Arts & Culture Manager

Summary

King County Executive Zahilay’s Office is launching a new Economic Opportunity & Activation team that will support and foster economic growth in unincorporated communities by empowering and partnering with residents, businesses, and organizations to drive initiatives and create equitable opportunities that strengthen local economies and create lasting prosperity. To help lead this work, we are seeking a collaborative, organized and knowledgeable Arts & Culture Manager (Manager).

The Arts & Culture Manager will lead the Executive Office’s efforts to support, coordinate, and elevate arts, culture, and heritage initiatives countywide, with a concentration in unincorporated communities. This role will serve as the Executive Office’s primary point of contact and be a resource for arts and cultural engagement, working closely with community-based organizations, cultural institutions, creative entrepreneurs, artists, and other government offices.

Job Duties

Key Responsibilities

• Be the lead advisor for the Executive on cultural policy, programming and investments.
• Develop and implement strategic arts and cultural initiatives on behalf of the King County Executive.
• Expand access to arts and cultural programming by arts-based activation and placemaking.
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with artists, cultural organizations, tribal governments, other government offices and underserved communities.
• Support equitable access to arts, culture, and heritage programming.
• Lead community engagement efforts focused on creative-sector input, including identification of gaps where an arts infrastructure may not exist.
• Collaborate with other departments on cross-agency cultural projects and public space initiatives.
• Represent the Executive’s Office in events, forums, partnerships, and regional collaborations.

Expectations

• A focus on being out in the county to connect and build relationships with those we serve and those with whom we partner.
• In the office a minimum of 3 days a week. Meetings may not have a call-in option for required in-person days, and the expectation is to be in the office.
• Be on time, respectful of others’ time, and responsive when needed.
• Bring an urgency to the work. We will start fast. The work will be intense, challenging, and incredibly rewarding.
• Meetings will have written expectations, including an agenda with the goals and outcomes. Owners and next steps will be clear.
• Processes and work will continuously improve.

Values

• Serve with integrity.
• Show initiative and work hard.
• Prioritize outcomes over optics.
• Center those most impacted and put “boots on the ground.”
• Resolve challenges with a “yes, and” mindset.
• Work as one, adaptable, mission-driven team.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

Ideal Candidate

We are looking for an Arts & Culture Manager who can collaborate across diverse organizations and communicate King County’s values and priorities effectively. The ideal candidate will have:

• Experience in arts and cultural policy, community-based arts work, or creative-sector program management.
• A strong commitment to strengthening communities through the arts.
• Proven ability to build partnerships and trust with diverse communities.
• Experience navigating environments with varying resources.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to navigate political, government, and community environments.

Supplemental Information

Why Join Us

This is a rare opportunity to shape how King County delivers for its residents. The Arts & Culture Manager will help bring the King County Delivers vision to life—turning bold ideas into accountable, transparent, and effective government action.

The King County Executive Office serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and frugal stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve.

We will work in the office at least three days a week to foster connection and responsiveness, arrive prepared and on time, and structure meetings with clear goals and next steps. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust.

Compensation & Benefits

• Competitive executive-level salary, commensurate with experience
• Comprehensive health, retirement, and leave benefits
• Professional development and leadership growth opportunities

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.

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 Seth Watson at Seth.Watson@kingcounty.gov.