Contracts Transit Section Manager

King County Metro Transit’s Finance and Administration Division is seeking an experienced procurement and contracts leader to serve as our next Contracts Transit Section Manager.

The Section Manager of King County Metro’s Contract Management group is responsible for leading and overseeing Metro’s contract lifecycle management and contract portfolio management functions. This role ensures the effective acquisition of goods and services, end‑to‑end contract administration, strong portfolio governance, and the delivery of best value to the organization.

The Section Manager provides strategic leadership, manages a team of contract professionals, and drives continuous improvement across all contracting practices. As Metro’s operational and organizational needs evolve, this role will guide the development, integration, and oversight of additional contracting portfolios and emerging service requirements.

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.

We welcome applications from all interested candidates, including current King County employees and the public.

• Lead, supervise, and develop King County Metro’s new Contract Management section, including performance management, workforce planning, and staff training and development.
• Oversee and support the full procurement lifecycle, including sourcing strategies; solicitations (RFPs, RFQs, IFBs, waivers); evaluations; negotiations; awards; and vendor selection.
• Provide effective contract portfolio management, ensuring centralized visibility and governance, risk management and compliance, cross-functional collaboration, data-driven decision making, and value optimization across Metro’s goods and services contracts.
• Guide and oversee the complete contract lifecycle, including drafting, negotiation, execution, administration, amendments, renewals, and closeout.
• Ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations, King County policies, and ethical procurement standards.
• Develop, implement, and maintain procurement and contract management policies, procedures, templates, and internal controls.
• Strengthen department staff capabilities in modern procurement, contract management, and portfolio governance practices.
• Collaborate with internal partners (King County Procurement, Legal, Finance, Operations, Project Management, and divisions across Metro) to align procurement and contracting strategies with organizational objectives.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate procurement and contractual risks; resolve escalated issues and disputes.
• Develop tools to monitor supplier and contract performance, ensuring service levels, deliverables, and financial obligations are met.
• Support audits, reporting, and internal reviews related to procurement and contract activities.
• Develop, approve, and monitor the budget; determine and allocate resources.
• Leverage procurement, contracting, and portfolio management systems to improve efficiency, transparency, and data-driven decision-making.
• Lead integration of new procurement portfolios and functions as organizational needs expand, including operational, capital, and technical acquisition categories.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives, including cost savings, process optimization, and supplier performance enhancements.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, Supply Chain Management, Finance, Law, Public Administration, or a related field.

AND

Five (5) years of progressive experience in procurement, contract portfolio management, or contract lifecycle management,

AND

Five (5) years of increasingly responsible experience, managing or leading teams.

OR

An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the skills, knowledge, and…