Transit Lead Mechanic

***This position is only open to current King County Metro Transit Mechanics that have been in their Metro mechanic position for at least two years as of the closing date for applications. ***

The Vehicle Maintenance mechanic team has multiple promotional opportunities for the Transit Mechanic – Lead role. 

This position requires the incumbent be introspective regarding how they are perceived by their peers and colleagues. Are you someone your teammates seek out when they need to troubleshoot? Are you someone with the work ethic and position knowledge that your teammates respect? Are you interested in making a difference in King County Metro’s path forward? If so, keep reading.

A lead position is the final step in the mechanic classification and the person working in this role serves as a working lead-the lead continues to perform the duties of the classification in addition to the specific lead duties. The lead role is seen as an entry position to leadership roles at King County Metro (KCM). The person accepting a lead position should be interested in the opportunity to learn and grow into the skill set required for KCM leadership staff. We are seeking new lead mechanics that understand, support, and exemplify the values of KCM; staff that will call out areas where improvement is needed while presenting thoughtful solutions for consideration.

The lead position requires that the incumbent can recognize strengths within their team while also being transparent regarding areas of growth that are necessary. The lead should have the ability to clearly communicate expectations while maintaining a positive environment where all employees know they are respected, they are valued, and they work in an environment they want to show up to. This position requires the skill to present areas of weakness to a team member with empathy and a teaching mindset. The lead role can be challenging in that the lead is responsible for coordinating the work of staff in the classification while providing guidance without disciplinary responsibilities; this requires the ability to nurture an environment of mutual respect.

Does the thought of leading a team to become excellent in reputation and quality of their work excite you? Do you have a passion to see Metro be the absolute best public transportation system in the nation? If after thoughtful consideration you find yourself answering, “Yes!” to the questions put forth, you are strongly encouraged to apply for this position!

Safety Sensitive Position

This position is considered safety sensitive. Applicants for positions defined as safety sensitive are required to undergo drug testing prior to employment, and subsequent to commencement of employment, will be subject to random, post-accident, reasonable suspicion, return to duty and follow-up drug and alcohol testing in compliance with Federal DOT alcohol and controlled substances testing program protocols.

Vacancy Information: 

This recruitment will be used to fill multiple Career Service and Special Duty Assignment vacancies in the ‘Transit Mechanic- Lead' classification, 

In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility list for future Career Service and Special Duty Assignment vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility pool will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority. 

 Applying our ACTIVATE values: being Accountable, Collaborative, Timely, and Impactful; how we Value Employees; staying Accessible; building what’s Trusted; and acting Equitably, is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In addition to performing the full range of responsibilities of the Transit Mechanic classification, as the Transit Lead Mechanic you will:

• Carry out the daily work plan set by the Chief and help keep work moving efficiently.
• Serve as a working lead, balancing lead responsibilities with the expectation to continue performing journey-level maintenance and repair work alongside the mechanics in the workgroup.
• Coordinate repairs and provide technical assistance to mechanics in the inspection, diagnosis, and repair of gasoline, electric, hybrid, and diesel-powered buses, trolleys, cars, trucks, and other equipment. Make sure defects are properly identified, documented, and repaired in a timely manner.
• Assign and prioritize maintenance and repair work based on work orders, preventive maintenance schedules, fleet needs, and the daily plan set by the Chief. Monitor work in progress and help keep jobs moving safely and efficiently.
• Respond to questions and provide technical advice on coach-related problems and repairs. Provide lead direction on assigned work and projects.
• Stay current on service bulletins, policies, procedures, and equipment modifications and provide guidance to mechanics as needed.
• Provide feedback to the Chief on work performance, teamwork, work quality, and behavioral or attendance concerns when needed.
• Inspect completed work to make sure repairs are done correctly and equipment is safe and ready for service.
• Train and assist new and current employees on maintenance and repair procedures, equipment, and base safety practices.
• Report defective equipment, unsafe conditions, and other safety concerns.
• Advise mechanics when work does not meet established standards, regulations, or procedures. Bring ongoing or serious concerns to the Chief or other appropriate management staff.
• Make sure regulated materials are handled, used, stored, and disposed of properly.
• Maintain shop records, including work orders, warranty and rebuilt-parts information, and completed work. Enter and retrieve information in vehicle maintenance systems.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

We are looking for candidates who meet the following minimum qualifications

Per the ATU 587 and KC labor agreement: Qualified candidates must be current Metro Transit Mechanics with a minimum of two years of service experience in the classification as of the closing date of this posting.

Additional minimum qualifications include:

• Journey-level knowledge and experience in the maintenance and repair of a variety of complex gasoline and diesel engines, hybrid, electric vehicles, and light-and heavy-duty transmissions and related components.
• Proficiency in using Vehicle Maintenance's computer software work order system, to include data entry, extraction, and equipment dispatch.
• Ability to direct, train and assist employees in their assigned tasks; ability and willingness to provide clear, corrective feedback to them.
• Knowledge of the North American Standard Out-of-Service Criteria
• Ability to inspect equipment and determine servicing needs.
• Ability to perform basic operations in MS Outlook, Word, and Excel.
• Commitment to applying King County's core values of inclusion, equity, and social justice.

Required competencies - successful Lead Mechanics are skilled in the following competencies:

• Approachability – is easy to approach and talk to, builds rapport well.
• Conflict Management – steps up to conflict, sees it as opportunity, can find common ground and get cooperation with minimum effort; able to deescalate.
• Effective communication – ability to motivate a team effectively, communicate expectations clearly, and provide constructive feedback.
• Timely Decision Making – makes decisions in a timely manner, under tight deadlines and pressure.
• Decision Quality – makes good decisions, sought by others for advice and solutions.
• Ethics and Values – adheres to an appropriate and effective set of core values.
• Fairness to Direct Reports – treats direct reports equitably, acts fairly, doesn't give preferential treatment.
• Innovation Management – has good judgment about which ideas and suggestions work.
• Integrity and Trust – is widely trusted, admits mistakes.
• Interpersonal Savvy – relates well to all kinds of people, builds constructive and effective relationships.
• Listening – has the patience to hear people out, can accurately restate the opinions of others, even when disagreeing.
• Managerial Courage – provides current, direct, complete, and actionable positive and corrective feedback to others.
• Motivating Others – creates a climate in which people want to do their best, makes everyone feel their work is important, is someone people like working for and with.
• Priority Setting – spends time and the time of others on what's important, eliminates roadblocks, creates focus.

Necessary Special Requirements:

• Possession of a valid CDL and an acceptable five-year driving record.

Who May Apply

This position is open to King County Transit Mechanic employees who have completed at least two years of current, full-time service in their position, as of the last day applications are accepted.

To Apply

The following application materials are required:

1. Submit an online King County application?atwww.kingcounty.gov/jobs. Be sure to list your full work history including your current and past jobs, accurate job titles and employment dates, and all relevant work experience and detailed job duties (going back as far as necessary to include all relevant experience).

2. Thoroughly respond to all required supplemental questions within the application.

Note: Do not combine multiple job classifications into one Work Experience entry. Applications submitted without the required application materials listed above will be deemed incomplete and be removed from consideration. Additional attachments, such as resumes or certificates, will not be reviewed. Please ensure all relevant information is included in the application materials listed above. Professional development resources (including trainings, tips, templates, and examples to help you prepare your application materials) can be found on King County's Workforce Development website.

For intermittent, acting, unofficial, “fill-in”, or “relief” roles at King County: Do not combine multiple job classifications/job titles into one ‘Work Experience’ entry. Create a separate work experience entry for each intermittent role you worked and list the estimated average weekly hours worked during the dates provided. Include the specific job duties you performed while filling in / acting in the role. Combining multiple job classifications into one work experience entry, or misrepresenting intermittent roles as full time, multi-year positions prevent us from validating your direct experience and may result in your application being removed from consideration.

Example 1: If you have typically filled in as Relief Dispatcher about 8 hours every two weeks for 5 years, you would create a separate Relief Dispatcher work experience entry reflecting the 5-year date range, with an average of 4 hours worked per week, and the specific Dispatcher duties you performed when working that role.

Example 2: If you filled in as a full time 40-hours-per-week Relief Dispatcher for a consecutive 3-week period while someone was on vacation, list the specific date range, average hours worked, and specific job duties performed.

Please contact Calvin Chon with any questions about this guidance: [email protected]. 

Selection Process:

Part 1: Application Review- Applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates meet minimum qualifications for the position.

Part 2: Written Exam

Minimally qualified candidates will complete a 60-minute multiple-choice exam. This exam has been developed with the assistance of current Vehicle Maintenance Transit Superintendents, Chiefs, Lead Mechanics, Fleet Maintenance Analysts, and the Union. It will include, but not be limited to a multiple-choice exam covering some or all of the following:

• Technical knowledge
• Problem solving
• Assessing judgment in handling difficult situations
• Policies, procedures, the labor agreement

This will be a closed book exam. Valuable resources for studying and test preparation are linked below. Please check with your Chief or Lead if you need to gain access to these materials.

• VM Policies and Procedures(On VM's SharePoint site)
• Local 587 contract as it relates to VM http://atu587.org/bargaining-agreements/ 
• M5 Documentation (M5 Area: References)

• Lead Mechanic Reference Guide

• Mechanic Inspection Standards Manual

Candidates with passing exam scores may be invited to interview, in order of competitiveness. If needed, Union Seniority will be used to break any tied rankings for the purpose of advancing as many candidates as possible to interviews.

Part 3: Panel Interview 

Candidates with the highest exam scores may be invited to interview for the position.  Transit Management may also conduct a final interview with the Section Manager at their discretion.  Candidates who pass the interview will have their overall cumulative score considered for potential hire, however, passing the interview does not guarantee an offer OR placement on the eligibility list. 

Part 4: Final Selection- A cumulative recruitment score will be used to ensure offers and eligibility list rankings are given to the most qualified candidates who did the best in both the test and interview steps. The written exam score will be worth 40% of the cumulative score, and the panel interview score will be worth 60%, respectively. Any tied cumulative scores will use union seniority as a tie breaker. Final offers will be extended only after the selected candidates have successfully completed any required pre-employment process checks, including: a driving abstract review, a physical examination, drug and alcohol screening, and a King County Personnel Record Review which includes a review of performance appraisal/evaluation scores for the past two years of employment. Performance evaluations with scores below “satisfactory” or ‘Meets expectations” in any category may cause an offer to be rescinded. 

Work Schedule and Location:

This position works on site every day at various Metro Transit Vehicle Maintenance bases throughout King County. Employees in this hourly (FLSA non-exempt) classification work a 40-hour per week schedule with two consecutive days off, but not necessarily Saturday and Sunday. Work schedules and locations are based on a seniority pick system, which is scheduled to occur once a year.

The Vehicle Maintenance section operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and offers three shifts (day, swing, and graveyard) at various locations throughout King County. Openings may occur on all shifts, although Graveyard and/or Swing shift vacancies will be the most likely openings.

Union Representation:

This position will be represented by Local 587, Amalgamated Transit Union.

Classification Code: 

8442200 Transit Mechanic-Lead

Safety Responsibilities: Employees

• Responsible for understanding the Metro Transit Safety Policy and their role in safety.
• Report all safety concerns.
• Follow safety practices and procedures as necessary to maintain a safe work environment and in conformance with applicable regulations, policies, and training.
• Report safety and security concerns and ideas to supervisors or anonymously through data collection system.

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.

King County's Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values unite us.

King County serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with 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 stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Learn more about our Vision, Mission, and ACTIVATE Values here and visit our Why work at King County page here.

Application Process

If you are interested in pursuing this position and supporting King County’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government, please follow the application instructions carefully. Provide us with your work history as applicable, ensuring that you provide details that highlight your ability to fulfill the requirements for this position.

If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, or you would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, please contact Calvin Chon at [email protected]

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.

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.