Director of Communications and Marketing

King County Metro is hiring a Director of Communications & Marketing who will play a vital role in helping the agency engage partners, policymakers, and the diverse communities we serve, while advancing our work to provide integrated, safe, clean, and welcoming mobility options that strengthen equity, sustainability, and our regional economy. This role will help shape and strengthen Metro's communications programs, elevate Metro's brand, and advance a wide range of organizational objectives. They will support and advance the work of several highly talented teams, including Public Affairs, Creative & Marketing, Web Communications, and Employee Communications. They will collaborate closely with other teams within the Office of the Chief of Staff, including Partnerships & Engagement, as well as with key customer communication sections and programs in other divisions and division and department leadership. 

Position Information: This recruitment will be used to fill one (1) Career Service Transit Section Manager classification vacancy. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Special Duty Assignment (SDA), Term Limited Temporary (TLT), and Career Service (CS) vacancies that may occur in this classification within this workgroup. The eligibility list will be retained for 12 months from the date of posting and may be used at the discretion of the hiring authority.  

Who May Apply: We are accepting applications from all qualified individuals including current King County employees and the general public. Please refer to the "Supplemental Information" section of this job bulletin for the required application materials.

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.  As a Director of Communications & Marketing you will: 

• Lead the strategic development of enterprise-wide communications plans and programs, including assuring coordination across matrixed teams to stay aligned in messaging, develop accessible products, and implement communication activities.
• Develop methods to ensure alignment of communications and marketing strategies with agency goals.
• Build strong working relationships with internal agency leadership and other partners throughout Metro and external partners within the industry including but not limited to other county departments and transit agencies to promote an integrated communications approach with internal and external stakeholders and audiences.
• Lead, supervise, and develop King County Metro’s Communications & Marketing teams, including performance management, workforce planning and staff training and development. 
• Manage diverse teams to communicate effectively in accessible, linguistically diverse, and culturally relevant ways.
• Develop, approve, and monitor the budget; determine and allocate resources.
• Execute a consistent brand messaging strategy and agency voice that is reflected across all products and service programs, both internally and externally.
• Develop communication performance strategies, lead continuous improvement efforts, and identify ways to collect, analyze, and report on the success of communications in achieving intended goals and outcomes.
• Develop messaging platforms and editorial content.
• Guide and oversee the agency's media, online and social media strategy.
• Support elected official communications and policy and program rollout.
• Lead emergency communications.

• Other duties as assigned.

We are looking for candidates who have: 

Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, public relations or a related field

AND

At least ten (10) years of increasingly responsible experience in customer experience and communications.

AND

Minimum of five (5) years directly supervising or managing teams.

OR

An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the skills, knowledge, and abilities required to perform the role effectively.

• Experience leading enterprise-wide communications strategy in a large, complex organization. 

• Demonstrated experience in strategic marketing and communications, public affairs or relations, and emergency or crisis communication; experience within the transportation sector is strongly preferred.

• Experience developing communication strategies related to policy implementation or government relations.

• Ability to actively support media relations, partner agency relationships, and relations with other important constituencies.

• Experience leading and coordinating matrixed teams.

• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Ability to work as part of a collaborative team and enthusiasm for building relationships with key stakeholders and partners.

• Excellent communication, analytical, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Demonstrated experience as a people leader, fostering team collaboration, driving results, and supporting the professional development of direct reports.

• Experience with budget monitoring, development, and allocation.

• Knowledge of the management techniques for a large, complex, multidisciplinary organization.

• Commitment to equity and social justice.

• Expertise in accessible, culturally competent, and multilingual communication practices.

• Skilled in brand development, content development, writing, and dissemination of messaging and content via digital and print mediums in ways that successfully engage diverse perspectives and communities
• Experience managing enterprise social media strategy, analytics, and digital engagement.
• Superior written and verbal communications skills – multilingual a plus.

Highly competitive candidates will have (desired, but not required):

• Knowledge of King County Metro Transit policies & procedures.
• Experience working with large, unionized organizations/agencies, and/or public sector experience.
• Knowledge of transit operations and optimization.
• Experience with SharePoint and SharePoint site administration.
• Experience with facilitation and change management.

Who may apply: We are accepting applications from all qualified individuals including current King County employees and the general public.

To Apply 

The following application materials are required: 

1. An online King County application updated with accurate contact information and relevant work history.
2. Completed supplemental questions. 
3. Attach a Resume
4. Attach a cover letter that addresses why you are interested in this role and how your experience, skills and/or education have prepared you for this position.

5. Attach a document (not to exceed 2 pages) that outlines an example of senior-level talking points you have created for a sensitive issue you supported. 
   • Your sample should include:
     • A description of the issue, the intended audience, and the goals of the communication.
     • A short set of talking points prepared for the senior leader(s)
     • Enough context for us to understand your approach, strategy, and clarity of messaging.

Selection Process: 

Applications that do not include all of the required materials listed above will not be considered. Only the materials explicitly requested will be reviewed—additional documents or information will not be evaluated. 

Application materials will be screened for completeness and competitiveness. The most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in one or more interviews and possibly other selection process elements. Final offers are contingent on successful completion of reference checks and/or a record review.  

Other Position Information
 
Work Location: 

This position requires a minimum of 3 days per week onsite to support team collaboration, coaching, and in-person leadership presence, consistent with King County Metro's hybrid work expectations for supervisory roles. The primary onsite location is King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. 

Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. Due to the nature of the role and its support of 24/7 operations throughout King County, work may be required outside of traditional business hours and may occasionally require travel to locations throughout King County in a timely manner to address urgent or time sensitive business needs.

King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. 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: Our regular business hours are 40 hours per week, Monday through Friday. However, work outside of these hours may occasionally be required to support urgent and time-sensitive business needs. This position is classified as exempt under the Fair Labor Standards Act and is not eligible for overtime pay. 
 
Union Representation: The position is not represented by a union

Class Code: 1132120 TRANSIT SECTION MANAGER

Safety Responsibilities for Managers: 

• Fully support Metro Transit’s Safety Policy and its proper implementation.
• Create a positive safety culture where employees are engaged in safety practices and processes.
• Resolve hazards and safety concerns within their purview.
• Ensure that SMS is implemented and executed within their area(s) of responsibility. 
• Ensure that performance of SMS is measured and documented in all areas. 
• Needs necessary for employees to perform job duties are communicated to the Accountable Executive and considered in resource requests.
• Provide time necessary for employees to receive sufficient training.
• Establish accountability and corrective actions.

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 Sabrina Brazzle 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.