Salary: $160,892.78 - $203,941.09 Annually
Location : Chinook Building, 401 5th Avenue, Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service (Exec)
Job Number:Department: KCIT - Information Technology
Division: Office of the CIO
Opening Date: 10/15/2026
Closing Date: 10/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: F16 : L117-IT Mgrs & Sups
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
SummaryThis position is only open to Internal King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) and Business Resource Center (BRC) employees. Only current KCIT and BRC employees will be considered.King County's Department of Information Technology (KCIT) is seeking a highly skilled Principal Technology Strategist to lead strategic planning and innovation across the organization. The Principal Technology Strategist reports directly to the Chief Innovation Officer and serves as a key member of the KCIT Extended Leadership Team. The Principal Technology Strategist mobilizes people across disciplines to develop and deliver our IT strategy; works to advance IT capabilities and improve service delivery; drives experimentation and proof of value; measures results and performance; and tirelessly seeks opportunities for innovation and continuous improvement. The position plays a critical role in ensuring the County keeps pace with technology trends and prepares the County to capitalize on emerging technologies to improve the lives of residents and support better government.
Job DutiesStrategic Planning- Lead the development, management, and maintenance of the Strategic Information Technology Plan and roadmap.
- Align strategy with IT goals, County priorities, and risk posture.
- Establish evaluation frameworks to identify, compare, and prioritize strategic opportunities and critical areas for investment based on potential value, feasibility, risk, and organizational readiness.
Responsible Innovation and Proof of Value- Manage a portfolio of strategic initiatives, pilots, and proofs of concept that support proactive learning, strengthens IT readiness, reduces technology debt, and advances mission impact.
- Pursue value-driven opportunities with measurable outcomes, ensuring that strategy and innovation align with IT standards, governance, and security, privacy, compliance, and service delivery expectations.
- Monitor trends and emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, to identify responsible use cases, develop standards and policy guidance, and contribute to training and education plans.
Collaboration and Change Leadership- Serve as a strategic partner to KCIT leadership and agency leadership, facilitating multidisciplinary teams through discovery, design, testing, operational readiness, and adoption.
- Champion change-management best practices and foster a culture of experimentation, learning, and continuous improvement.
- Establish and maintain external relationships with industry bodies, government organizations, community groups, academia, and vendors.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills Experience and Qualifications- Progressive responsibility in business or technology management, including leading cross-functional teams and contributing to enterprise-wide programs.
- Deep experience in business operations, process and service design, program/project management, and organizational change management.
- Systems and enterprise thinking with the ability to identify relationships, dependencies, effects, and constraints across complex problem spaces.
- Experience with public-sector technology environments, regulatory compliance, and government procurement practices.
- Ability to effectively engage and sustain relationships with people from diverse cultures and socio-economic backgrounds.
- Prior experience evaluating, implementing, and maintaining AI-enabled systems is desirable.
Knowledge and Skills- Comprehensive knowledge across multiple technology areas.
- Demonstrated ability to analyze complex environments and develop durable, scalable, data-driven solutions.
- Proven facilitation and stakeholder-management abilities across all roles and levels.
- Ability to deliver multiple, competing priorities in a dynamic environment.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, adept at translating complex technical concepts clearly for diverse audiences.
Supplemental InformationHybrid Work: KCIT works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is the Chinook Building, 401 5th Ave, 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 has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. 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 normal workweek for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alternative schedules may be considered by your manager.
FLSA Status: This position is FLSA Exempt and is not eligible for overtime pay.
Classification: Principal Technology Strategist (740801)
Union: This position is represented by Local 117: IT Managers and Supervisors
Who May Apply: This position is only open to Internal King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) and Business Resource Center (BRC) employees. Only current KCIT and BRC employees will be considered. We value diversity, diverse perspectives and life experience and encourage people of all background to apply.
Application Process: If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County's vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.
Applicants must complete the online application to include:
- Employment history going back at least seven years if possible (or more to include all relevant experience).
- A resume including all relevant experience.
- A cover letter detailing how your experience and qualifications align with this role.
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 Shannon Hoeper at shoeper@kingcounty.gov
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This position is only open to Internal King County Department of Information Technology (KCIT) and Business Resource Center (BRC) employees. Are you a current KCIT or BRC employee?
02
Competitive candidates will have a background of progressive responsibility in business or technology management, including leading cross-functional teams and contributing to enterprise-wide programs. Please describe your applicable experience in detail.
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The person hired for this position must successfully pass a background check. Are you willing to undergo a background check prior to a final offer of employment? This will include reference checks with previous employers, and a thorough CJIS (Criminal Justice Information System) background check including fingerprinting.
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Are you applying to this position as an eligible Priority Placement Program Participant who is a current or previous King County Employee impacted by layoff? ANDIs this position the same or lower percentage of full-time when compared to the position held at the point of the notification of layoff? ANDDo you possess the skills and abilities to qualify for this position?
- Yes, I was given a layoff notice from my Career Service role at King County and I am within two years of the effective date of my layoff. Additionally, the position I was laid off from was the same or a higher percentage of FT status when compared to this one.
- No.
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If you answered yes to the question above and you are applying for this position as a Priority Placement Participant, to be considered, you must provide the following three pieces of information in the space provided:1. The title you held when you received your layoff notice2. The department you worked in3. The effective date of your layoff
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