Procurement Operations Senior Manager

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a transformative role as a Procurement Operations Senior Manager in a dynamic environment focused on operational excellence and equity. This position is crucial in leading procurement teams to enhance service delivery while managing a budget of approximately $4 billion annually. You will champion change management initiatives, promote a positive workplace culture, and drive process improvements that align with King County's strategic goals. If you are passionate about public service and have a strong commitment to fostering diversity and inclusion, this opportunity is perfect for you. Be part of a team dedicated to making a difference in the community and advancing innovative solutions in procurement.

Benefits

County issued laptop

Professional development opportunities

Flexible work schedule

Health benefits

Retirement plan

Qualifications

• Expertise in fostering a positive organizational culture and mentoring teams.
• Skilled in managing complex operations and achieving measurable outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Lead procurement teams to enhance operational efficiencies and customer satisfaction.
• Manage daily operations while ensuring high-quality execution and adherence to standards.

Skills

Leadership

Change Management

Project Management

Communication Skills

Operational Excellence

Education

Bachelor's Degree

Master's Degree

Tools

MS Office Suite

MS Project

SharePoint

Teams

Visio

Job description

King County’s Finance and Business Operations Division, Procurement & Payables section, is seeking a Procurement Operations Senior Manager!

This new position is pivotal in transforming public procurement for an organization that serves the 11th largest county in the United States by population but ranks 15th in total spend. The centralized procurement team reflects the diversity of services King County agencies deliver to citizens, managing approximately $4 billion annually—a figure set to grow as King County invests in future capital improvements.

The Procurement Operations Manager will operationalize the Chief Procurement Officer’s vision by leading and mentoring procurement teams specializing in Goods & Services, Construction, Architecture, Engineering, and Professional Services. This includes aligning strategic goals with initiatives and transforming ideas into actionable programs with sustainable structures, metrics, and reporting systems.

The successful candidate will:

• Demonstrate expertise in establishing measurable performance standards, fostering accountability, and achieving impactful results.
• Leverage internal and external resources, advanced technology, and continuous improvement strategies to optimize processes, increase capacity, and deliver exceptional value to customers and the community.
• Showcase a strong commitment to operational excellence while championing King County’s principles of equity and social justice.
• Exhibit exceptional communication skills, a mastery of project management, and a talent for fostering cross-team collaboration.
• Be dedicated to driving operational efficiencies while skillfully balancing innovation, risk mitigation, operational effectiveness, and outstanding customer service.

Scope of Job Duties:

Customer and Supplier Experience:

• Drive initiatives to enhance customer and supplier experiences while achieving operational efficiencies that deliver economies of scale, upholding fiduciary responsibility to King County’s citizens.
• Balance innovation, risk mitigation, operational efficiency, and customer satisfaction to align with organizational goals.

Change Management:

• Lead change management initiatives focusing on workforce management, performance measures, policy development, and best practices across procurement functions.
• Foster a culture of trust, innovation, equity, and social justice for employees, customers, and suppliers.

Leadership Excellence:

• Model exemplary behavior aligned with King County's core values, promoting a positive, inclusive, and respectful workplace culture that values diversity and collaboration.
• Mentor supervisors and team members, providing professional development opportunities to enhance skills and foster career growth.
• Inspire and guide teams to exceed performance expectations through motivation, support, and constructive feedback.
• Ensure accountability for personal and team performance by delegating responsibilities, setting clear goals, and monitoring progress.
• Advocate for Lean principles and champion Equity and Social Justice initiatives.

Operational Oversight:

• Manage daily operations across multiple work units, ensuring consistent, high-quality execution and adherence to service level agreements.
• Address discrepancies in production or service delivery promptly, maintaining rigorous quality and customer service standards.
• Use data analysis to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement, standardizing performance reporting with key metrics and KPIs.
• Collaborate with the Chief Procurement Officer (CPO) on operational budgets, including recommendations for resource allocation and justifiable staffing adjustments.

Process Improvement:

• Identify and implement opportunities for process enhancements to improve operational efficiency and productivity.
• Collaborate with departments to ensure seamless integration and adoption of improved processes.
• Utilize data insights to uncover time-saving opportunities and streamline workflows, adopting best practices to optimize operations.

Minimum Qualifications:

Leadership and Culture Building

• Demonstrated expertise in fostering a positive, inclusive organizational culture by guiding and mentoring subordinate supervisors.
• Skilled in coaching and performance management, with a strong focus on achieving measurable outcomes and fostering accountability across teams.
• Adept at navigating high-stakes discussions with clarity, empathy, and effectiveness to address sensitive issues, resolve conflicts, and drive positive outcomes.

Operational Excellence

• Proven ability to manage complex operations through subordinate supervisors in dynamic, multi-faceted organizations.
• Successfully build cohesive teams and collaborate effectively across all organizational levels in virtual and hybrid work environments.

Strategic Implementation and Project Management

• Extensive experience in setting and achieving strategic goals by leading teams to identify, analyze, and execute initiatives.
• Skilled in managing complex projects, including scoping and resource allocation, developing work programs, facilitating multi-disciplinary teams, and proactively identifying and mitigating risks to maximize opportunities.

Change Management Expertise

• Proficient in preparing, supporting, and guiding individuals, teams, and organizations through transitions to achieve desired future states.
• Experienced in leveraging strategies, tools, and techniques to address the human aspects of change, ensuring smooth implementation and realization of organizational benefits.

Strong Communication Skills

• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to craft and tailor messages to diverse audiences effectively.
• Adept at advising and collaborating with individuals across all levels of an organization, fostering strong partnerships and alignment.

Intermediate level of technology proficiency using MS Office Productivity tools in your daily work.

Ability to manage your time and adapt to changing priorities, work on multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, meet quick deadlines, and produce timely and quality work products.

Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

We would love it if you had:

• Cross-Organizational Support: Proven experience in supporting diverse divisions and organizations with varying, and at times competing, priorities, ensuring effective collaboration and alignment.
• Procurement Expertise: Skilled in utilizing centralized procurement models to streamline operations, balance stakeholder needs, and promote equitable resource allocation.
• Technical Proficiency: Proficient in MS Project, Visio, SharePoint, Teams, and other collaborative online tools to enhance project management, communication, and teamwork.

The Procurement & Payables Section is part of the larger Finance and Business Operations Division portfolio of countywide services. FBOD’s vision “Count on Us” reflects the division’s deep-seated commitment to customer success, equity, employee engagement, resource stewardship, and operational excellence.

Position Information:

• Work Site Details: The work associated with this position will primarily be hybrid. In office requirements may change as required by King County business needs and for meetings/events.
• Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This position is Exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore is not overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour workweek; normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday.
• Union Representation: This position is not represented.

Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop. When working remotely employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work, remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours, and follow FBOD’s Hybrid and Remote Guidelines including on-camera participation during virtual video meetings. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely.

The Application/Selection Process: The recruitment for this position is open to all qualified candidates. A completed King County Application is required. We highly recommend that you also provide a resume and cover letter addressing how you meet the minimum qualifications and why you are interested in this position. Applicants from this recruitment may be used to fill future opportunities in this job classification.

The selection process typically consists of a phone screen, video interview, and reference checking. For some positions the process may also include skill testing, writing samples or additional interviews. Candidates will be updated on the status of their application via the email address used to apply.

Note: Online applications are preferred. However, if you cannot apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for other options.

If you have any questions or concerns while applying, please contact:

Liz Callahan, Senior Recruiter

[e-mail]

Forbes 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 the recruiter listed on this job announcement.