Salary range is $160k to $280k, with a midpoint of $215k. New hires typically receive between minimum and midpoint, however, we may go slightly higher based on experience, internal equity and market.

Sound Transit also offers a competitive benefits package with a wide range of offerings, including:

• Health Benefits: We offer two choices of medical plans, a dental plan, and a vision plan all at no cost for employee coverage; comprehensive benefits for employees and eligible dependents, including spouse or domestic partner.
• Long-Term Disability and Life Insurance.
• Employee Assistance Program.
• Retirement Plans: 401a - 10% of employee contribution with a 12% match by Sound Transit; 457b - up to IRS maximum (employee only contribution).
• Paid Time Off: Employees accrue 25 days of paid time off annually with increases at four, eight and twelve years of service. Employees at the director level and up accrue additional days. We also observe 12 paid holidays and provide up to 2 paid floating holidays and up to 2 paid volunteer days per year.
• Parental Leave: 12 weeks of parental leave for new parents.
• Pet Insurance.
• ORCA Card: All full-time employees will receive an ORCA card at no cost.
• Tuition Reimbursement: Sound Transit will pay up to $5,000 annually for approved tuition expenses.
• Inclusive Reproductive Health Support Services.
• Compensation Practices: We offer competitive salaries based on market rates and internal equity. In addition to compensation and benefits, you'll find that we provide work-life balance, opportunities for professional development and recognition from your colleagues.

GENERAL PURPOSE:

Under general direction of the Deputy Chief Executive Officer - Program Management & Oversight, the Deputy Executive Director - Quality provides strategic leadership and vision while directing and leading the Sound Transit Quality team. This position is responsible for ensuring that Agency, state, and federal requirements, guidelines, and regulations are consistently applied, implemented, and continuously improved through effective, proactive, data-driven quality management. The Deputy Executive Director serves as a transformational change management leader to ensure consistent quality outcomes across the capital program and for the Agency's state of good repair program.

In addition to serving as a key strategic partner to the Deputy CEO and other leaders of functional areas within the Program Management & Oversight department, the Deputy Executive Director will act in an executive leadership capacity for the Quality team and the Agency, living Agency values and demonstrating principles of equity and inclusion. This position will hold the responsibility to escalate issues directly to the Chief Executive Officer on emerging quality issues. This role requires excellent communication, decision-making, and influential leadership skills, and a leader passionate about supporting, promoting, and driving a culture of quality throughout the organization.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS:

The following duties are a representative summary of the primary duties and responsibilities. Incumbent(s) may not be required to perform all duties listed and may be required to perform additional, position-specific duties.

• Leads organizational design, staffing, and recruitment for the Quality team and ensures robust quality management system. Must demonstrate previous experience successfully establishing or strengthening a quality culture within a complex, asset-intensive organization.
• Advances the vision of quality management and provides strategic thought leadership to establish and advance a culture of quality across the Agency, in partnership with the Deputy CEO and peer leaders.
• Leads the Agency-wide Quality program and ensures the assigned directors design and develop the appropriate management structure, staffing, programs, policies, and processes to reflect agency needs, best practices, and regulatory requirements.
• Provides leadership and guidance to the assigned directors, along with timely and constructive feedback. Provides mentorship to the quality staff for how to promote a culture of quality and ensure that the agency's construction management focuses on quality outcomes.
• Maintains accountability and compliance with all applicable Agency, state, and federal requirements, guidelines, and regulations.
• Ensures key performance indicators (KPIs) are developed to ensure quality outcomes and monitors trends to ensure continuous improvement on KPIs; champions design of new processes, programs, initiatives, and efforts to meet targets and Agency goals.
• Establishes and maintains a risk management program for quality management and ensures monitoring of mitigation strategies.
• Coaches, engages, empowers, and motivates senior leaders and staff to do their best work and continue to learn and grow.
• Develops and maintains positive relationships with key stakeholders including peer leaders, consultants, contractors, Agency partners, federal, state, and local officials, and Sound Transit Board members as needed.
• Serves as an internal consultant to executive leadership, in the areas of quality management, regulatory compliance, and performance monitoring of quality outcomes.
• Translates Agency organizational goals and strategies into Quality Management goals and objectives with action plans.
• Develops and provides recommendations to Agency executive leadership regarding various issues and reports out on outcomes.
• Leads and champions continuous improvement efforts across the division, department, and Agency.
• Maintains awareness of latest industry trends and developments in the quality field and explores incorporation of new developments as appropriate and technical standards of excellence.
• Evaluates and documents the effectiveness of the quality management system and leads changes/advances to operational model to improve outcomes.
• Champions and models Sound Transit's core values and demonstrates values-based behaviors in everyday interactions across the agency.
• Contributes to a culture of diversity, equity and inclusion in alignment with Sound Transit's Equity & Inclusion Policy.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to follow the Agency safety rules, regulations, and procedures pertaining to their assigned duties and responsibilities, which could include systems, operations, and/or other employees.
• It is the responsibility of all employees to integrate sustainability into everyday business practices.
• Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Education and Experience: Bachelor's degree in Public Administration, Quality Management, Construction Management, Project Management, Office Management, or closely related field. Ten years in capital project management and delivery, engineering, construction management, or manufacturing experience, preferably in the public sector; Or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Eight years of leadership, budgetary, planning and workforce management experience.

Required Knowledge and Skills:

• Demonstrated experience establishing, strengthening, and/or maintaining a quality culture within a complex, asset-intensive organization.
• Leading and empowering teams of diverse staff to navigate complex organizational structure and deliver thoughtful outcomes under pressure.
• Strong leadership, relationship-building and management, and ability to positively influence the work of others.
• Quality management and assurance. Experience working in a fully functioning quality assurance/quality control program, ideally specifically within the context of the Federal Transit Administration's fifteen Quality Elements and similar practicies within the Federal Railroad Administration. Demonstrated understanding of how to engage management in processing non-conformance reports, audit issues, addressing root causes, corrective actions and actions to prevent recurrence, and solving quality issues.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, improve, integrate, and strategically-transform business processes, driving organizational and culture change.
• Advanced knowledge of strategic asset management concepts, strategies, tools and techniques acquired through advanced education and hands-on application in a real-world setting.
• Extensive experience with design, structural, construction, operations, safety programs, activities, and services of a regional transit authority.
• Knowledge of, interpreting and applying applicable federal, state, and local laws, codes, and regulations.
• Independent judgment, strategic thinking, and problem resolution.
• Applicable safety codes, transit codes, and references of standard safety and operations practice in transit environments as they relate to design and construction.
• Risk assessment and management and strategic planning.
• Forecasting potential nonconforming quality trends with design and construction by leveraging data.
• Contract and procurement strategies and management principles.
• Presentation development and public speaking skills
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and active listening.
• Data gathering, analysis and visualization for reporting, decision making and transparency of decisions.
• Developing and overseeing complex programs that interface with multiple parts of the agency simultaneously.
• Principles of management, training, and performance evaluation.
• Advanced principles and practices of program development and administration; public sector budgeting and administration.
• Policy and procedure development and implementation, along with interpreting and administering policies and procedures sufficient to administer, discuss, resolve, and explain them to staff and other constituencies.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, meet deadlines, and adjust to changing and competing priorities.

Preferred Knowledge and Skills:

• Data gathering, analysis and visualization for reporting, decision making and transparency of decisions.
• Advanced principles and practices of program development and administration; public sector budgeting and administration.

Physical Demands / Work Environment:

• Work is performed in a hybrid office and field environment.
• Positions working in field may occasionally be exposed to dangerous machinery, extreme weather conditions, physical harm, hazardous chemicals, and/or extreme noise.
• Position includes occasional on call and weekend/night shifts to address Sound Transit assets and/or quality issues that may arise outside of revenue hours.
• The Agency promotes a safe and healthy work environment and provides appropriate safety and equipment training for all personnel as required.

Sound Transit is an equal employment opportunity employer. No person is unlawfully excluded from employment action 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.