Workforce Operations & Engagement Manager

Full Job Description

The King County Metro Transit Facilities Division is seeking an energetic and visionary Workforce Operations & Engagement Manager (Special Project Manager I) dedicated to advancing Metro’s core values of delivering clean, safe, and reliable service to our community.

In this essential role, you will design and lead innovative workforce pathways and foster meaningful community partnerships—ensuring our teams are empowered to uphold the highest standards of operational excellence.

By building strong, collaborative frameworks across internal teams and external partners, you will strengthen our commitment to a workplace where safety, reliability, and environmental stewardship are at the forefront.

As a strategic connector, you’ll bring together Metro’s operational leadership, labor, educational institutions, and community organizations to create integrated workforce initiatives that directly support our mission.

Your work will drive cross-functional projects that enhance workforce development, reinforce safe and efficient facilities operations, and champion inclusive, community-driven solutions.

Join us in making a lasting impact—help us grow a skilled, engaged workforce that keeps Metro’s promise: providing clean, safe, and reliable transit services for all.

About Metro's Facilities Division

King County Metro Transit’s Facilities Division maintains all Metro Transit properties, such as bus bases, park & rides, bus shelters, and offices and maintenance shops.

Services include bus shelter repairs and replacements, bus shelter cleaning, trolley wire repairs, radio maintenance for buses, environmental spill clean-up, bus sign replacement, graffiti removal, and other facilities maintenance duties.

Internally, team provides division-wide support functions for finance, budget, environmental compliance, safety, training, administrative services and new employee orientation.

Planning, inventory/materials management, work center, workforce management, functional asset management, general/maintenance agreements, systems support, capital infrastructure, sustainable resources/energy.

This recruitment will immediately fill one (1) Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) / Special Duty Assignment (SDA) position with an anticipated duration of up to two (2) years and may also be used to create an eligibility list for future Career Service, Term-Limited Temporary (TLT) and/or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) vacancies valid up to twelve (12) months or until exhausted and at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Who May Apply:

This position is open to King County employees and the public.

Questions? If you have questions regarding this position or recruitment, please contact Daniel Russell, Talent Advisor at darussell@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 Workforce Operations & Engagement Manager you will also:

Operational Workforce Pathways Design & Implementation

• Lead the development and execution of operational workforce pathway programs (e.g., job shadowing, pre-apprenticeship, technical upskilling) tailored to facilities maintenance and skilled trades.
• Collaborate with operations and maintenance leaders to identify current and future workforce needs and align pathway programs with operational priorities.
• Develop scalable models and toolkits for workforce pathways that can be adopted across other Metro divisions.

Community & Stakeholder Partnership Management

• Build and sustain collaborative partnerships with community-based organizations, labor unions, technical colleges, high schools, and apprenticeship sponsors to co-design and deliver operational workforce initiatives.
• Convene and facilitate cross-functional advisory groups and project teams to ensure shared decision-making and alignment with Metro’s operational goals.
• Serve as a liaison between Metro Facilities leadership and external partners, ensuring transparent communication and mutual accountability.

Project Management & Cross-Division Collaboration

• Lead special projects that advance operational workforce development, including pilot programs, process improvements, and grant-funded initiatives.
• Coordinate with internal teams (operations, maintenance, safety, training, HR, labor) to ensure project integration and operational impact.
• Support change management and organizational learning related to workforce innovation and operational excellence.

Talent Attraction & Retention Strategy

Partnering in community engagement, outreach, and workforce branding initiatives with your Talent Acquisition Partner to enhance Metro’s visibility and appeal as a high-quality employer.

This includes participating in community events, building relationships with local organizations, and promoting Metro’s values and opportunities to diverse audiences.

Supporting inclusive hiring practices by working with Talent Acquisition, HR, and operational leaders to identify and reduce barriers to entry, while upholding safety, skill, and performance standards.

Your role is to provide operational insights and help design pathways that make Metro’s skilled trades and technical roles more accessible to underrepresented groups.

Collaborating with HR, Labor, and Facilities leadership to identify retention challenges and implement workforce-informed solutions.

You will facilitate cross-functional discussions, gather operational feedback, and help pilot new retention strategies, ensuring that solutions are informed by both frontline experience and HR expertise.

Equity, Access & Inclusion in Operations

• Embed equity, access, and inclusion principles into all operational workforce pathway and partnership initiatives.
• Identify and address barriers to participation for underrepresented groups (e.g., women in trades, opportunity youth, justice-impacted individuals) in collaboration with community partners.
• Ensure all programs support fair access, skill development, and long-term career stability.

Metrics, Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Develop and track operational metrics (e.g., program participation, completion, advancement, operational impact) to evaluate project effectiveness.
• Use data and stakeholder feedback to drive continuous improvement and inform resource allocation.
• Prepare clear, actionable reports and presentations for Metro leadership, labor partners, and community stakeholders.

Please Note: This role is operational and collaborative in nature. It does not perform or duplicate HR functions such as recruitment, hiring, compensation, employee relations, or benefits administration.

Qualifications

To be considered eligible for this role, applicants must possess these MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business, project management, operations, or a related field, OR equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience leading operational projects, cross-functional teams, or community partnership initiatives in a public sector, transit, or facilities environment.
• Strong project management, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills.
• Experience developing and using metrics and evaluation frameworks for operational programs.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Experience in transit, public sector operations, facilities maintenance, or skilled trades environments.
• Knowledge of apprenticeship standards, labor agreements, and operational workforce regulations.
• Experience implementing equity-focused operational strategies and evaluating outcomes for specific populations.
• Familiarity with collaborative governance, cross-functional advisory boards, and labor-management partnership models.
• Knowledge of how to coach and support continuous improvement training and activities, including Kata coaching, 5S, standard work, PDCA cycles, Leader Standard Work, and other continuous improvement tools and practices.

Additional Information

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 Daniel Russell, Talent Advisor at darussell@kingcounty.gov.

Required Application Material:

• An online employment application with employment history going back at least ten years if you have ten years of employment (or more to include all relevant experience). Be sure to list all job duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving.
• Attach a cover letter/letter of interest
• Completed supplemental questions

Selection Process:

Applications will be screened to determine whether candidates meet minimum 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.

Work Schedule:

This position is anticipated to be full time. Typical work hours are comprised of a 40-hour workweek, normally 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. However, work outside of normal business hours will occasionally be required, including evenings, weekends and holidays as needed. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime pay.

Hybrid Work and Onsite Requirements: The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and regular onsite work and meetings. Currently, employees in the Facilities Division are required to work onsite three (3) days per week. Work schedules are subject to change based on operational needs.

Work Location:
The primary location of the position is at the King Street Center offices, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104.

Union Membership: This position is not represented by a union.

Class Code/ Pay Grade: 252605 / 68

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) 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.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Daniel Russell, Talent Advisor at darussell@kingcounty.gov.