Transit Training Instructional Design Team Lead (PPMIV)

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); On-site; USD 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical insurance

Dental coverage

Vision coverage

Life insurance

Retirement plan

Transit pass

Paid holidays

Paid vacation

Sick leave

Flexible schedules

Job summary

King County Metro Transit seeks an Instructional Design Team Lead to guide the design, development, and continuous improvement of training for Bus Operations. You will supervise designers, align solutions with safety and equity goals, and partner with the Training Superintendent on KPIs and data governance.

You will serve as a project manager for initiatives, ensuring on-time delivery and high instructional quality across instructor-led, eLearning, and blended formats.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 years of supervisory leadership over end-to-end learning programs.
• Strong analytical skills to measure training efficacy and workforce impact.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines.
• Experience building relationships across operational teams, leadership, and labor stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Lead, supervise, and develop a team of Instructional Designers.
• Manage projects, timelines, deliverables, and data-driven reporting.
• Design and oversee high-impact learning solutions across modalities.
• Collaborate with operations leaders, instructors, and unions to align with goals.
• Evaluate training effectiveness and drive continuous improvement.

Skills

People leadership

Project management

Data-driven decision making

Stakeholder collaboration

Equity-centered practices

Learning science (ADDIE/SAM)

Curriculum development

LMS & eLearning tools

Tools

Articulate 360

Camtasia

LMS platforms

Job description

Summary

King County Metro Transit is seeking an Instructional Design Team Lead to lead the design, development, and continuous improvement of training programs supporting the Bus Operations Division. This role is responsible for supervising a team of Instructional Designers who develop and maintain critical learning programs for bus operators and first‑line supervisors. The Instructional Design Team Lead will provide leadership and hands‑on oversight, ensuring training solutions are aligned with operational needs, safety standards, equity principles, and organizational performance goals. The role also partners with the Training Superintendent to establish data governance practices, key performance indicators (KPIs), and measurement frameworks that measure training effectiveness, workforce readiness, and business impact. This position also serves as a key project manager for Bus Operations training initiatives and special projects, ensuring work is delivered on time, within scope, and at a high standard of instructional quality. The ideal candidate is a strong people leader who thrives in a fast‑paced operational environment, can manage competing priorities, and is skilled in coaching teams, building trust, and fostering collaboration across diverse stakeholders.

The Bus Operations Division provides exemplary bus service for nearly 300,000 people in King County every day of the year. Bus Operations oversees the operation of Metro's eight bases and ensures that there is 24/7 support for bus operators, and manages the quality of service and responses to large events and adverse weather. Bus Operations also ensures that each of our 2,700+ transit operators are well‑trained and able to provide safe, reliable, and courteous service to the riding public. The welcoming and inclusive environment created by our Training Team models customer service, encourages the development of respectful and trusting work relationships, and motivates staff to contribute to a culture of safety, respect, and care. The ideal candidate can collaborate with a diverse group of internal and external partners, agencies, and unions that support our agency’s goals of providing quality public service to King County residents.

Recruitment details

We are accepting applications from candidates internal to King County and from the general public. This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) term‑limited temporary (TLT) or Special Duty Assignment (SDA) Instructional Design Lead position within the Bus Operations Training section that is expected to be in place through the end of 2027, with the possibility of an extension of up to two additional years (through the end of 2029). This recruitment may also be used to create an eligibility pool of qualified candidates to fill future TLT or SDA openings in this classification and workgroup, for use up to 12 months after the creation of the pool, at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Candidates from all backgrounds are encouraged to translate their life experiences to show how they meet required experience, knowledge, education, and skills.

Job Duties

Team Leadership & Supervision

• Lead, supervise, and develop a team of Instructional Designers.
• Assign, prioritize, and review instructional design and development work
• Provide coaching, feedback, and professional development support

Project Management

• Lead project management and continuous improvement efforts for Bus Operations training
• Serve as project manager for training initiatives and special projects
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, deliverables, and data‑driven reporting tools/dashboards to track project health, resource utilization, and velocity.
• Ensure training initiatives are delivered on time, within scope, and aligned with priorities

Instructional Design & Learning Strategy

• Oversee the design and development of high‑impact learning solutions (Instructor‑led Training, eLearning, blended, microlearning)
• Ensure consistency and quality across instructional design outputs
• Align training programs with organizational and operational performance goals by mapping learning objectives to operational data trends (e.g., safety incident rates, compliance logs, operational efficiency metrics).

Partnership and Engagement

• Collaborate with operations leaders, Subject‑Matter‑Experts, instructors, labor partners, and others within the Metro Transit Department.
• Serve as a bridge between field operations and training execution

Program Evaluation & Continuous Improvement

• Evaluate effectiveness of training programs using quantitative and qualitative data, user feedback, and operational performance outcomes.
• Design and implement continuous evaluation frameworks (e.g., Kirkpatrick levels of evaluation) and leverage modern learning analytics tools to measure behavior change and business impact.
• Identify skill gaps in workforce development through data‑driven training needs analysis (TNA) and recommend targeted solutions.

Systems, Standards & Compliance

• Develop and maintain instructional design standards, templates, and workflows
• Support accessibility, compliance, and regulatory training requirements
• Ensure alignment with agency policies and best practices

Licensing, Certifications, And Other Requirements

• Washington State Driver's License or the ability to travel throughout the county in a timely fashion.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Minimum of 2 years of experience designing and leading in a supervisory capacity, end‑to‑end learning programs (not just course development)
• Strong analytical skills with experience analyzing, and synthesizing learning data to measure training efficacy, predict workforce performance gaps, and drive iterative curriculum improvements
• Strong project and program management skills, including managing multiple priorities and deadlines
• Experience building effective relationships across operational teams, leadership, and labor stakeholders using equity‑centered practices
• Knowledge of learning science including adult learning theory and instructional design models (ADDIE, SAM, workflow learning)
• Experience in curriculum development, learning pathways, and performance‑based learning design
• Experience with eLearning tools (e.g., Articulate 360, Camtasia), LMS platforms, and visual/learning design principles
• Ability to conduct needs analysis and align learning solutions to organizational performance goals

Highly Competitive Candidates Will Bring These DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience leading learning strategy of a large organization
• Proficiency in instructional design, learning technologies, and LMS ecosystems
• Proven ability to drive measurable performance improvement through learning interventions

WORK LOCATION AND ENVIRONMENT

The work schedule is normally a day shift, Monday through Friday.

This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) and is not eligible for overtime.

Primary Location: Bus Operations Training Facility, 3401 S Norfolk St, Seattle

Union/Class/Grade

Protec 17/243403/69

Safety Responsibilities For An Employee

• Responsible for understanding this 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

King County offers a highly‑competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well‑being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• 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

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.