Transit Mentorship Project/Program Manager

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health coverage

Retirement plan

Paid holidays

Transit pass

Flexible schedules

Job summary

King County Metro is seeking a Transit Mentorship Project/Program Manager III to lead the Mentors Moving Metro initiative. You will collaborate with Labor, Bus Operations, and senior leadership to implement mentorship programs, measure progress, and drive equity-centered outcomes across divisions.

The role emphasizes accountability, collaboration, and timely delivery, with a hybrid work schedule and a focus on supporting new operators through structured mentorship and continuous improvement.

Qualifications

• Three years' experience taking projects from concept through completion that engage employees.
• One year of experience managing people-focused projects such as mentorship programs.
• Knowledge and experience in transportation department or a large, unionized work environment.

Responsibilities

• Support Mentors Moving Metro program implementation across divisions with stakeholders.
• Organize people and activities to meet strategic work plans and timelines.
• Develop pro-equity, people-centered work plans, charters, and project documents.
• Partner with unions and Metro management to implement and manage the mentorship program.
• Gather data, analyze, and report on program progress.
• Develop and provide program reports, updates, and presentations to stakeholders.
• Engage in evaluation and continual improvement of program activities.

Skills

Project management

People management

Stakeholder engagement

Transportation sector knowledge

Equity & social justice

Relationships building

Data analysis

Organizational communication

Tools

Microsoft Office

Outlook

Word

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Summary

Come make a difference and join team Metro! Metro Transit’s Employee Services division seeks a people focused Transit Mentorship Project/Program Manager III to develop and manage implementation of the “Mentors Moving Metro” program. This program, developed in partnership with labor partner ATU 587, pairs new bus operators with experienced operators as mentors to support the well-being, sense of belonging, and retention of new operators.

You will work in partnership with the team and Metro’s Bus Operations Division to support and manage the Bus Operations Mentorship programs to meet the needs of a growing and changing organization. This role ensures new employees are welcomed, empowered, and set up for long-term success. The Transit Mentorship Project/Program Manager will oversee the strategic development, coordination, and evaluation of mentorship efforts across Bus Operations and other divisions in the future.

Metro is committed to providing transportation services that connect all people and all communities of King County, focus on the equitable distribution of our service and the equitable application of our work (inside and outside the agency), and combat climate change by doing our work in a sustainable manner. Metro Transit is King County’s largest Department, employing over 5,000 people who primarily work in the field of transit operations, vehicle maintenance, transit facilities operations, and marine.

Position Information

This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) Career Service Project/Program Manager III classification vacancy. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future 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

This recruitment is ONLY accepting applications from current King County employees. We are not accepting external applications.

Job Duties

Applying our ACTIVATE 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 a Transit Mentorship Project/Program Manager you will:

• Support Mentors Moving Metro program implementation, management and coordination across divisions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Organize people and activities to accomplish strategic work plans and deliverables within established timelines.
• Work with organizational and Division decision making structures to identify and accomplish tasks and successfully implement projects.
• Develop pro-equity, innovative, people-centered work plans, charters, and project documents as a collaborator and team assuring effective operations, communications, partnerships, reporting, and continuous improvements.
• Partner with and facilitate groups of employees, labor unions, and Metro management to implement and manage the mentorship program.
• Gather data, analyze, and report on program progress.
• Build trust and engage employees through transparency, inclusion, and respect.
• Support the sponsor and members of leadership to ensure tasks are completed, timelines met, and deliverables achieved.
• Develop and provide program reports, updates, and presentations to internal and external stakeholders.
• Engage in evaluation and continual improvement of program activities; may organize focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, and other tactics, using the learnings to adjust and refine program approach.
• May lead, mentor, and assign work to other team members.

Minimum Qualifications

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Three years' experience in taking projects from concept through completion, that engage employees.
• One year of demonstrated experience in managing people-focused projects, training, or people development projects, such as mentorship and other programs.
• Knowledge and experience working for a transportation department, or a similar large, complex, highly unionized work environment.

Or any equivalent combination of experience, training and education which provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the work duties and responsibilities of the position.

Additional Requirements To Be Successful In This Role

• Demonstrated ability to build effective relationships, with a variety of audiences including leadership teams, organized labor unions, and frontline employees.
• Experience developing, managing, and/or implementing programs that support workforce and employee development, especially for employees in operational roles.
• Ability to manage highly visible and politically sensitive projects and tasks.
• Advanced skills in goal setting with the ability to organize people and activities to accomplish work plans and deliverables within established timelines.
• Strong customer service, organizational, analytical, time management, communication, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to work well independently or as part of a team.
• Comfort and flexibility in navigating a complex hierarchy while managing multiple competing priorities, projects, and customer relationships.
• Engaging facilitation skills applied to technical meetings with multidisciplinary staff and leading groups to accomplish specific tasks.
• Advanced skills in Microsoft Office software including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams, and SharePoint.
• Demonstrated understanding of key concepts in equity and social justice education around topics of race & other social identities, and a leader’s role in creating equitable and inclusive work environments.

Highly competitive candidates will have (desired, but not required)

• Knowledge and experience in King County Metro’s operations, mission, policies and procedures; ideally with experience in project and/or program management for frontline workers.
• Practical contact with entities (such as labor, management, and training providers) related to employee programs.
• Ability to comfortably work in a high volume, multi-focused, and fast-paced environment, following established processes.
• Ability to manage highly visible and politically sensitive projects and tasks.
• Skill in data gathering, analysis, and developing data tools for various audiences.

Work Location

This position follows a hybrid work schedule requiring a minimum of 2 days per week onsite at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104, consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work policy. Remote workdays may be adjusted based on operational or business needs. 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.

Work Schedule

The position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible. The typical workweek is 40 hours per week, Monday – Friday.

Union Membership

This position is not represented by a union.

Class Code

2441300 PROJECT/PROGRAM MANAGER III

Safety Responsibilities For An Employee

• Responsible for understanding the 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.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

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.