Rail Operations Base Chief (SDA)

Full Job Description

King County Metro Transit’s Rail Division has an exciting opportunity for a Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Link Light Rail Operations Base Chief (Transit Chief – Rail Operations).

This leadership role requires the ability to communicate effectively with a diverse employee workgroup, proactively solve problems that impact service delivery, provide quality customer service, and motivate employees through building respect and trust. Base Chiefs promote teamwork and resolve conflicts that arise, promoting a cooperative environment, and effective communication. Base Chiefs are proactive in facilitating good working relationships, demonstrating cooperative interactions, and promoting teamwork with new members, facilitating inclusion, and demonstrating flexibility in accomplishing shared goals. Our Base Chiefs demonstrate support for the goals of the organization in providing quality public service and collaboratively working with other sections and departments while recognizing the value of diversity of opinion, culture, and perspective.

Our most competitive candidates will demonstrate their ability to build collaborative and supportive relationships with not only direct reports and internal partners, but also external agencies and community stakeholders. They will also be comfortable with providing guidance and decision- making during times of uncertainty or emergent situations. Rail Operations Chiefs need to have the ability to actively create and maintain a positive working environment focused on safety, customer service, and exemplifying our True North values. In addition, they value diversity of opinions, perspectives, backgrounds, experiences, and cultures, and are able to foster effective working relationships built on trust and respect.

About Metro Transit's Expanding Rail Division

King County Metro Transit's Rail Division manages and maintains Sound Transit's Link light rail service and City of Seattle's streetcar system.

Link light rail currently spans a 33-mile route from SeaTac to Lynnwood and a 6.6-mile route from Redmond to South Bellevue.

By the end of 2026, light rail is projected to expand to nearly 60 route miles, adding seven new stations. Additional expansions to the Link system will be coming online for years to come

Position Information

This SDA position is anticipated to last up to six (6) months with possible extension. However, the confirmed durations may vary.

This recruitment may also be used to establish an eligibility list or pool to fill future SDA opportunities within the same job class that may occur over the next six (6) or twelve months (12) from the establishment of the list, at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Work Schedule
This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible. Typical business hours are between 6:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. Employees may be required to work extended hours, weekend, holidays and will be required to serve occasional 24/7 "on-call" in rotation with other Base Chiefs. Base Chiefs must have the ability to report to work in the event of adverse weather or other emergent/crisis situations and remain on hand during the event unless otherwise directed or relieved. There are no flex days or remote telework options for these positions, and work schedules will be determined by management.

Work Locations
Employees may report to any of the following locations: Rail Operations and Maintenance Facility (OMF) Central at 3407 Airport Way S, Seattle WA 98134, OMF East 1925 120th Ave NE Bellevue WA 98005, or any additional locations that may open in the future.

Who May Apply
This position is open to current career services Rail King County employees that have completed the six (6) month probationary period (or will complete it by April 23, 2026) in their current career services position.

To Apply:

Those interested must submit:

For questions regarding this recruitment, please contact:
Skyler Jones, Senior Talent Advisor, skjones@kingcounty.gov

Requirements

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. All employees are expected to model and apply our equity and social justice shared values, behaviors, and practices. As the Base Chief, you will also:

Supervise and direct the work of Rail supervisors and operators, exhibiting positive leadership and role modeling, encouraging and supporting staff development and training, and conducting performance evaluations.Develop and implement programs to manage employee performance, including providing progressive discipline, taking disciplinary action, and making referrals to training.Address specific employee performance deficiencies: counsel, direct, assist the employee in problem solving the deficiencies, establish and communicate performance expectations.Conduct grievance hearings and make decisions regarding resolution of grievances.Investigate and resolve customer complaints; mitigate high-profile service delivery issues with elected officials, other agencies, and the public.Apply consistent guidance and decision-making in consideration of applicable labor agreements, King County personnel guidelines, and established Metro Transit Division (MTD) and Rail policies and procedures.Establish and maintain a collaborative and effective labor relations environment, ensuring that daily operations and personnel actions conform with the terms of negotiated labor agreements.Investigate and respond to allegations of employee misconduct to determine and administer appropriate discipline and/or corrective actions.Lead workforce planning to ensure that adequate staff exists to meet scheduling requirements; ensure coverage for planned absences; ensure timely and accurate payroll/timesheet approval for direct reports.Investigate, advise, or participate in activities to resolve investigations, grievances, customer complaints, and/or safety concerns.Effectively collaborate and communicate with internal and external groups within King County Metro, union officers and stewards, community partners, and outside entities.Use project management skills to lead or participate in projects as assigned.Implement safety-related initiatives within the section and make safety and security recommendations to upper management.Work with others to anticipate, identify, and implement opportunities for service quality, workplace, and business process improvements.Work may require remaining available for work 24 hours per day during rotational assignments as on-call Base Chief and reporting for extended duty during adverse weather events and other emergencies.

Qualifications Minimum Qualifications:Two (2) or more years of rail management or supervisory experience, including decisiveness, good judgment, integrity, and a strong commitment to equity and fairness.

Demonstrated knowledge, experience, and/or ability to effectively manage transit operational, in-service, real-time situations, and emergencies.

Demonstrated experience coaching employees toward performance improvement, such as poor customer service, policy violation, safety violation, etc.

Demonstrated experience managing competing priorities, multiple projects, and daily responsibilities in an effective and efficient manner.

Demonstrated ability to research and utilize multiple sources of information to draw logical conclusions using basic data analysis methods to make defensible determinations, relating to conducting investigations, including customer complaints, employee misconduct, employee complaints, as well as external regulatory agency complaints.

Effective communication skills, both written and oral, that mirror Metro’s expectations and values.

Experience effectively using programs and software such as MS Office suite (including Outlook, Word, and Excel), Power BI, HASTUS, etc.

The most competitive applicants will possess these DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS:

• Relevant emergency management certifications and/or other relevant training and/or certification in applying emergency management principles (such as FEMA/ISO)
• Experience with and knowledge of basic human resources principles and practices as they relate to hiring and employee management.
• Experience working within, managing, or supervising a unionized workforce and the grievance process (or equivalent working knowledge).
• Knowledge of the regulatory and statutory requirements that govern Rail operations and delivery of mass transit services
• Working experience in an operating unit of a public transit agency.
• Working knowledge of King County Metro Transit Rail Operations.
• Project management training and/or experience.
• Working knowledge of King County Metro Transit Bus Operations.

Necessary special requirements:

• Valid Washington State Driver License and the ability to operate a fleet motor vehicle, or alternate ability to travel to locations for which public transportation is not regularly available.
• Work requires reporting for duty and directing Rail operators and supervisors, including during adverse weather events and other emergencies.
• Work requires being the on-call Base Chief at various times throughout any calendar year.

Additional Information

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.

Selection Process

Application materials (letter of interest and supplemental question responses) will be screened to determine whether candidates meet the qualifications, and for clarity, completeness, and responsiveness to the application instructions above.

Highly competitive applicants may be asked to interview.

Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes, such as reference checks or internal record reviews.

Union Status
This position is represented by PROTEC17: Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17 -- Transit Chiefs, C3.

Classification/Pay Grade
874030 (Transit Chief – Rail Operations), Grade 69

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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.

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