Grants & Community Partnerships Manager (WMS3

Public Transportation Division's Grants & Community Partnerships Manager

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT leads an award-winning Active Transportation Plan, manages the world's longest floating bridge, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

WSDOT is seeking a collaborative and strategic leader to serve as the Public Transportation Division's (PTD) Grants & Community Partnerships Manager. Reporting to the Deputy Director, this position provides leadership and direction for four integrated program areas Community & Organizational Engagement, Grants, Community Transportation Planning, and Intercity Bus overseeing statewide public transportation grant programs, community partnerships, compliance, planning, and intercity bus services.

This role works closely with internal and external partners to strengthen public transportation systems across Washington by advancing equitable community engagement, ensuring accountability for state and federal funding, supporting regulatory compliance, and improving access to reliable transportation for communities throughout the state. As a member of the division's management team, this position helps shape division strategy, fosters organizational culture, and supports WSDOT's mission to provide safe, reliable, and cost-effective transportation options that strengthen communities and promote economic vitality.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the Grants & Community Partnerships Manager will:

• Oversee the grant making and award process of over 300 grants and contracts totaling more than $650 million per biennium.
• Oversee the monitoring and compliance process for over 100 operating grants and contracts totaling more than $300 million per biennium.
• Develop policy and procedures that have statewide impact for the completion of transit projects funded by local, state and federal government.
• Establish policies, methods and procedures for the oversight of local agency projects.
• Manage staff providing project oversite for public transportation projects across the state; supervise staff overseeing public transportation projects across the state.
• Develop strategies for long term implementation of grantmaking, community and organizational engagement, compliance and oversight of operating grants, and intercity bus operations.
• Develop contract administration and oversight requirements for projects funded through WSDOT.
• Provide state-wide direction and leadership on grantmaking, community and organizational engagement, compliance and oversight of operating grants, and intercity bus operations
• Use risk management techniques to establish the state role in grantmaking, community and organizational engagement, compliance and oversight of operating grants, and intercity bus operations and mitigate the state's liability.

To be considered for this opportunity, the following competencies are required:

Leadership and Organizational Development

• Experience establishing partnerships, building teamwork and trust, and maintaining effective working relationships inside and outside the department and the ability to influence people and coach, mentor, and develop staff.
• Experience creating an environment that encourages innovation, appropriate risk taking and focused entrepreneurial action.
• Skills to plan and support the development of an individual's skills and abilities so that they can fulfill their current and future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
• Thorough knowledge of leadership, management, organizational development, and personnel.

Conflict Resolution and Management

• Skills to effectively interact with others in an antagonistic situation; using appropriate interpersonal styles and methods to reduce tension or conflict between two or more people.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and negotiating skills.

Leadership Presence

• Experience with collaboration and engaging with executive leadership.
• Has an interpersonal style that engages others and encourages trust. Influences others using personal power and does so in a fashion that has charm, style, and a genuine sense of empathy. Balances this highly personal concern for others with a sense of professionalism and with actions that are consistent with his/her words.
• Extraordinary communication skills, including the ability to convey issues to management or executive levels.
• Excellent public communications skills, including marketing, market research, public involvement, public relations, writing, editing, presentation, and online communications.

Planning and Prioritizing

• Skills to establish courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently and…