Wayside Section Manager

NOTE:This announcement has been reposted to invite additional applicants. The next review begins on July 6 2026.

King County Metro Transits Rail Divisionhas an exciting opportunity for a Wayside Maintenance Section Manager (Transit Section Manager). This senior leader will report to Rails Senior Maintenance Manager and will work in partnership with employees colleagues and stakeholders to foster a culture of safety driving maintenance excellence and supporting Metros commitment equity and sustainability.

The Wayside Maintenance Section Manager is responsible for managing programs and staff within the Wayside Section overseeing the business strategy planning operations and service delivery of the following workgroups: Supervisor Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) Signals & Communications Track and Right of Way and Wayside Maintenance Planner Scheduler. You will develop implement and oversee long-term business and employee strategy for the Wayside Section to support the Rails success including strategic initiatives budget and finance communication and section processes and procedures.

The ideal candidate brings effective leadership capability and strategic organizational planning skills. They demonstrate a high level of self-awareness and are adept at navigating and facilitating complex conversations. They are passionate about empowering others and are committed to teaching mentoring and developing staff. Top candidates actively engage the workforce to identify opportunities for process improvement and foster an environment where employees are supported to perform at their best. They also possess the ability to understand how core business processes apply to county functions and can recognize how various operations are interconnected.

About Metro Transits Expanding Rail Division

Joining Metros Rail Division means joining an organization that is shaping the future of public transportation in the Pacific Northwest and setting the standard for modern rail operations nationwide. This is a division that values strategic thinking collaborative leadership and a deep commitment to the people we serve both our riders and our teams. Whatever your role your work here contributes to something that matters a system that thousands of people count on every day.

Who May Apply

This recruitment is open to all qualified applicants. This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) full-time Wayside Maintenance Section Manager (Transit Section Manager) position. However this recruitment may also be used to establish a list or pool of qualified candidates for any future openings in the same classification. Placement onto an eligibility list/pool is not a guarantee of placement into a future position. The pool/list may be used for up to six (6) OR twelve (12) months at the discretion of the hiring authority.

To Apply:

Those interested must submit:

• An online King County application updated with all detailed relevant work history going back 10 years (or more if necessary).
• Complete all the required supplemental questions
• A letter of interest (1-2 pages) that describes:
  • How your experience and background meet or exceed the qualifications for this position.
  • How you lead diverse groups in an active railroad environment; and
  • How you have applied equity and social justice principles in your current and/or previous role(s) (experience may include roles in either a professional or volunteer setting).

For questions regarding this recruitment please contact:

Skyler Jones Senior Talent Advisor .

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

We highly recommend visiting the Career Support Services website for tips and examples on how to make your application materials most effective:

Career Support Services - King County.

Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County 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 Wayside Maintenance Section Manager you will also:

• Provide Senior Leadership & Cross Divisional Collaboration
• Serve as an active and engaged member of Rails Senior Leadership Team providing strategic communication to Division leaders and collaboration across Rails different sections to ensure consistent employee experience.
• Engage in collaborative discussion with Rails outside agency partners on behalf of Rail.
• Develop and maintain a culture of care inclusion and belonging within the Wayside Section by:
  • Leading helping to develop and motivate employees helping them to recognize the important role they each play in achieving the overall agency goals and empowering them to perform accordingly.
  • Developing and leading a communication strategy for the Section that aligns with the Senior Maintenance Managers strategy.
  • Overseeing process and procedures for the Section focusing on developing efficiencies and creating clarity and consistency for the Section in coordination with the rest of the Rail Division.
  • Ensuring that employee and public safety continue to be Metros highest priority maintaining strict adherence to safety rules and procedures and continually seeking to enhance safety practices.

Safety & Maintenance Excellence

• Lead the Section in delivering safe reliable and effective maintenance while driving continuous improvement through:
• Lead and oversee the planning operations and delivery of Wayside functions for the Division.
• Develop and implement innovative strategies and initiatives to enhance the Sections performance in both the short and long term.
• Oversee the Sections budget resources and material management.
• Leverage data from EAMS Excel and other operational platforms to generate insightful reports enabling effective maintenance planning prioritization and resource scheduling.

Employee Engagement & Organizational Culture

• Provide effective strategies for expansion of the Wayside section to enable it to adapt to maintain new system and deliver on the promises made to the region.
• Work with Superintendents to develop staffing models that support coverage needs and requirements from our partner agency.
• Develop strategies for multi-base operations.
• Track service delivery impacts and provide mitigation strategies
• Track and maintain KPIs that pertain to the Wayside section
• Maintain effective partnerships by building and maintaining relationships with internal and external stakeholders to deliver excellent service including key labor partners and Sound Transit partners.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Option 1: Five (5) years of management or supervisory experience in rail wayside maintenance.

OR

• Option 2: A two-year degree in a related field; and three (3) or more years of management or supervisory experience in rail wayside maintenance or a related field.

OR

• Option 3: Three (3) or more years of experience in rail wayside maintenance; and two (2) or more years of management or supervisory experience in rail wayside maintenance or a related field.

And

• Experience in the following:
  • Implementing rules and procedures that keep people safe in a variety of operating environments.
  • Overseeing safety critical positions.
  • Integrating an equity mindset and methodology into continuous improvement activities.
  • Working effectively with individuals and groups from a variety of cultures and backgrounds.
  • Working with labor within unionized environments.
  • Communicating effectively and making decisions that reflect fairness respect equity and inclusiveness.
  • Supporting and building on a culture of employee engagement which supports the development coaching and team building necessary for the workforce of the future.

• Knowledge of the following:
  • Practices and industry standards of maintaining light rail systems equipment and structures
  • FTA APTA AREMA standards and other technical documents.
  • Railroad operations and how on-track safety is applied.

Desired Qualifications:

• Solid expertise in the maintenance of track signal and SCADA systems
• Proven experience developing and delivering organizational strategies
• Demonstrated experience building leading and developing high-performing teams.

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 listed on this job announcement.

Work Schedule

This position is anticipated to be full time assigned 40 hours per week typically Monday through Friday. This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is therefore not eligible for overtime pay. This position is eligible for telework/remote work. Work outside of the normal workday is required periodically.

Work Location

This position requires a minimum of4 days per week onsite to support team collaboration coaching and in-person leadership presence consistent with King County Metros hybrid work expectations for supervisory roles. The work associated with this position will be performed predominantly on-site temporarily at the Operations and Maintenance Facility Central (OMF-C) located at 3407 Airport Way South Seattle WA 98134. A new reporting location is in discussion that would be at the main campus at 5th and Jackson. Employees will have access to shared workspaces at various King County and Sound Transit 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 Sound Transit issued cell phone and 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. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individuals selected for these opportunities will be joining innovative and progressive teams that are redefining how we work in the departments hybrid environment.

Selection Process

Application materials (application letter of interest and supplemental question responses) will be screened to determine whether candidates meet the qualifications and for clarity completeness and responsiveness to the application instructions above. Highly competitive applicants may be asked to interview. Formal offers will be finalized after candidates have successfully completed any necessary pre-employment processes such as reference checks or internal record reviews.

Union Status/Union Code

This position is not represented by a union. (Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines)

Classification/Pay Grade

874030 (Transit Section Manager) Grade 77

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Together with leadership and our employees were 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 nations best places to live work and play.

Guided by ourTrue Northwe 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 is 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 American 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.

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 your recruiter listed on this job announcement.