Transit Chief -Rail Ops (base)

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

About Metro Transit's Expanding Rail Division

King County Metro's Rail Division manages and maintains Sound Transit's Link Light Rail, a growing network spanning 60 miles and serving 38 stations across the Puget Sound region. Together with Metro's extensive fixed-route bus system and mobility services, the Link Light Rail system is the backbone of an integrated regional transit network that gives people real freedom of movement. As Puget Sound transit agencies work together to build a seamless, connected system, our light rail system plays a central role in expanding access, reducing barriers, and ensuring that everyone across our region can get where they need to go.

This recruitment may immediately fill up to one (1) Career Service positions and may also be used to establish an eligibility pool for future Career Service, as well as any fully-benefitted Term-Limited Temporary (TLT)/Special Duty Assignment (SDA), vacancies, valid up to 12 months or until the pool is exhausted, and at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Who May Apply

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

To Apply:

Those interested must submit: 

• An online King County application, updated with accurate contact information, and relevant work history going back at least 10 years (or more, if necessary), with all job duties. 
• Completed supplemental questions.
• A cover letter, detailing how your experience and background meet or exceed the qualifications for this position.
• A current resume, detailing experience, and education. 

Want to make sure your application materials are as competitive as possible?

We highly recommend visiting the Workforce Development Services website for tips and examples on how to make your application materials most effective:

Workforce Development - King County, Washington 

• 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.

• Two (2) or more years of rail management or rail 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.

• 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 Rail Operations.

• 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.

Application & 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.

• 2505 S 320th St, Federal Way, WA 98003
• Maintenance of Way North (MOWN) 920 N 137th St Seattle, WA
• Operations & Maintenance Facility (OMF) Central at 3407 Airport Way S., Seattle, WA.  
• Operations & Maintenance Facility (OMF) East at 1925 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA.
• And any future Sound Transit Link facilities.

CLASS CODE / PAY GRADE: 874030 / 69

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Ebony Ware, Human Resource Analyst, at eware@kingcounty.gov. 

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. 

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 your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Salary : $121,576 - $146,973