Training Operations Chief - Special Duty Assignment (Bus Operations) bei King County, WA

About the Department

* This is an internal recruitment. Only current King County Employees may apply at this time.* 

Metro Transit is seeking an Operations Chief to play an important role in leading our training programs for the Bus Operations Division. This leadership position directly supports our Agency’s vision of providing the best transit service possible to our communities.

As the Training Operations Chief, you will supervise the training of our Transit Operators and Transit Instructors. Your responsibilities will include planning, evaluating, and guiding the daily work of Transit Instructors who provide essential training to staff at various transit bases and at our Norfolk Transit Safety and Training Center. You will be tasked with supporting training curricula to align with our evolving organizational needs. This involves maintaining programs that adhere to Metro's rules and procedures, as well as meeting CDL regulatory requirements and traffic laws. 

This position is instrumental in supporting our workforce staffing initiatives and our mission to return to full route services. The ideal candidate will have strong communication skills and leadership skills, enabling them to effectively engage with our diverse employee group while inspiring employees to embrace teamwork, resolve conflicts, and thrive in a collaborative environment.

Recruitment information: This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) special duty assignment Transit Operations Chief classification within the Training section of Bus Operations. . The assignment is for three years. This recruitment may also be used to establish an eligibility list to fill future special duty assignment opportunities in this classification and workgroup that may occur over the next twelve months from the establishment of the list, at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Position Duties

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work. As the Training Operations Chief, you will also:

• Strategically plan, supervise, develop, and direct the work of first-line supervisors, demonstrating positive leadership and serving as a role model. Encourage and support staff development and training initiatives to foster a high-performing team.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of current transit training programs that are routinely delivered to a wide variety of audiences and skill levels.  Provide coaching, guidance, and support to ensure training objectives are achieved.
• Manage and support the various training programs administered by Metro Bus Operations Training in collaboration with appropriate stakeholders.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of training through post-course evaluations and transit operations performance metrics. 
• Track and monitor performance metrics. Measure effectiveness of training through post-course evaluations.
• Evaluate and enhance instructor guides, student aids, and presentation materials to ensure they meet standards, and are effectively supporting learning objectives. 
• Address all personnel issues of assigned staff including employee support, performance monitoring and evaluation, investigations, and appropriate progressive discipline up to and including suspension and termination. Review the work of each assigned Training Instructor to ensure qualitative and quantitative standards are met.
• Conduct performance appraisals for First-Line Supervisors.
• Interpret and apply labor agreements and County and Metro Transit policy and procedures. This includes working closely with Employee Services to resolve personnel and labor issues as they arise.
• Assist in the hiring and selection of Supervisors-in-Training.
• Collaborate with key stakeholders within the Bus Operations Division, Metro Transit, and external partners to build and maintain strong relationships to help ensure alignment of training programs with organizational goals and priorities. 
• Act as project manager for various training-related projects as needed. Participate on and/or lead committees, projects, and work processes, as assigned.
• Act as Training Superintendent, when assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

We are looking for candidates who meet the following minimum requirements: 

• Increasingly responsible transportation-related experience, including at least two years in a supervisory or management capacity.
• Knowledge of transit operations and the applicable regulatory and statutory requirements.
• Skill in conflict resolution, problem solving and negotiation.
• A working knowledge of federal laws regarding ADA, EEO, FMLA, and Federal DOT Regulations as well as state and national licensure requirements.
•  Demonstrate exceptional customer service skills, reflecting Metro’s commitment to service excellence. Create a supportive environment that models customer service to all.
•  Strong organizational skills that ensure effective and efficient management of multiple projects and daily responsibilities.
• Experience or skill in establishing effective working relationships with staff and senior management, elected officials, labor representatives, business and community groups, riders, and local, state, and federal agencies, as well as peers throughout the country.
• Working knowledge of basic human resources principles and practices as they relate to hiring and employee management.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal communication skills, including the ability to listen carefully to others with an open mind, and give and receive feedback.
• Skill in using current office software programs including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and similar software applications.

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge and experience with the Supervisor-in-Training program.
• Experience working within or managing a unionized workforce.
• Knowledge of (or direct experience applying) the principles of labor relations including grievance and contract administration processes as well as relevant labor agreements.
• Knowledge and experience with the Part Time, Direct to Fulltime, and Part to Fulltime Training programs.
• Skill in establishing and implementing a customer service training program that includes initial, ongoing, and remedial training.
• Skill in conflict resolution, problem solving and negotiation.

Necessary special requirements:

• Valid Washington State Driver's License or alternate ability to travel to locations for which public transportation is not regularly available.
• Work requires 24-7 on-call rotations and necessitates reporting for duty and directing first-line supervisory staff and operators during adverse weather events and other emergencies.

Other Qualifications

Work location and Schedule

The primary work location is the Norfolk Training and Safety Facility (3301 S Norfolk St, Seattle, 98168), and travel to other Metro Transit bases will be required as needed. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible. The typical work schedule for this is Monday through Friday 7:00AM to 3:00PM, and there are no flex days or telecommuting options available for this role, as the Training Chief needs to be on-site every day.  Employees may be required to work extended hours, weekends, and holidays, and will be required to serve occasional 24/7 on-call rotations. Candidates must have the ability to report to work in the event of adverse weather or other emergencies, crisis situations, and remain on-site during the event unless otherwise directed or relieved.

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, Renay Huggins [email protected] 

The following application materials are required:

• An online King County application, updated with all relevant work history going back 10 years (or more, if necessary), with all duties, dates of employment, and reasons for leaving explained clearly.
• Letter of interest, describing your interest in this position and how you are uniquely qualified to be successful in this role. 
• Completed supplemental questions

Please do not attach additional documents, letters, or attachments—they will not be reviewed.

Selection Process  
 Applicants meeting qualifications will be screened based on clarity, completeness, and content of application materials. The employment history detailed in your application MUST validate/support your responses to the supplemental questions. The most competitive applicants may be invited to participate in one or more interviews. Employment offers will be finalized only after candidates have completed any/all pre-employment processes, such as reference checks, internal record reviews and/or a complete driving record review will also be conducted prior to any final offer of employment.  Please note that final decisions may consider your overall interview results and your application materials. Applications without the following required materials may not be considered for this position:

• King County Application
• Letter of interest
• Responses to Supplemental Questions

Applicants who are unable to apply online should follow the instructions at Application FAQ’s- King County.  For technical support related to your application, contact the GovernmentJobs' applicant support team for assistance: +1 855-524-5627. For guidance on how to complete these required materials, be sure to visit the Career Support Services website for resources on how to make your application materials more competitive for King County recruitments.  

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 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 are 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 Americans 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.

Union Membership: PROTEC17: Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17 -- Transit Chiefs