What are the responsibilities and job description for the RapidRide Line Lead position at King County?
King County Metro seeks two highly organized and driven individuals to serve as RapidRide Line Leads. These two career service positions, which are classified as Project/Program Manager III, will sit on the RapidRide Expansion Team in the System Expansion and Integration group. Line Leads are responsible for leading RapidRide projects from the initiation and planning phases through to implementation. This is an incredible opportunity to lead high visibility, transformative projects that result in fast, frequent, and reliable service for Metro customers.
About System Expansion and Integration
The System Expansion and Integration (SEI) group leads work on RapidRide expansion, mid- and long-range transit planning, and integrating Metro services and facilities with Sound Transit. The group is composed of three teams, one of which is the RapidRide Expansion Team where the Line Lead positions will reside. RapidRide, one of the nation's first and most successful bus rapid transit programs, represents the agency’s highest level of investment in service and facilities to deliver safe, convenient, innovative, and reliable transit. King County Metro currently operates seven lines with more on the way. The RapidRide Expansion team is currently overseeing five lines in various stages of development (RapidRide G, I, J, K, and R Lines) as well as early planning and development of future lines. The RapidRide Line Lead owns the project initiation, planning, and preliminary design phases before handing off the project to the Capital Project Manager, who owns the project in final design and construction. Line Leads remain as key leaders throughout the lifecycle of the project and hold ultimate responsibility for the success of projects at all phases.
This recruitment may be used to generate a pool for future Career Service, Term Limited Temporary (TLT), and Special Duty Assignment (SDA) positions that may occur in this classification. The pool would be valid for twelve months upon creation and may be extended at the discretion of the hiring authority.Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role, you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As a RapidRide Line Lead, you will:
Lead and facilitate large, matrixed, multi-disciplinary project teams independently.
Actively monitor and manage scope, schedule, budget, resources, stakeholders, risk, and quality for assigned projects.
Prepare project charters and project management plans, including objectives, scope, schedule, and budget.
Procure for planning, and design and engineering consultant resources by developing scopes of work and RFP evaluation criteria, participating in selection processes, and negotiating contract terms.
Manage consultant teams and review deliverables.
Support inclusive community engagement efforts related to projects that are aligned with Metro goals and objectives.
Assist with developing interlocal agreements with other jurisdictions.
Prepare and present recommendations for transportation concepts, plans, and projects to a wide variety of internal and external audiences.
Give oral presentations and prepare written project updates to Metro and County Executive leadership, local elected officials, and community stakeholders.
Develop strong partnerships with local jurisdictional counterparts and a wide array of internal Metro divisions including but not limited to Capital Project Delivery and Engineering, Bus Operations, and Partnerships and Engagement.
Delegate assignments to task leads and facilitate consultant team and Metro project team staff interactions.
Identify, track, and elevate risks to leadership as appropriate.
Write grant applications to secure project funding and fulfill grant reporting obligations.
Facilitate operations planning necessary to prepare for starting bus service on new lines.
Perform other duties as assigned.
Bachelor’s degree in planning, engineering, public administration, OR any equivalent combination of experience and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the work.
Three years of progressive responsibility managing capital projects including project initiation, planning, design, implementation, and/or closeout.
Experienced project manager and relationship builder with:
Ability to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop solutions to complex problems.
Strong leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills including the ability to build and lead work teams and the ability to manage and resolve issues involving multiple interests.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and successfully with a variety of individuals from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to manage and prioritize a diverse workload to accomplish tasks on defined timelines and in a fast-paced environment.
Ability to combine "big picture" thinking with a solid understanding of technical details.
Ability to integrate and manage diverse interests and problem-solve.
Experience developing RFPs, negotiating, and managing consultant contracts.
Demonstrated technical writing skills showing the ability to effectively translate and interpret quantitative and technical information to non-technical audiences.
Experience working with the diverging opinions and viewpoints of elected officials, internal and external agency staff, and the public.
Able to communicate complex information effectively and simplistically (verbally, written, and visually) and adapt quickly to a multitude of interpersonal situations.
Proficient in Microsoft Office suite including Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and PowerPoint.
Highly competitive candidates will have the following qualifications:
Master’s degree in planning, engineering, public administration or closely related field, or an equivalent combination of experience and education.
Experience with bus rapid transit and/or transit infrastructure design, development, and implementation.
Robust understanding of multimodal corridor planning and design best practices and/or experience leading corridor studies.
Experience working on projects with a high degree of political and public scrutiny.
Strong public speaking skills.
Professional certification (such as PMP, AICP, PE, or similar), demonstrating strong knowledge of and application of project management best practices.
Experience leading, organizing, and motivating multidisciplinary teams and working with matrixed workgroups at all levels within a large organization.
Ability to read and interpret engineering design plans and drawings.
Experience navigating environmental review and right-of-way acquisition requirements to successfully complete projects.
Experience managing grants and completing reporting requirements.
Knowledge of and/or experience leading a project through Small Starts requirements of the Federal Transit Administration Capital Investment Grants Program.
Proficient in Microsoft Project.
Comfortable with a hybrid work environment.
Application & Selection Process
Submit an online employment application online at https://www.kingcounty.gov/job, answer the supplemental questions, attach a resume and a cover letter. Your cover letter should include details on how you meet or exceed the knowledge, skills and abilities for this position and your experiences as it relates to the primary job functions and desired qualifications. You are encouraged to translate life experiences to show how they prepare you for this role.
All the application materials will be screened for qualifications, competitiveness, completeness, attention to detail and written communication skills. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks.
NOTE: Please answer ALL questions in the online employment application itself, with each of your jobs during the last 10 years listed (listing each position for each employer separately), duties explained, reasons for leaving etc.
Applications that are not complete, or do not include the required materials, may be rejected as incomplete, and not advanced in the process. Applicants who are unable to apply online should follow the instructions under Application Tips and FAQs at: www.kingcounty.gov/jobs
.
Who May Apply
We are accepting applications from all qualified applicants, internal and external.
Work Schedule
The work week is normally 40 hours, Monday through Friday. Alternative work schedules may be possible. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act, and therefore is not eligible for overtime pay.
Work Location
The primary location of the position is at the King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104. However, this will be a hybrid position (teleworking and in office). The work associated with this position will be performed or conducted through a combination of teleworking and onsite work and meetings. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Union Representation /Job Code/Grade
Protec 17 /Job Code 243303/ Range 63
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: Manal Tirhi, mtirhi@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.
