Chief Operating Officer

About the Role King County is launching an ambitious effort to make government more transparent, accountable, and effective through the King County Delivers plan. To support this vision, we are seeking a strategic, collaborative and courageous Chief Operating Officer (COO). The COO will serve as a key member of the Executive’s Senior Staff and function as the enterprise operational leader across up to 12 different cabinet departments/business lines. This role ensures alignment to the Executive’s priorities; strengthens operational discipline and consistency and drives measurable data-backed improvements in service delivery and internal systems. Key Responsibilities Direct and support day-to-day operational alignment across up to 12 cabinet departments, ensuring consistent implementation of Executive priorities and enterprise-wide goals through clear communication, timely action, and consistent execution and follow-through. Break down silos and strengthen cross-department collaboration, enabling departments to address shared challenges, leverage shared resources efficiently, and adopt best practices to scale. Lead an enterprise-wide operations cabinet that convenes department directors to problem solve system issues, align on shared priorities, question the status quo and encourage healthy debate, and elevate operational issues to the Executive and Senior Staff. Provide ongoing operational insight and recommendations to the County Executive and Deputy Executive regarding organizational health, capacity needs, and emerging challenges and risks Identify and remove systemic operational barriers, working with departments to improve workflows, streamline processes, and modernize internal systems. Strengthen internal controls and operational accountability, working in close partnership with the Chief Performance Officer, Chief Policy Officer, Chief Financial Officer and Chief of Staff. Establish and monitor standardized operational practices, reducing duplication and ensuring that departments follow consistent frameworks for budgeting, procurement, HR, communications, project management, and service delivery. Advance equity and external facing elements in internal operations, ensuring that County processes—from hiring to contracting to program operations—are consistent, fair, and aligned with Equity and Social Justice principles. Values Serve with integrity. Show initiative and work hard. Prioritize outcomes over optics. Center those most impacted and put “boots on the ground.” Solve problems with a “yes, and” mindset. Work as one, adaptable, mission-driven team. Ideal Candidate We are seeking a enterprise-minded operational leader and systems thinker who can unify complex organizations, build trust across departments, and translate Executive priorities into coordinated action. The ideal candidate will have: 20+ years of executive-level leadership experience in operations, administration, or organizational management within large, complex organizations—public sector preferred. Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams, aligning multi-department operations, or implementing enterprise standards. Strong organizational development and process-improvement expertise, with the ability to modernize and streamline internal systems using data, metrics, and performance standards. Exceptional relationship-building skills, with a proven ability to build unity, influence without authority and foster collaboration among diverse leaders and viewpoints. Deep commitment to equity, both in internal operations and in service delivery. Agile and emotionally intelligent leadership style that balances diplomacy and steady support with the managerial courage to hold difficult, and candid conversations and proactively resolve conflict and navigate sensitive political and organizational dynamics, while also driving results. Why Join Us This is a rare opportunity to help shape the operational backbone of King County government. The COO will play a pivotal role in creating a more unified, efficient, and resident-centered government—ensuring that up to 12 departments work together as one team to deliver exceptional service to the public. The King County Executive Office serves residents with a relentless sense of urgency, delivering on commitments with integrity, transparency, and accountability. We are action-oriented, creative problem solvers who collaborate across roles, engage directly with communities, and challenge the status quo to achieve meaningful impact. As a unified team, we uphold high ethical and frugal stewardship standards, embrace change, stay curious, and continuously improve. We will work in the office at least three days a week to foster connection and responsiveness, arrive prepared and on time, and structure meetings with clear goals and next steps. The team will represent the Executive with professionalism—including responsible social media conduct—and respond promptly when contacted. Across all interactions, we listen first, act quickly, and stay aligned as a team to earn and sustain public trust. Compensation & Benefits Competitive executive-level salary, commensurate with experience Comprehensive health, retirement, and leave benefits Professional development and leadership growth opportunitiesAbility to make a meaningful impact on how King County delivers for its residents Application Process To apply, please submit your résumé, a brief cover letter, and a statement of interest describing how your experience aligns with the Executive’s vision for unified, equitable, and high-performing government. #J-18808-Ljbffr