Best Starts for Kids Project/Program Manager Strategy Lead (PPM III)

Full Job Description

The Department of Community and Human Services values diverse perspectives and life experiences.

The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experiences.

King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.

Many young people possess resilience, creativity, leadership, and, even when they have had limited access to the protective supports that foster lifelong health and wellbeing, have been limited.

Youth and young adults from communities that have been marginalized—experience systemic barriers while navigating education, employment, housing and legal system while brining valuable strengths, lived experience, and solutions improve community wellbeing and demonstrating strength, adaptability, and leadership.

This position requires a strategic, collaborative, and visionary individual with demonstrated ability to partner with community stakeholders to improve outcomes for youth and young adults ages 5-24.

A demonstrated leader who can build coalitions by aligning partners, working across systems to foster co-creation, using an anti-racist, equity, and social-justice-centered approach, the position advances strategies that promote opportunity, belonging, and promotive factors.

The work emphasizes promotion, prevention, and early intervention; youth and young adult economic development; positive identity and cultural affirmation; and pathways that support healing, wellbeing, growth, and ensuring young people are supported to thrive, lead, and reach their full potential.

WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. Interviews for this selection process will take place on or around 3/25/2026.

APPLICATION PROCESSIf you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:

• NeoGov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)
• Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete and will be used in the screening process)

Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application.

Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.

This selection process may also be used to create a pool of candidates for current and future career service, term-limited temporary, and special duty opportunities. The pool will be active for 6 months.

WORK SCHEDULE/CONDITIONS: This is for two (2) Career Service and one (1) Special Duty Assignment (SDA) or Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) position anticipated to end 3/1/2028, but subject to change dependent on operational need.

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime. Typical hours are Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. This position is represented by Protec17.

MISSION CRITICAL POSITION STATUS: This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical.

Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director, or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather.

For more detailed information, please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency.

TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT: DCHS works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is TUKWILA at 645 Andover Park West, Tukwila, WA 98188.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.

Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

RECRUITER: Greg Mallory, grmallory@kingcounty.gov

Requirements

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work, Education, Public Administration, or related field. Relevant experience may be substituted for formal education.

Five years of recent experience in program management for youth/young adults aged 5-24 years, including managing contracts; with increasingly responsible experience in program management, planning, program development, and program implementation.

Recent is defined as five years within the last eight.

• Strong racial, equity, and social justice lens with an emphasis on identifying institutional and structural racism and disrupting the systems that cause young people harm.
• Strong formal written skills, including the ability to write a variety of documents for various audiences.
• Experience convening diverse community partners to build coalitions, solidarity, and operationalize collective commitments and strategies, including implementing services, meeting outcomes, and organizing efforts.
• Recent experience and proven ability to work with non-profit partners and community leaders reflective of populations most harmed by structural racism, build trustworthiness, and establish agreements/outcomes while also providing/receiving support to effectively serve young people and their families.
• Demonstrated experience in strategy development and implementation, including releasing requests for proposals, negotiating contracts, and managing contracts.
• Experience balancing the tension between government and community expectations.
• Ability to multitask and work in stressful situations involving changing deadlines and expectations.
• Demonstrated critical analysis and ability to speak to power structures, oppression, equity, justice, and systemic racism.
• Strong leadership and management skills, and the ability to engage in conflict and recognize power dynamics.
• Demonstrated ability to build solidarity, trust, and effective team-building skills to work with internal and external teams and leadership.
• Demonstrated knowledge of and work experience with budget management, fiscal reviews, and program monitoring and development, specifically in the youth service environment.
• Demonstrated experience in ensuring program compliance with contract policies, procedures, program requirements, and regulations.
• Demonstrated experience in gathering, maintaining, and analyzing data for reporting and continuous quality improvement, and helping decolonize data accordingly.
• Demonstrated ability to develop and maintain collaborative partnerships with stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word for Windows, Excel, Access, Email, and the Internet.
• Valid Washington State Driver’s License or the ability to travel throughout the county in a timely manner.
• Willingness to submit to a Washington State Patrol background check.

Desired Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Proven track record of strategic vision, planning, and leadership in designing and managing innovative programs for youth and young adults furthest from opportunity, including those impacted by the criminal legal system or facing significant barriers.

Strong preference given to candidates who have successfully driven measurable impact and positive outcomes within these communities.

Proven ability to identify gaps in systems and processes, and to develop effective strategies for ongoing quality improvement.

Additional Information

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work 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.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class.

Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.