management, and procurement strategies.
Managing competing priorities and performing statistical, operational, and business analyses.
Risk assessment and mitigation including technical, legal, financial, and organizational factors.
Knowledge of the principles, practices and techniques of labor relations that include interest-based or collaborative labor negotiations as well as grievance and arbitration processes.
Human resources management, supervisory practices, and labor relations.
Workforce planning and budget administration.
Planning and delegating work assignments.
Establishing and maintaining effective working relationships.
Promoting a collaborative culture fostering engagement, innovation, development, and autonomy for staff.
Staff development and training.
Working with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Conflict resolution, problem-solving, negotiation, and team building.
Customer service principles and stakeholder engagement.
Effective verbal and written communication, including complex technical translation.
Use of current office software including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and email tools.

Nice To Haves

Experience with a broad range of enterprise technologies including project management tools, business systems, analytics platforms, ITSM systems, testing tools, content management, collaboration tools, system integration, cloud environments, cybersecurity, and enterprise IT standards.
Experience working in a large public sector or governmental organization.
Knowledge of King County Metro’s operations, mission, and policies.

Responsibilities

Lead, mentor, and develop a team of transit technology project managers, focusing on coaching, workforce development, and building a technologically aware and future-ready team.
Provide guidance and support to other supervisors and technology groups within the Technology Section.
Drive outcome-based thinking, critical analysis, and clarity in an ambiguous environment.
Conduct performance reviews that support staff growth and build necessary competencies.
Serve as a strategic people leader offering direction, advising stakeholders, and influencing policies.
Manage personnel administration including hiring, discipline, leave approvals, accommodations, workload balancing, and labor contract adherence.
Maintain productive relationships with multiple collective bargaining units and engage in grievance and arbitration processes.
Intervene on complex issues or team dynamics to restore alignment, resolve conflicts, and ensure project and staff success.
Shape and support the ongoing transformation to a modern, strategically focused technology organization.
Contribute to Metro’s technology portfolio planning and technology budget development.
Provide expert strategic analysis to help the division address technology needs, evaluating investments, priorities, and long-range solutions.
Advise senior management on tradeoffs related to technology policies, procurement approaches, and lifecycle management strategies.
Support executive leadership in assessing risks, organizational capacity, feasibility, and market availability of emerging technologies.
Prepare and deliver compelling business cases and strategic proposals to oversight bodies.
Oversee a portfolio of complex technology projects with significant capital investment.
Own the performance metrics for complex multi-system development efforts, project scope, schedules, budgets, dependencies, and integration.
Enable high performance from the team using strong project management principles, including agile development methodologies.
Serve as a central escalation point for evaluating risks and own escalation decisions to senior leadership.
Oversee technology procurements and contract management, including RFP/RFQ development, negotiations, change orders, acceptance criteria, and milestone approvals.
Collaborate closely with Procurement Services and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Evaluate vendor performance and ensure high-quality delivery, resolving service gaps, financial impacts, and contractual challenges.
Partner closely with Metro division leadership to interpret operational needs and align project management team with operational requirements.
Support change management efforts related to technology operations.
Work collaboratively with leaders who develop technology-related policies.
Ensure ongoing viability and performance of technology projects across the division.
Stay current with emerging trends in transit technology, including AI, cybersecurity, autonomous vehicles, and modern cloud-based enterprise environments.
Apply strong technical aptitude to evaluate how emerging innovations can be incorporated into Metro’s strategic roadmap.
Foster a culture of modernization, encouraging teams to adopt forward-looking practices.
Represent the Transit Technology Project Management team across internal and external committees, project teams, and workgroups.
Coordinate with business leaders, IT partners, and executive stakeholders.