Grant Strategist (Project/Program Manager III)

King County; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

King County is seeking a highly organized grants professional for the Roads Services Division. The Grant Strategist will manage pre- and post-award responsibilities, support grant writing, and coordinate submittal processes within a collaborative team.

This role emphasizes equity, data analysis, and strong communication skills. The position sits in the Grants, Planning, and Strategy Unit and interfaces with engineers, environmental scientists, and finance teams.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, transportation planning, engineering, or business.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible grants, contracts, planning, finance, or program management experience.
• Strong grant development, review, and editing capabilities.
• Experience presenting to internal and external partners.

Responsibilities

• Independently research local, state, and federal grant opportunities and funding sources.
• Provide technical analysis and review of grant program guidance for leadership.
• Coordinate grant development, including drafting/ reviewing applications and deadlines.
• Manage multiple grant processes with cross-team collaboration.
• Prepare submittals, amendments, budget changes, and perform calculations.
• Track updates on grant applications, awards, and administration.
• Represent King County and facilitate grants-related meetings.

Skills

Grant writing

Technical editing

Project management

Analytical thinking

Equity in work

Communication

Research

Data analysis

Facilitation

Presentation experience

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Graduate degree preferred

Tools

SharePoint

PowerBI

Excel

GIS

Airtable

Job description

The Road Services Division (Roads) of the King County Department of Local Services is seeking a highly organized, team-oriented, results-driven grants professional to join a collaborative team. Roads manages transportation infrastructure throughout unincorporated King County, including 1,466 miles of roads, 275 miles of sidewalks, and 201 bridges. Roads’ grants team submits dozens of applications per year, and is currently managing $107.8m in awarded grant funding.

The Grant Strategistposition will manage a diverse portfolio of pre- and post-award responsibilities, including providing information and support to leadership and project teams about available funding sources consistent with Roads’ strategic goals, coordinating grant development, supporting grant writing, and managing grant submittal processes; and grant award kick-off, tracking, and reporting.

This position requires superior facilitation, planning, technical editing, and project management skills.Our ideal candidate will enjoy research, data analysis, and technical editing; possess exceptional written and verbal communication skills; embrace technology; embody a plan/do/check/adjust mindset; and remain calm in the face of emerging issues or shifting priorities.

The position will be located in Roads’ Grants, Planning, and Strategy Unit. The unit works across the agency with engineers, environmental scientists, maintenance professionals, finance team members, and many other subject matter experts. Additionally, team members collaborate with partners from other King County agencies, regional authorities, and other governmental and non-governmental entities. You will be joining a team of problem solvers and analysts who enjoy collaborating with a diverse array of colleagues within and outside of King County government.

If you are an innovative grants professional with superior project management and technical editing skills, who enjoys working in a highly collaborative setting, and makes use of equity in your daily work, we want to hear from you!

About Us

The Road Services Division of King County’s Department of Local Services designs, builds, operates, and maintains roads and bridges in unincorporated areas of King County. The Division is committed to ensuring the county's transportation system is safe and efficient for all uses and modes of travel.

Our commitment to Equity, Racial and Social Justice

The Department of Local Services is deeply dedicated to fostering Equity, Racial and Social Justice in every aspect of our work. Our pledge is to cultivate, embrace, and celebrate the distinct experiences, viewpoints, and perspectives of our people, partners, and the communities we serve. Through this work, we dismantle systemic barriers, address inequities, and actively confront prejudices and biases. We acknowledge this journey is ongoing, and we remain steadfast in our efforts to create a positive impact for our employees and communities alike.

• Independently research local, state, and federal grant opportunities to identify potential grant funding sources for Roads.
• Provide technical analysis and reviewof grant program guidance to advise leadership in identifying projects that match the requirements for available grant programs.
• Coordinate application development, including drafting and reviewing applications;develop internal guidelines, methodology, and deadlines for department staff to meet grant program schedules; identify potential partners; negotiate partnering agreements and letters of support.
• Manage multiple local, state, and federal grant processes simultaneously and in coordination with planning, engineering, finance, and other subject matter experts.
• Manage complex grant proposals and support document submittals: provide technical editing; respond to administrative and programmatic sections of grant proposals; transfer project information into grant opportunity-specific forms, templates, and databases.
• Prepare, review, and assist with submittals, amendments, budget changes/corrections, and revision processes for local, federal, and state grants;perform and review mathematical/financial calculations in support of grants administration.
• Track and provide updates on local, state, and federal grant applications, awards, and administration processes in coordination with planning, engineering, financial team members, and other subject matter experts.
• Represent King County to a variety of internal and external agencies and partners through written reports, meetings, and other forms of communication; facilitate grants-related meetings.
• Know enough about the work of the entire Grants Program to be able to fill in for any team member on a short-term basis.
• Work cooperatively with staff from across the division to administer the Grants Program.
• Perform grant revenue and cash flow forecasting projections.
• Develop, support, and maintain organized and accessible files, reports, and other records related to the Grants Program; maintain clear records in division-wide SharePoint sites, shared drives, and databases; assist in reconciling and auditing all grant-funded projects.
• Support and participate in short-term and long-term capital improvement planning activities as needed.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

• Bachelor’s Degree, preferably in a field such as public administration, transportation planning, engineering, or business administration. Graduate degree preferred.
• Minimum of five years of progressively responsible experience with grants, contracts, planning, finance, and/or program management, preferably in the field of transportation.
• Highly skilled in persuasive technical writing, preferably in the public sector and/or transportation.
• Expert technical editing skills.
• Presentation experience, including preparing and delivering presentations for a diverse range of internal and external partners.
• Expert skills in analytical thinking
• Authentic, collaborative, and consultative approach to work; demonstrated understanding of the importance of building effective relationships with team members and partners.
• Superior attention to detail with strong follow-through.
• Culturally aware and comfortable working with people from diverse backgrounds; integrating an equity and justice focus into your work; and participating in a work environment that values diversity, fairness, respect, and inclusiveness.
• Proficiency withMicrosoft Office products, including Excel, Project, PowerPoint, and SharePoint.
• Ability to remain calmwhen tackling emergent issues and shifting priorities

• Experience working with federal Benefit Cost Analysis (BCA) tools.
• Working knowledge of GIS (or similar tools)to perform simple geospatial analyses and map production.
• Skilled and comfortable using a variety of technology to gather data and conduct technical analysis, including SharePoint, PowerBI, Airtable, and other internet-based data sharing and project management tools.
• Ability to prepare visual management boards using simple and concise visual approaches.
• Experience with LEAN principles and continuous improvement.

INTERVIEW SCHEDULE

The first round of interviews for this position is scheduled to take place the week of November 2, 2026.

WHO MAY APPLY

This position is open to all qualified applicants and may be used to fill current and or/future career service, term-limited temporary, short-term temporary, and or/special duty positions over the next six months.First consideration will be given to current PROTEC17 members in the same classification that are eligible for lateral transfer.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Janice Antonio at [e-mail]

For interviewing tips, please see the STAR-LA method: star-la_interview_method.pdf

WORK SCHEDULE

The work week is normally Monday through Friday, 8.00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., but may at times require work outside of normal business hours. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay.

EMERGENCY DESIGNATION STATUS

This position has been designated as: Non-Mission Critical - Employees who staff county functions or services that may be delayed, suspended, or diverted in an emergency while essential functions are prioritized Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather.

UNION MEMBERSHIP

PROTEC17

TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT

We will work in the office at least three days a week to foster connection and responsiveness, arrive prepared and on time, and structure meetings with clear goals and next steps. The primary onsite location is at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, WA 98104. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with transparency and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except