Responsibilities

• 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.
• Build strong working relationships with agency leadership and other partners throughout Metro to promote an integrated communications approach with internal and external stakeholders and audiences.
• Execute a consistent brand messaging strategy and agency voice that is reflected across all products and service programs, both internally and externally.
• Develop methods to ensure alignment of communications and marketing strategies with agency goals.
• Manage diverse teams to communicate effectively in accessible, linguistically diverse, and culturally relevant ways
• Strengthen the agency's online and social media strategy.
• Lead emergency communications.
• Support elected official communications and policy and program rollout.
• Develop messaging platforms and editorial content.
• Other duties as assigned.

Requirements

• At least 10 (ten) years of increasingly responsible experience directly supervising or managing teams and individuals, and skilled with working with customer experience, communications in the transportation field, OR any combination of experience and education that provides the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the essential functions of the job.
• Relevant experience in strategic marketing and communications, public affairs or relations, and crisis communication.
• 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
• Commitment to equity and social justice.
• Demonstrated experience as a people leader, enabling teams to successfully collaborate and produce results and supporting direct reports in their own professional development.
• Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to collaborate effectively at all organizational levels.
• Superior written and verbal communications skills – multilingual a plus.
• Ability to embrace and work effectively with a broad-based and complex organization.
• Ability to actively support media relations, partner agency relationships, and relations with other important constituencies.
• Understanding of digital tools and strategies.
• Willingness to work as part of a collaborative team and enthusiasm for building relationships with key stakeholders and partners.

Preferred

• 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 facilitation and change management.
• Experience with SharePoint and SharePoint site administration.
• Experience in a public sector setting.

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers