Rail Facilities Maintenance Chief

Summary

About King County Metro's Rail Division
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 33-mile route from Federal Way to Lynnwood and a 10-miles route from Redmond to South Bellevue. By the end of 2026, light rail is projected to expand to nearly 60 route miles, adding 2 new stations. 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.

Learn how Metro connects you with what matters

Who May Apply: This recruitment is open to all qualified applicants, including the general public and King County Employees. Please see the required application materials and minimum qualifications listed in the sections below.

For more information: If you have any questions about this position, its requirements, or if you would like to have a confidential discussion about the opportunity, you are invited to contact our recruiter: Emily Clark (She/Her), Senior Talent Advisor: emclark@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-8373.

Job 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 a Rail Facilities Maintenance Chief, you will also:

• Supervise, develop, and direct the Rail Facilities personnel and equipment at bases and in the field, including management support for the training unit.
• Exhibit positive leadership and role modeling to encourage and support staff while managing employee performance. Assist in the hiring, work assignments, counseling, and progressive discipline of direct reports in accordance with labor contracts and agreement provisions and Light Rail rules and procedures.
• Oversee on-the-job training of assigned staff and ensure staff have proper tools, equipment, and safety gear to perform their work.
• Oversee the availability of tools and supplies needed to perform both routine and special tasks.
• Coordinate the planning, processes, estimating, and construction work for modifications to existing facilities and equipment; identify potential problems assign and verify inspections, service, and repairs.
• Oversee, prepare, and review written estimates of labor, time, costs, and materials for designated projects, manage contracts, and work closely with vendors and service providers.
• Consult with key stakeholders, staff and other external contractors in engineering, warranty, safety, environmental, and transportation to develop maintenance programs and standard operating procedures.
• Represent management at disciplinary hearings and grievances, interpret labor contract provisions, support labor negotiations and contract updates, resolve disputes and grievances, and foster strong collaborative relationships with Union leadership.
• Work closely with Human Resources and Labor Relations staff to track and resolve personnel issues and other related labor issues.
• Assist in developing and monitoring monthly expenditures to ensure budget compliance.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

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

• At least two (2) years of supervisory experience with direct responsibility for leading, coaching, developing, and managing employee performance, including conducting appraisals and administering progressive discipline as needed.
• Maintenance experience in building construction, facilities/industrial maintenance, facilities service, and/or related repairs.
• OR any equivalent combination of experience that provides the applicant with the skills, knowledge, and ability required to perform the duties of this position. Note: Education cannot replace having at least 2 years of supervisory experience.

• Ability to resolve conflict, solve problems, and listen effectively.
• Ability to motivate and work within a diverse workgroup.
• Skill in establishing and maintaining effective work relationships.
• Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing.
• Intermediate computer skills with knowledge of Microsoft Office applications, such as Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams.
• The ability to promote an equitable, diverse, and inclusive work environment and support diversity and inclusion goals.

• Familiarity with human resource and leadership concepts and principles, with a dedicated approach to managing employees, their performance, and the development of their skills.
• Critical thinking skills, particularly as it relates to emergency management, workforce planning, and continuous process improvement.
• Knowledge of the principles, practices, and techniques of labor relations including interest-based or collaborative labor negotiations, grievance and arbitration processes, and relevant labor agreements.
• Skill in effectively planning, scheduling, prioritizing, and organizing the work of maintenance teams for optimum efficiency, and the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously while meeting established standards and deadlines.
• Knowledge of quality assurance and preventative maintenance principles and techniques.
• Knowledge of laws, ordinances, codes, and regulations governing the maintenance of commercial and transit facilities, including local electrical codes, mechanical codes, and means of compliance.
• Knowledge of the work performed by a variety of skilled trades within facility maintenance, including carpentry, painting, plumbing, welding, custodial services, air conditioning, ventilation systems and boiler fields.
• The ability to identify and make recommendations regarding minor modifications to existing Rail facilities. involving the following skilled crafts: fire systems, carpentry, mechanical, custodial services, and grounds maintenance/irrigation repair.
• Working knowledge of the theory, principles, operation, maintenance, overhaul, repair, and troubleshooting of various building systems, including electro-mechanical, hydraulic, and pneumatic systems, digital-circuits, and software used in modern mechanical applications.
• Knowledge of the policies and procedures of the Transit Rail Division and applicable King County policies

• A valid Washington State Driver’s License with an acceptable driving record. If you possess an out-of-state driver’s license, you must obtain a WA state license within 30 days of hire.
• Must pass drug and alcohol testing provision for safety-sensitive positions as required by the U.S. Department of Transportation, 49 CFR Parts 40 and 655
• Work requires remaining available 24 hours per day during scheduled rotational assignments as on-call Chiefs
• Willingness and availability to work varying shifts on weekdays, nights, weekends, and holidays as required to support staff and critical work and consistent with negotiated agreements
• Work may require reporting for extended duty hours during adverse weather events and other emergencies

Supplemental Information

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 Emily Clark (She/Her), Senior Talent Advisor, at EmClark@KingCounty.gov.

Required application materials:

• Submit an online King County application at www.kingcounty.gov/jobs with all relevant work history going back at least 5 years (or more, as needed include all relevant experience). Include your current job and thoroughly describe all current and previous job duties and responsibilities, dates of employment for each position held, and reasons for leaving explained clearly. All required supplemental questions must be thoroughly responded to.
• Write and attach a cover letter that explains how you meet or exceed the qualifications for the role, and why you are interested in this specific position.

No other attachments will be reviewed. Applications that are not complete, or do not include the required materials mentioned above may be deemed incomplete and removed from consideration. The work history section of your application must validate and support any experience mentioned in the supplemental question responses or cover letter.

Selection Process: Applicants meeting the posted qualifications will be screened based on clarity, completeness, and competitiveness of their application materials. The most competitive applicants may be invited to participate in one or more panel interviews. Final hiring decisions may consider both your overall interview results and your application materials. Employment offers and start dates will be finalized only after the selected candidate has successfully completed all pre-employment requirements, which may include a physical examination, drug and alcohol screening, driving record review, reference checks, and/or a King County Personnel Record Review.

Work Schedule and Work Location
This position is FLSA exempt and does not qualify for overtime pay. Work is performed onsite and includes rotational on-call duties which may require you to remain available for work 24 hours per day during scheduled assignments. Work may require reporting for extended duty during adverse weather events and emergencies. Shift and location assignments are subject to change based on operational needs and may occur on any shift (day, swing, or graveyard) and at any of the three Rail bases below:

• Operations Maintenance Facility- Central (OMF-C) - 3407 Airport Way S, Seattle, WA 98134

• Maintenance of Way-North (MOW-N) - 920 North 137th Ave, Seattle, WA 98133

• Operations and Maintenance Facility- East (OMF-E)- 1907 120th Ave NE, Bellevue, WA 98005

Union Membership: PROTEC17: Professional and Technical Employees, Local 17 - Transit Chiefs
Class Code: 874010-Transit Chief-Facility Maintenance

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers. Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.

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, 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.

Need help with your application?

• Applicants who are unable to apply online should follow the instructions at Application FAQ’s- King County.
• For technical support related to accessing or completing your application, contact the GovernmentJobs' applicant support team for assistance during regular business hours: +1 855-524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.
• The King County Workforce Development page offers free guidance, resources, and checklists to help candidates present their skills and experience competitively for King County recruitments. We encourage you to visit the General Career Resources section on their website for more tips.
• For questions regarding this recruitment please contact the recruiter, Emily Clark (she/her), Senior Talent Advisor: emclark@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-8373