Salary: $153,439.31 - $194,493.31 Annually
Location : Operations & Maintenance Facility - 3407 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA
Job Type: Career Service (Exec)
Job Number: 2026EW27278
Department: MTD - Metro Transit
Division: Rail
Opening Date: 06/15/2026
Closing Date: 6/29/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time

Summary
King County's Metro Transit Department has an exciting opportunity for a Rail Base Section Manager (Transit Section Manager) in the Rail Division. This senior leader will report to Rail's Senior Operations Manager and will work in partnership with employees, colleagues, and stakeholders to ensure that Metro provides world- class service while advancing the following strategic priorities within Rail:

• Build a culture of care
• Provide operational excellence
• Deliver on time expansions
• Maintain healthy and resilient partnerships with Sound Transit and the Seattle Department of Transportation, our partners in Rail service delivery.

This Rail Base Section Manager will be charged with leading the development and execution of strategic initiatives that enhance the efficiency, safety, and reliability of rail operations. This position will lead and manage the implementation of this strategy for the Rail Division, overseeing the Base and Operations Support workgroups. The Rail Base Section Manager will be responsible for communicating effectively with diverse stakeholders across the Division, working collaboratively with leaders, administrative staff, employees, and Sound Transit to advance our collective service delivery strategy.

The ideal candidate in this position will be skilled in working in a Rail Base and/or Operations Support environment, have experience navigating complicated bureaucracies, and be able to manage multiple, competing priorities to successfully deliver a large body of work in a fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in equity and social justice, with experience making improvements for historically marginalized employee groups.

King County Metro Transit's Rail Division manages and maintains Sound Transit's Link light rail service and City of Seattle's streetcar system. Link light rail currently spans a 63-miles route and includes 50 stations. The 1 Line operates from Federal Way to Lynnwood and the 2 Line operates from Redmond to Downtown Seattle. Additional expansions to the Link system will be coming online for years to come.
Seattle Streetcar includes the 1.3 mile South Lake Union line and the 2.5 mile First Hill line, proudly serving the diverse and vibrant communities around Seattle's downtown core. These rail services complement Metro's extensive fixed-route bus system and mobility services. Puget Sound transit agencies are collaborating to create an integrated transit network that enables people to travel farther, faster, and more easily.

This recruitment may immediately fill up to one (1) Career Service positions and may also be used to establish an eligibility list for future Career Service, as well as any fully-benefitted Term-Limited Temporary (TLT)/Special Duty Assignment (SDA), vacancies, valid up to 12 months or until the list is exhausted, and at the discretion of the hiring authority.
Who May Apply

This position is open to King County employees and the general public.
To Apply:

Those interested must submit:

• An online King County application, updated with accurate contact information, and relevant work history going back at least 10 years (or more, if necessary), with all job duties.
• Completed supplemental questions.
• Letter of Interest (1-2 pages) describing why you are interested in this opportunity and how you meet the qualifications for this position; highlighting your leadership experience in rail base and/or operations support and progressively responsible experience in transit operations, strategic planning or project management.

Want to make sure your application materials are as competitive as possible?

We highly recommend visiting the Workforce Development Services website for tips and examples on how to make your application materials most effective:
Job Duties

As the Rail Base Section Manager, you will:

• Oversee the Base and Operations Support workgroups.
• Oversee recruitment, development, and engagement of section employees. Lead, develop, and motivate employees. Foster a sustainable culture of care, teamwork and excellence; help employees understand the critical role they play in achieving agency goals.
• Develop and implement innovation and strategic initiatives that strengthen the Section's near-term performance and longer-term effectiveness.
• Lead strategic planning and performance management for Rail Base Section.
• Analyze operational data to identify trends, inefficiencies, and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop and oversee implementation of key initiatives, including service optimization, technology integration, and sustainability efforts.
• Lead and coordinate Base Section oversight, upholding standards for reliability, quality, and customer experience across all rail services.
• Provide operational input during planning, design, testing, and construction phases of expansion projects.
• Build and maintain relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver excellent service, including key labor and Sound Transit partners.
• Oversee budget and resources for the Section ensuring responsible stewardship and long-term operational sustainability.
• Develop and lead communication strategy for the Section ensuring clear, timely, and consistent information flow to staff, leaders, and partners.
• Champion safety by ensuring that employee and public safety continue to be Metro's highest priority.
• Maintain strict adherence to safety rules and procedures and continually seeking to enhance safety practices. Manage special projects and cross-functional teams delivering high impact outcomes aligned with agency priorities.
• Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations related to rail operations and expansions. Other duties as assigned: May be assigned special projects or additional responsibilities at the discretion of the hiring authority.
• Other duties as assigned: May be assigned special projects or additional responsibilities at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Minimum Qualifications:

We are looking for candidates who have the following:

Option 1: A Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Transportation Planning, Engineering, or related field and three (3) years of leadership experience in Rail Base Operations and/or Operations Support .

OR
Option 2: An Associate's degree in Public Administration, Transportation Planning, Engineering, or related field and five (5) years of leadership experience in Rail Base Operations and/or Operations Support .
OR

Option 3: Seven (7) or more years of leadership experience in Rail Base Operations and/or Operations Support.
And

Three (3) years of experience in leading and supervising people including:

• Supervising multidisciplinary staff.
• Developing and leading direct reports, furthering people's career goals, providing challenging and stretching tasks and assignments, and effectively developing all levels of staff. Engaging, empowering, training, coaching and mentoring staff.

Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in transit operations, strategic planning, or project management, including:

• Knowledge of business planning techniques, principles, and practices.
• Demonstrated leadership in managing complex projects and cross-functional teams.
• Strong analytical, communication, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Ability to make timely, quality decisions and assign decision-making to the appropriate staff level. Ability to work on a number of high-priority projects/tasks simultaneously.
• Experience working with labor, within unionized environments, and ability to respect established processes, fostering an environment of mutual respect.

Additional minimum qualifications/competencies include:

• Commitment to equity, inclusion, and belonging for all employees.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse individuals and populations.
• Passionate about creating positive and inclusive cultures that prioritize well-being and belonging of employees in a setting with a diverse employee population.
• Ability to establish and maintain respectful, effective, and collaborative working relationships with key stakeholders.
• Knowledge of how to build relationships and treat all employees and customers equitably, with respect and dignity, as well as solve problems for the benefit of all.
• Resilience, problem-solving skills, and capacity to handle challenging situations with composure and effectiveness. Demonstrated ability to give and receive feedback from employees across hierarchies, and to use employee input to inform decision-making and build a trusting team culture.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Knowledge of Local 587 and PROTEC Local 17 other relevant labor agreements
• Knowledge of automated scheduling systems, including HASTUS
• Knowledge of visual and data management systems and processes, including Power BI
• Managed remote workers (telework and/or other work locations)
• Knowledge of and experience with the King County and Sound Transit relationship, working conditions, policies and procedures.
• Experience to translating King County's policies and procedures into Rail's unique operating environment.
• Significant experience leading initiatives that contribute to more equitable outcomes, increased employee inclusion, and a felt sense of belonging among marginalized members of the workforce. Five (5) years is highly desired.

Supplemental Information
Application & Selection Process

Submit an online employment application and attach a cover letter at ggjYour cover letter should describe why you are interested in this opportunity and how you meet the qualifications for this position; highlighting experience leading and supervising people and delivering complex organization/agency-wide projects.
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a test and one or more interviews. Applications that are not complete or do not include the required attachments may be disqualified and not advance in the process.

Work Schedule

Work schedule may include non-standard work hours including evenings, weekends and holidays as needed. This position is part of a workgroup that provides coverage and support 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Incumbents will need to have the ability to be on call nights and weekends (rotational). This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime pay.

Teleworking Requirement

The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly in a hybrid work environment working in the office and at home. The expectation is to be in the office 3 days a week. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County facilities. Employees must reside in Washington State and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
Employees will be provided with a County issued laptop and must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours. Please note that when employee conducts work that is likely to bring them in contact with another individual, safety precautions are required, including the wearing of masks in some situations. King County is committed to reducing our carbon footprint.
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will be joining an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment.
Union Membership: This position is not represented by a union.

Work Location: This position may be requested to travel to various Rail locations, including downtown Seattle, and the Link facilities.
CLASS CODE / PAY GRADE: 1132120/ 77
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Ebony Ware, Human Resource Analyst, at