Senior Manager - ITSM

Full Job Description

King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) is seeking an experienced, collaborative, and forward-thinking Senior ITSM Manager to join our leadership team.

In this role, you will lead a high-impact IT Service Management program that strengthens service reliability, enhances operational efficiency, and elevates the customer experience across the enterprise.

You will shape and advance our ITSM strategy, champion ITIL best practices, build strong partnerships with business and IT leaders, and foster a culture defined by service excellence and continuous improvement.

If you thrive on inspiring teams, strengthening collaboration, and building services that truly make life better for the people we serve, we invite you to bring your leadership to King County.

King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT)

King County is committed to being the best-run government in the nation, and King County Information Technology (KCIT) is helping lead that transformation.

KCIT harnesses the power of technology to modernize operations, advance digital equity and social justice, and deliver innovative solutions that engage, empower, and serve our residents, businesses, and community partners.

Recognized by the National Association of Counties (NACo) for excellence in vision, strategy, innovation, and collaboration, KCIT is focused on delivering smart, secure, and customer-centered technology services that strengthen county operations and support thriving, resilient communities.

As the technology business partner to all 18 County departments, KCIT provides the foundational systems and services that power many of the region’s most essential functions.

We work side-by-side with our partners to design and deliver technology solutions that enhance customer experience and advance King County’s mission.

Learn more about KCIT at: http://kingcounty.gov/depts/it.aspx.

Requirements

• Provide strategic leadership for all ITSM functions, ensuring processes, teams, and tools align with organizational goals and industry best practices.
  
• Oversee the performance and maturity of core ITSM processes—including incident, problem, change, event, request, and knowledge management—to drive consistency and service reliability.
  
• Lead, mentor, and develop ITSM staff and process owners, building a resilient team structure with appropriate cross-training and succession planning.
  
• Partner with technology, operations, and business leaders to ensure ITSM practices support service delivery, operational stability, and customer experience.
  
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives by analyzing trends, identifying systemic issues, and implementing corrective actions that reduce risk and improve efficiency.
  
• Govern ITSM metrics, dashboards, and reporting, ensuring leadership has clear visibility into service performance, compliance, and improvement opportunities.
  
• Oversee major ITSM-related projects and enhancements, including tooling upgrades, process redesigns, and automation initiatives.
  
• Ensure effective change governance by chairing or supporting CAB meetings, enforcing change policies, and reducing change-related incidents.
  
• Collaborate with platform owners and engineering teams to ensure ITSM tools are reliable, scalable, and aligned with process needs.
  

Qualifications

• Extensive experience (typically 7–10+ years) in IT Service Management, IT operations, or related leadership roles within complex enterprise environments.
  
• Deep knowledge of ITIL frameworks and best practices, with ITIL 4 certification strongly preferred (Foundation required; higher-level certifications a plus).
  
• Proven track record of leading and maturing ITSM processes such as incident, problem, change, event, request, and knowledge management.
  
• Demonstrated ability to lead and develop high-performing teams, including coaching, mentoring, and building cross-functional capability.
  
• Strong analytical and data-driven decision-making skills, with the ability to interpret service metrics, identify trends, and drive measurable improvements.
  
• Experience managing large-scale ITSM initiatives, process redesign efforts, or tooling implementations (e.g., Cherwell, Neurons, ServiceNow, Remedy).
  
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to influence across technical and non-technical teams and present effectively to senior leadership.
  
• Solid understanding of IT operations, infrastructure, application support, and how ITSM practices integrate across the technology ecosystem.
  
• Strong organizational and program-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple priorities, risks, and dependencies in a fast-paced environment.
  
• Demonstrated ability to drive cultural change, promote service excellence, and foster collaboration across diverse teams and business units.
• Understanding of Equity and Social Justice principles

• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Computer Science, or related fields
  
• Knowledge of the Scaled Agile Framework
  
• ITSM Certification
  

Additional Information

Hybrid Work

KCIT 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 the Chinook Building 401 5th Avenue Seattle, Washington.

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.

Work ScheduleThe normal work week for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alternative work schedules may be considered.

This position is FLSA Exempt and is not eligible for overtime pay.Classification: IT Manager-Senior - (Job code: 740401)Forbes recently 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) EmployerNo 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.

Are you ready to APPLY!?

The recruitment for this position is open to all qualified candidates. This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies. A completed King County Application and Resume are required for consideration. Applications submitted without all material will not be considered.

Questions: If you have questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Shannon Hoeper at shoeper@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-6957.