Transit Disability Services Manager

The Employee Services Division within the Metro Transit Department (MTD) seeks an experienced, collaborative, and motivated TransitDisability Services (TDS) Manager.

The TDS Manager is responsible for leadership, direction, oversight, and support to ensure high quality service delivery of Disability Services programs within Metro. Disability Services facilitates the reasonable accommodation process and provides guidance for leaves to King County Metro employees, and actively supports return-to-work/stay-at-work programs. This role will also provide leadership and supervision to a team of Disability Service Specialists and Senior Disability Service Specialists.
The TDS Manager is a member of the Employee Services Management Team (ESMT) andreports to Metro's HR Manager III. The position collaborates closely with human resource professionals across the county to deliver highly specialized support to both management and employees. This involves effectively balancing departmental operational requirements with compliance to relevant federal, state, and local laws, as well as labor agreement provisions.Applying equity and social justice principles is a daily responsibility and a foundational expectation for all King County employees. In this role you will apply equity and social justice principles that exemplify shared values, behaviors, and practices to all aspects of the work.
As the Transit Disability Services Manager, you will:

• Manage the Transit Disability Services (TDS) Team by defining clear objectives, fostering effective communication, supporting team performance, offering coaching and feedback, acknowledging strengths, fostering their development, and navigating challenges.
• Lead the team and processes associated with reasonable workplace accommodations, to adhere with state and federal requirements and labor agreement provisions to ensure policies and processes are applied accurately, consistently, and equitably across Metro.
• Effectively identify and recommend reasonable workplace accommodations that are legally defensible and balance department operational needs to ensure continued delivery of Metro services.
• In collaboration with the Metro HR Manager III, develop and implement both short and long-range strategic goals for Transit Disability Services.
• Develop, implement, and monitor performance metrics for the Transit Disability Services program.
• Employ excellent customer service and communication skills with an ability to answer questions tactfully and diffuse difficult situations with employees, supervisors, managers, and leaders through the organization.
• Develop and implement an onboarding/orientation for both current and future team members on TDS programs and services at Metro.
• Provide continuous learning opportunities to ensure team is up to date on best practices, laws, policies, processes, and contracts.
• Work collaboratively with the team by involving them in decisions and listening to and incorporating their feedback and suggestions.
• Evaluate individual and team performance, work collaboratively with team members to develop performance.
• Support the ongoing work of the TDS team through answering questions regarding medical conditions and how they impact CDLs, facilitating fitness for duty evaluations, completing non-disciplinary medical separations, helping address performance issues related to a disability or medical condition, among other responsibilities.
• Provide employees, managers, and divisional leaders with disability resource information (short- and long-term disability), WA Paid Family Leave, Social Security disability, healthcare options if county paid benefits end during their leave, end of life resources, and other information/resources.
• Navigate work with integrity and extreme confidentiality, handling confidential information with the highest level of discretion.
• Participate as a working manager on Employee Services' Management Team (ESMT) and perform other duties as assigned.

• A minimum of two (2) years of experience in a lead, management, or supervisory role ORany combination of experience/education/training that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the work.
• Extensive experience, knowledge, and skill in the interpretation and application of current federal, state, and local workplace accommodation and employee leave laws in a large, unionized organization.
• Knowledge and skill in the application of supervisory and management techniques and principles, leading and developing teams, and coaching employees.
• Demonstrated ability to work well with people, lead teams, and manage collaboratively to achieve positive results.
• Strong collaborative partner who exercises a high level of tact, good judgement, discretion, diplomacy, and cooperative work relationships with diverse groups of people.
• Knowledge of public sector management experience in a political environment.
• Ability to effectively plan, set priorities, allocate resources, and manage complex tasks to include coordination with individuals and teams across MTD.
• Effective at planning, setting priorities, allocating resources, and managing complex tasks, including coordinating with individuals and teams across the Department.
• Advanced skill in effective verbal and written communication.
• Skill in problem-solving, conflict resolution, and decision-making.
• Ability to anticipate, draw conclusions, and adapt to changing needs.
• Ability to identify gaps in processes, gather information from partners, and develop plans to address gaps.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate technical concepts and processes using clear, simple language and visuals.
• Ability to work collaboratively with peers, share information, and guide team members to achieve positive results.
• Skills in healthy conflict resolution and a demonstrated ability to apply them.
• Familiarity with general human resources processes and procedures within the employee life cycle.
• Strong delegation and time management skills.

Highly competitive candidates will also have:

• Experience supervising employees, conducting performance appraisals, coaching, and providing constructive feedback.
• Related vocational certifications such as Certified Rehabilitation Counselor (CRC), Professional Human Resource designation (SPHR, PHR, SHRM-SCP, SHRM-CP, or IMPA-HR), Certified Disability Management Specialist (CDMS), or Registered Washington State Department of Labor and Industries Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VRC).
• Experience working in the public sector in a highly unionized workforce.

Required Application Materials

1. Supplemental questions must be completed.
2. An online employment application, to include all relevant employment history and experience related to this role as well as responses to supplemental questions.
3. A cover letter no longer than one page addressing the following:

• How has your previous managerial experiences prepared you for the challenges and responsibilities of leading a team in our organization? Please provide specific examples of successful team management, problem-solving, and achieving key objectives.

NOTE: Applications that do not include the required materials may be rejected as incomplete and not advance in the process.
Selection Process
Applicants will be screened for competitiveness, completeness, and written communication skills to determine the most qualified candidates. The process may include the following: a review of the application and supplemental questions, testing and/or panel interview, and references.
For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Jalynn Davis at jalydavis@kingcounty.gov
Work Schedule
This position is exempt from the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and not overtime eligible. Employees are paid on a bi-weekly schedule, every other Thursday, comprising a 40-hour workweek, normally 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Union Membership/Job Code
This position is not represented by a union. / 117401 (Human Resources Manager I)
Work Location
Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
The primary location of the position is at the King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson St., Seattle, WA 98104. However, this is a hybrid position (teleworking and in office). Employees will be provided with a county-issued laptop. When working remotely employees must maintain a workspace with an internet connection (access may be supplemented in some situations) where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.

Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.

Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. 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.
Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. 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.
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 the recruiter listed on this job announcement. Employment Type: Career Service, Full Time, 40 hrs/week