Transit Base Chief - Bus Operations

Transit Base Chief

Lead People. Deliver Service. Make a Difference.

Metro Transit's Bus Operations Division is seeking to hire five (5) Transit Base Chiefs! These career service positions are open to all qualified applicants. As a Transit Base Chief, you'll help lead a diverse workforce in a fast-paced, seven-day-a-week operation. Working as part of a base leadership team under the direction of a Transit Superintendent, you'll supervise Transit Operators and First-Line Supervisors while helping deliver safe, clean, reliable, and customer-focused transit service.

King County Metro operates one of the nation's leading public transportation systems, connecting people throughout King County to work, school, healthcare, and the communities they call home.

Bus Operations work is guided by a shared vision:
Safety comes first for us and our customers. We serve with pride, respect each other, and solve problems together. We are one team.

If you're passionate about developing people, leading through challenges, and making a meaningful impact in your community, we encourage you to apply.

About the Role:

Transit Base Chiefs provide day-to-day leadership within Bus Operations by balancing employee support, operational priorities, safety, labor relations, and customer service. Every day presents new opportunities to lead, requiring sound judgment, adaptability, collaboration, and the ability to build trust while navigating a variety of operational and employee situations.

Working closely with a Transit Superintendent and other Base Chiefs, you'll help create a positive workplace culture while supporting reliable transit service for the communities we serve.

Recruitment Information:
This recruitment will be used to fill 5 (five) Career Service vacancies. In addition, this selection process may be used to generate an eligibility pool for future Career Service, Special Duty Assignment, or term-limited temporary vacancies that may occur in this classification and workgroup within the Bus Operations Division. The eligibility pool will be retained for 6 months from the time it is established and may be extended or used at the discretion of the hiring authority.

Who may apply:
We welcome applications from all interested candidates, including current King County employees and the public. Please refer to the "Supplemental Information" section of this job bulletin for the required application materials.

Job Duties:

• Lead, coach, and support Transit Operators and First-Line Supervisors.
• Promote a safe, respectful, and inclusive workplace.
• Support safe, reliable, and efficient daily transit operations.
• Manage employee performance through coaching, recognition, investigations, and corrective action.
• Interpret and apply labor agreements, County policies, and Metro procedures.
• Conduct grievance hearings and help resolve employee relations matters.
• Use sound judgment to balance operational priorities while supporting employees and customers.
• Build collaborative relationships with employees, labor representatives, and internal partners.
• Perform additional leadership responsibilities and special projects as assigned to support Bus Operations' operational priorities.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge,

Skills:

We're looking for leaders who are committed to public service, operational excellence, and developing others. Candidates must meet the following minimum qualifications to be considered for the position:

• Three years of progressively responsible leadership experience in public transportation or another complex operational environment, including at least two years in a supervisory or lead role.
• Experience supervising employees in a unionized or similarly complex workplace.
• Experience addressing employee performance and workplace issues.
• Experience interpreting and applying policies, procedures, or labor agreements.
• Strong leadership, communication, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• A commitment to safety, equity, inclusion, and customer service.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office and the ability to learn new technology.

Desired

Qualifications:

• Experience with grievance administration.
• Experience in workforce planning.
• Experience in operational performance analysis.
• Experience using workforce scheduling or comparable operational management software.
• Experience using Microsoft 365.
• Experience in continuous improvement initiatives.

Supplemental Information:

To Apply:

If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact Kam Kaur, Talent Advisor at kakaur.

Required Application Materials:

• Submit an online application through our careers site. Update your application with all relevant work history going back at least 10 years (or more if necessary), including detailed job duties, dates of employment, and clear explanations for…