License Inspector

King County Records and Licensing Services is looking for a License Inspector to join our team! This position will be responsible for applying and enforcing the King County Code and ordinances for taxicabs, for-hire driver licensing, and transportation network companies (TNCs). The King County Licensing office provides regulation and enforcement of the for-hire industry in Washington’s most populous county and is charged with safeguarding passengers, drivers, and the public. This is an exciting opportunity to be a leader in service excellence, committed to building an enduring legacy of continuous improvements and employee engagement. 

This position involves field investigation and compliance, customer service, and effective communication with a variety of partners to ensure public safety. Most of your time will be spent working out in the field, with flexibility provided for remote work when not performing field inspections with in-office presence as required.

ABOUT RECORDS & LICENSING SERVICES (RALS)

The Records and Licensing Services Division (RALS) is a division of the Department of Executive Services.

RALS operates within a statutory framework that is prescribed by state law and county code. Many of the services administered by the division are mandated by state law, and are provided in King County on a regional basis across jurisdictional boundaries. RALS also provides certain local services to unincorporated King County and by contract with many local municipalities throughout King County. In addition, RALS is responsible for providing internal services that are necessary for purposes of business efficiency and meeting various legal responsibilities.

RALS is responsible for:

• Recording documents related to real property sales and other transactions and making them accessible for members of the public, businesses, and other government agencies
• Collecting and dispersing real estate excise tax payments on the conveyance of real property in King County
• Providing licensing and information services and promoting public safety by administering and enforcing vehicle and vessel licensing and taxi and transportation network company (TNC) regulations
• Providing internal mail services and physical and electronic records management services to all county agencies
• Providing animal care and control services for the protection of property, human health, and safety and promoting responsible pet ownership and animal welfare through education and licensing programs via public and private sector partnerships

RALS is committed to service excellence and building an enduring legacy through continuous improvement.  RALS uses Lean practices to improve our operations, programs, public and internal services, and employee safety. We accomplish this through an equity lens, creating a learning environment, and employee engagement.

To learn more about RALS, please visit our website at: https://kingcounty.gov/depts/records-licensing.aspx.

Scope of Job Duties: To be considered for this opportunity, you must at a minimum demonstrate skill and ability to: 

• Investigate customer complaints related to for-hire transportation services, make sound decisions and logical, supported recommendations, prepare written correspondence, issue warnings and notices of violation as may be necessary.
• Prepare, submit, and defend administrative appeals before the King County Hearing Examiner and other jurisdictions.
• Review for-hire driver license applications when content warrants additional discretion to be applied, perform research into driving records and criminal background check information using various methods, including public records requests, on-line searches, phone calls, etc.;
• Tactfully and effectively deal with difficult or aggressive customers while providing strong, firm support, justification, and explanations;
• Perform regularly scheduled field inspections of driver and vehicle licensees, dispatch agencies, and TNC licensees, including:
  1. Informational visits
  2. Periodic emphasis patrols for targeted compliance at various times throughout the day and/or evening, including some weekends, at special events, festivals, etc. located throughout the county.
  3. Coordinate with other local law and code enforcement personnel.
• Provide training and outreach for area stakeholders (driver, vehicle, company licensees);
• Prioritize and manage a high volume of diverse assignments and multiple competing tasks with a strong attention to detail;
• Monitor and participate in surveillance and undercover activities including interacting directly with licensees and for-hire transportation

We are looking for candidates who:

• Are able to monitor, audit, and interpret industry compliance with local codes, established policies, procedures, regulations and laws.
• Perform investigations and inspections, including, interviewing witnesses, collecting evidence, determining or recommending courses of action, completing investigation reports, issuing written warning notices and citations;
• Have the ability to work effectively in an electronic environment using information management systems, and associated automated tools, to create, maintain and track a wide variety of detailed documents, reports, and files, and
• Are comfortable examining and analyzing data to generate new information and statistics to discern patterns, anomalies and trends, using a variety of analytical skills and tools.
• Have the ability to prepare and present moderate to complex information to a variety of audiences including but not limited to administrative hearing officers, judges in a court of law, senior management, other stakeholders, and staff;
• Can work collaboratively in a diverse team and community environment; Be able to maintain composure in high pressure and/or adversarial situations;
• Foster positive and effective relationships with interagency contacts when working with internal and external partners including agency staff, city and Port of Seattle representatives, other state and local agencies, and the general public.
• Able to effectively communicate, verbally and in writing, in both informal and formal situations.  

The successful candidate for this position must, as a condition of employment:

• Maintain a valid Washington State Driver’s License;
• Pass a pre-employment driving record check, criminal background check and physical;
• Drive in all types of weather, walk, sit and stand for extended periods of time.

Work location: The primary work location is located to King Street Center – 201 S. Jackson St. Seattle, WA 98104, however, most of the time will be spent working out in the field.

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.

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 as we transition to the 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 and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Work schedule: This position is scheduled Monday – Friday, 7:00am – 3:30pm. This position is non-exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and therefore is overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday. 

Union Representation: This position is represented by PROTEC17-DES, DLS, DNRP.

Are you ready to APPLY?

The recruitment for this position is open to all qualified candidates. A completed King County Application is required. We highly recommend that you also provide a resume and cover letter. 

This recruitment is an effort to fill our immediate vacancies as well as create a hire list that will be used for any positions that become vacant within the next 6 months, including additional Term Limited Temporary (TLT), Short-Term Temporary (STT) and Career Service (CS) positions.

If you have any questions, please contact Karina Cordova, HR Analyst, by e-mail at [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.

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 Karina Cordova, HR Analyst at [email protected].

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.