GIS CENTER MANAGER
The Department of Information Technology (KCIT) is seeking a GIS Center Manager for the Engineering Division. We are searching for a seasoned leader and change agent who can guide and develop our dedicated staff and delivery partners to achieve operational excellence and stellar customer service.

OUR COUNTY AND COMMUNITY
King County has a strong and resilient economy and an environment where people and businesses can thrive. Located on the Puget Sound in Washington State, and covering 2,134 square miles, King County is nearly twice as large as the average county in the United States. With more than two million people, it also ranks as the 13th most populous county in the nation. King County is comprised of 39 cities and is an international destination with more than 100 languages spoken in the region and 30 million visitors annually. King County is home to the City of Seattle, suburban cities, small towns, islands, and rural communities, as well as forests, bodies of water, and farmlands. King County communities have highly rated schools, nationally recognized restaurants, vibrant recreation, and numerous cultural opportunities.

As the only county in the United States named after one of the most influential civil rights leaders in our nation’s history, Martin Luther King, Jr., King County is a vibrant international community with residents that represent countries from around the world. It is a region with increasing diversity that cherishes the artistic and social traditions of many cultures. We have a deep commitment to equity and social justice, and the Deputy CTO has a strong role in advancing practices, strategies, and policies that promote fairness, justice, and opportunity for all county employees.

DEPARTMENT OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (KCIT)
KCIT uses the power of technology to digitally transform King County. Building vibrant communities through digital equity and social justice, KCIT offers innovative solutions that engage, empower, and serve our residents, businesses, communities and interested stakeholders. The first-place recipient of the 15th annual National Association of Counties (NACo) Digital Counties Survey, KCIT is recognized for its vision, strategy, innovation, and collaboration. KCIT has a focus of delivering smart technology solutions that support customers, building stronger communities through innovation.

THE KING COUNTY GIS CENTER
The King County GIS Center is the single most extensive and capable GIS operation in the Pacific Northwest. Our unique blend of enterprise GIS resources, end-user experience, and highly capable client services helps us deliver exceptional value to our customers. The KCGIS Center team comprises more than two dozen highly qualified GIS professionals with a wide array of technical competencies to ensure the GIS services and products we offer meet customer needs and are delivered in a timely manner. The breadth of the GIS services we provide and the depth of the technical resources available for our customers make the KCGIS Center a unique service provider.

POSITION SUMMARY
The GIS Center Manager is responsible for providing strategic leadership for the breadth of operational and infrastructure services that comprise the core set of GIS services for King County and reports to the Chief Technology Officer. The incumbent functions with a broad level of latitude and independence to provide the vision, leadership and planning to ensure that the County’s GIS services are effectively and appropriately delivered, including service operations, human and fiscal resources, business relationships, customer service, and intra- and inter-institutional relationships.

The primary role of the GIS Center Manager is grouped around three key responsibility domains: leading the continuous development of sustainable product teams that support King County’s world class GIS capability, providing strategic and innovative leadership and vision for the delivery of GIS products and services to King County and the region, and delivering significant business outcomes and results through a deliberate and consistent customer focus.

Application Requirements

A completed King County Application and an attached resume are required for consideration. We highly recommend you also provide a cover letter.

Benefits

King County offers a robust benefits package to support you and your family in a variety of ways. To learn more about the benefits offered here, please click on the Benefits tab or click here: http://www.kingcounty.gov/employees/.

Work Schedule

The normal workweek for this position is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Alternative work schedules may be considered. This position is not eligible for overtime pay.

Questions

If you have questions regarding this recruitment, please contact Brian Roberts, broberts@kingcounty.gov or 206-263-1508.

Strategic Leadership
Lead the King County GIS Center, in coordination with stakeholders, customers, technical managers, practitioners, and solution architects to develop and sustain the GIS community across King County. Develop King County’s GIS technology road map and associated high-level vision and strategic goals, aligning them to the technology direction and strategic goals of KCIT and King County. Design and implement short- and long-term strategic plans to ensure infrastructure capacity meets existing and future requirements. Participate in the development of IT strategies in collaboration with the executive team and ensure continuous alignment with executive team strategies and priorities throughout the technology division. Conduct research and make recommendations on products, services, protocols, and standards in support of all infrastructure procurement and development efforts.

Operational Management
Directly manage the supervisors of the Spatial Services team, including setting development and performance goals and expectations. Oversee the goal setting and performance appraisal process for the entire team. Manage operations staffing, including recruitment, supervision, scheduling, development, evaluation, and disciplinary actions.

Planning & Coordination
Develop biennial GIS budget, in coordination with KCIT management and finance groups. Develop rate methodologies to ensure customers are charged equitably for the GIS enterprise and project services they consume. Responsibly manage the GIS fund and the imagery reserve fund to ensure financial health. Review and approve expenditures, and seek cost sharing opportunities with local, regional, and state agencies.

Governance & Stakeholder Engagement
Manage and nurture relationships with key GIS vendors and regional stakeholders, including negotiating contracts and subscriptions, provisioning products and services, arranging for and moving forward on vendor engagements, and elevating issues for resolution. Manage large, regional data acquisition projects (e.g. orthogonal and oblique aerials, lidar). Develop cost sharing methodologies and lead program to bring on cost share partners.
Manage County GIS governance at all levels, including the GIS Steering Committee (business focus), GIS Technical Advisory Committee (technical focus), and Web GIS Guidance Team (center of excellence). Chair committees or delegate authority as appropriate. Guide those committees and teams in development and execution of priority initiatives, and County-wide and agency level GIS workplans.

Equity & Social Justice
Partner with the CTO and senior IT leadership to ensure that KCIT exhibits consistent and visible leadership at all levels and furthers a shared and actionable vision for Equity and Social Justice. Develop effective and accountable leadership for advancing ESJ to drive pro-equity governance at all levels of the organization. Develop an organization where all employees are change agents who actively apply their ESJ knowledge to their work. Visibly and publicly display progress on Equity and Social Justice. Help ensure that KCIT’s operations, programs and services are pro-equity in our service delivery – responsive and adaptive, focused on those whose needs are greatest–and collaborate with other King County and external service providers.

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Any combination of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Geography, GIS, Regional Planning, Information Services, Science, Engineering or other closely related field and ten (10) years of progressively responsible experience in information systems which include five (5) years of experience in a management or senior management capacity, with accountability for planning, organizing, implementing, and ongoing operations and maintenance of information systems and associated staff for a large organization with diverse line operations with a primary emphasis on GIS.

Desired Experience:

• Significant experience in private and/or public-sector in a large agency comprised of diverse departments including, but not limited to natural resources, law enforcement, transportation, health care, and social services.
• Significant experience managing large technology teams; ability to present both technical and business topics to large audiences; ability to write clearly and to various levels of customers.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
The ideal candidate will possess:

• Knowledge of human resources management, organizational communications, and organizational development.
• Knowledge of contracting, procurement, and vendor management.
• Exceptional interpersonal, written, and presentation communication skills and the ability to maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders and colleagues.
• Excellent decision-making, time-management, and planning skills.
• Customer-centric approach to problem-solving.
• Effective relationship-building skills to engage stakeholders, resolve issues with a sense of urgency, and communicate in a timely manner.
• Change management and experience leading others through change.
• Ability to be an enthusiastic and resourceful leader.
• Ability to be a self-starter and motivated to move projects forward.
• Ability to manage competing priorities in a highly demanding environment.
• Ability to successfully work collaboratively across an organization with interdisciplinary teams to develop and obtain broad support for a shared vision and long-range plans.

Forbes recently 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 your recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Application Requirements 

A completed King County Application is required, a resume and cover letter are strongly encouraged.

This position is non-represented.