Chief Operating Officer

Join to apply for the Chief Operating Officer role at King County, WA . 2 days ago – be among the first 25 applicants.

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

Ideal Candidate

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.

Compensation & Benefits

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.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.

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