IT Project Manager III

King-County,-W; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

King County Metro is seeking an Information Technology Project Manager III to lead enterprise-wide, complex technology initiatives across multiple departments and agencies. The role requires strategic guidance to executive leadership, stakeholders, and technical teams, with emphasis on project strategy, change management, and implementation planning.

You will oversee governance, procurement, vendor performance, and cross-functional teams, ensuring on-time delivery within scope and budget while

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or business administration.
• Extensive experience leading large, complex IT programs with vendor involvement.
• Strong ability to align technology initiatives with organizational strategy and governance.

Responsibilities

• Lead enterprise-wide, large-scale, complex technology initiatives impacting multiple departments.
• Provide strategic guidance to senior leadership, executives, and business partners on objectives, solutions, risks, costs, and approaches.
• Define scope, objectives, schedules, and governance aligned with county priorities.
• Direct all phases of project delivery from initiation to closeout.
• Establish baselines, metrics, and governance to meet technology oversight requirements.
• Lead cross-functional teams and manage resources to deliver outcomes within scope, schedule, and budget.
• Manage risks, issues, dependencies, changes, and mitigations.
• Oversee procurement activities including RFIs, RFPs, and vendor negotiations.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to identify requirements across platforms and systems.
• Facilitate steering committees with status reports and decision materials.
• Ensure compliance with policies, regulations, and governance.

Skills

IT project management

Leadership

Vendor management

Stakeholder engagement

Strategic planning

Education

Bachelor’s degree in information technology or business administration

Job description

King County Metro is seeking a highly skilled and strategic Information Technology Project Manager III (ITPM III) to lead some of the largest, most complex, and transformational technology initiatives. This role is responsible for managing enterprise-level projects that significantly impact business operations, service delivery, and technology systems across multiple departments and agencies.

The successful candidate will serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership, business stakeholders, and technical teams, providing guidance on project strategy, technology solutions, organizational change, and implementation planning. Projects may require extensive stakeholder engagement, vendor management, business transformation, and coordination across organizational boundaries.

In addition to leading major initiatives, this position may provide supervision, mentorship, and resource management for other project managers while supporting Countywide technology governance and strategic priorities.

Position Information

This recruitment will be used to fill two (2) Career Service Information Technology Project Manager III (ITPM III) classification vacancy. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Special Duty Assignment (SDA), Term Limited Temporary (TLT), and Career Service (CS) vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility list will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Who May Apply

We welcome applications from all interested candidates, including current King County employees and the public. Please refer to the 'Supplemental Information' section of this job bulletin for the required application materials Applying our values: being Accountable, Collaborative, Timely, and Impactful; how we Value Employees; staying Accessible; building what’s Trusted; and acting Equitably, is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees.

As an Information Technology Project Manager III, you will

• Lead enterprise-wide, large-scale, and highly complex technology initiatives that impact multiple departments, agencies, and stakeholders across King County.
• Provide strategic consulting and guidance to senior leadership, executives, elected officials, and business partners regarding project objectives, technology solutions, operational impacts, risks, costs, and implementation approaches.
• Define project scope, objectives, deliverables, schedules, and governance structures while ensuring alignment with County priorities and business needs.
• Direct all phases of project delivery, including initiation, planning, procurement, execution, monitoring, implementation, and project closeout.
• Establish project baselines, performance measures, reporting frameworks, and governance processes necessary to meet County technology oversight requirements.
• Lead multidisciplinary project teams and coordinate resources to ensure project outcomes are delivered within approved scope, schedule, budget, and quality standards.
• Manage project risks, issues, dependencies, change requests, and mitigation strategies throughout the project lifecycle.
• Develop and oversee procurement activities, including Requests for Information (RFI), Requests for Proposals (RFP), Requests for Quotes (RFQ), vendor evaluations, contract negotiations, and vendor performance management.
• Collaborate with business and technical stakeholders to identify functional, technical, and integration requirements across multiple technology platforms and systems.
• Facilitate executive steering committees and governance bodies by providing status reports, budget updates, risk assessments, recommendations, and decision support materials.
• Ensure compliance with applicable federal, state, local, and County policies, regulations, and technology governance requirements.
• Lead organizational change management, training strategy, business readiness activities, and operational transition planning associated with major technology implementations.
• Develop success measures and benefits realization metrics to evaluate project performance and organizational outcomes.
• Supervise and mentor project management staff, evaluate performance, and support professional development as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in information technology or business administration. Minimum two years’ experience in IT management/leadership position. Minimum five years’ experience as an IT project manager, with experience managing very large, complex, and/or vendor related projects OR any combination of experience/education/training that provides the required knowledge, skills and abilities to perform the work.
• Extensive experience managing large-scale, high-risk, enterprise technology projects with significant organizational impacts.
• Advanced knowledge of project management principles, methodologies, governance frameworks, and best practices.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams comprised of business, technical, operational, and vendor resources.
• Experience managing procurement processes, vendor contracts, and consultant relationships.
• Strong knowledge of business process analysis, organizational change management, and business transformation initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex issues, evaluate alternatives, and recommend strategic solutions.
• Experience presenting complex information to executives, elected officials, and diverse stakeholder groups.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Advanced negotiation, facilitation, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Experience influencing decision-making and building consensus across organizations and stakeholder groups.
• Experience supervising employees, managing performance, and developing staff.
• Commitment to advancing Equity and Social Justice principles in project planning, decision-making, and implementation.

Desired Qualifications

• Project Management Professional (PMP), PgMP, Scrum Master, PRINCE2, Agile, or equivalent certification.
• Experience working within public-sector, government, or large enterprise environments.
• Experience leading transformational business or technology modernization initiatives.
• Experience implementing enterprise platforms, cloud technologies, or highly integrated technology solutions.

Required Application Materials

• A completed Job Application (go back at least 10years if you have l0 years of employment (more to include all relevant). Resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed job application.
• Resume
• Complete the supplemental questions
• A cover letter that addresses why you are interested in this role and how your experience, skills and/or education have prepared you for this position.

Selection Process

Applications that do not include all of the required materials listed above will not be considered. Only the materials explicitly requested will be reviewed—additional documents or information will not be evaluated. Application materials will be screened for completeness and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews and possibly other selection process elements. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks and/or a record review.

Work Schedule

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime pay. The work schedule is normally Monday through Friday, within the hours of 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Work Location

This is a hybrid position. The team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. Currently the team is required to work 2 days in office each week. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 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 has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. 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.

Union Representation/Job Code/Grade

ProTec17/736503/58

Safety Responsibilities for an Employee

• Responsible for understanding Metro Transit Safety Policy and their role in safety.
• Report all safety concerns.
• Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training.
• Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system.

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.

Application Process

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 Manal Tirhi, at [e-mail].

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 by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

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.