Labor Equity Program Supervisor

The Business Development and Contract Compliance office of King County is seeking a Labor Equity Program Supervisor (Project Program Manager 4) for their Priority Hiring Program.

This program prioritizes the hiring of underrepresented construction workers on King County public works projects, including residents living in economically distressed ZIP codes based on income, education, and employment data. The intent of the Program is to create new jobs and career pathways for local apprentices and journey-level trades workers in the construction trades.

Ideal candidates will have passion for equity and social justice; experience working with public programs; and the ability to lead and engage others.

Scope of Job Duties

• Manage day-to-day program operations to fulfill the mandate outlined in the King County Priority Hire ordinance and related community workforce agreements.
• Supervise a small team that is responsible for performance tracking and reporting, field compliance monitoring, development of communication materials, and training to program stakeholders by establishing priorities and work schedules.
• Supervise planning and support tasks to facilitate a Priority Hire Advisory Committee.
• Advise and make recommendations regarding administrative operations and strategic planning.
• Establish and maintain working relationships with County staff and contractors, labor representatives, community associations, pre-apprentice programs, apprenticeship programs, and other public agencies, to provide information about the Program and to ensure efforts are collaborative and well-coordinated.
• Leverage opportunities with other public agencies to increase the supply and diversity of workers at the pre-apprentice, apprentice, and journey worker levels.
• Draft and edit internal and external program policies and informational documents.
• Develop recommendations and administrative plans for resourcing and scaling the Program.
• Manage a reporting compliance system to track the Program’s performance and results to make programmatic adjustments going forward.
• Manage performance tracking/reporting and implement a program evaluation plan in coordination with other BDCC team members.
• Procure, develop, and manage several contracts with community-based organizations that will assist in the recruitment of pre-apprentices, apprentices, and journey workers.
• Conduct job site and union hiring hall visits and attend meetings to provide technical assistance and ensure individuals are prioritized.
• Lead in developing and executing outreach and education about the Program.
• Participate as part of a county team to carry out a comprehensive stakeholder education strategy for the Program.

 

Minimum Qualifications:

•  Professional experience in one or more of the following: construction management, labor relations, construction trade labor union structures and practices, expertise in project labor agreements, community workforce agreements, priority or local hire programs, or related field.
• Bachelor’s degree in public administration, Construction Management, Business Administration, Human Services, Political Science, or a closely related field (or a combination of education and/or training and/or experience which provides an equivalent background)
• Experience leading and/or supervising staff
• Strong communication, interpersonal, writing, and customer service skills.
• Ability to perform research, analyze, and solve problems.
• Ability to work individually and collaboratively as a team member
• Ability to think differently, be eager to try new things, and challenge yourself to improve processes.
• Intermediate level of technology proficiency using MS Office Productivity tools in your daily work.
• Ability to manage your time and adapt to changing priorities, work on multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, meet quick deadlines, and produce timely and quality work products
• Ability to uphold our division’s values. Strong communication, interpersonal, writing, and customer service skills
•  Intermediate level of technology proficiency using MS Office Productivity tools in your daily work.
• Ability to manage your time and adapt to changing priorities, work on multiple priorities and projects simultaneously, meet quick deadlines, and produce timely and quality work products.
• Ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Commitment to racial equity.
• Experience working with public agency staff, construction contractors, construction workers, employment service providers, or union representatives.
• Expertise in construction trade labor union structures and hiring practices.
• Knowledge of Priority or Local Hiring programs, community workforce agreements, or the obstacles/challenges facing workers from economically distressed areas.
• Experience in designing and/or implementing new initiatives and programs
• Proficiency in electronic tools commonly used for sharing information and for contract compliance (such as web-based labor compliance software).
• Experience with LEAN processes and principles.
• Experience with SharePoint, MS Teams, and other collaborative online tools.

The Business Development and Contract Compliance Section (BDCC) is part of the larger Finance and Business Operations Division portfolio of countywide services. FBOD’s vision “Count on Us”reflects the division’s deep-seated commitment to customer success, equity, employee engagement, resource stewardship, and operational excellence. If these values align with your own, please apply and join FBOD for a rewarding career!

Position Information:

• Work Site Details: The team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. Please reach out for additional details at the contact below.
• Location Requirement: Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
• Work Schedule: This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a  40-hour workweek; normally 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. 
• Union Representation: This position is not represented.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work in our department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a county-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work. Employees will need to be available and responsive during scheduled work hours and follow FBOD’s hybrid/remote guidelines that include on-camera participation during virtual video meetings. 

The Application/Selection Process: The recruitment for this position is open to all qualified candidates. A completed King County Application is required. Applicants from this recruitment may be used to fill future opportunities in this job classification [Project/Program Manager 4] including Term-Limited Temporary, Special Duty Assignment, Short-Term-Temporary and Career Service vacancies. We highly recommend that you provide a resume. A cover letter addressing how you meet the minimum qualifications and why you are interested in this position is encouraged as well.

The selection process consists of different phases:  screening interview, virtual interview, and if successful, pre-hire reference checking. For some positions, additional phases may also include skill testing, writing samples or additional interviews. Candidates will be updated on the status of their application via the email address used to apply.

Each phase is set for a specific day. Different times will be available for those days only. Please reach out to the contact below to confirm dates. Rescheduling interviews may not be possible and may remove you from consideration if unavailable. 

 Note: Online applications are preferred. However, if you cannot apply online, go to www.kingcounty.gov/jobs for other options.

If you have any questions or concerns while applying, please contact: Michael Castro, Recruiter Email: [email protected]

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.

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.