Aide to the Executive at King County

Salary: $96,503.06 - $122,323.14 Annually
Location : Seattle, WA
Job Type: Appt/Exempt
Job Number: 2025SW26035
Department: EXEC - Executive's Office
Division: Administration
Opening Date: 12/07/2025
FLSA: Exempt
Bargaining Unit: Z3 : KC Personnel Guidelines
Full- or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours/Week: 40 hours/week

Summary
About the Role

Under Executive Girmay Zahilay's leadership, we are making King County a high performing government, transparently delivering services that improve the lives of residents. To support this vision, we are seeking an organized, detail oriented and highly collaborative Aide to King County Executive Zahilay.

The Executive's Aide will provide comprehensive, high-level administrative support to Executive Zahilay, applying specialized administrative expertise, sound judgment, and exceptional organizational skills. As the highest-level executive assistant role in King County, this position requires strong attention to detail, a customer-focused approach, and the ability to anticipate needs in a fast-moving environment. The ideal candidate brings a continuous improvement mindset, actively seeks opportunities to enhance workflows and streamline processes, and demonstrates flexibility - including the ability to shift start and end times as needed to accommodate the Executive's schedule and priorities.

Job Duties
Key Responsibilities

• Serve as primary scheduling support to the King County Executive, scheduling all appointments, meetings, speaking engagements, and other commitments for Executive Zahilay. Occasionally provide temporary scheduling support to other team members as required.
• Manage the day-to-day administrative operations of the Office. Prepare and organize background materials and supporting documents to ensure the Executive is fully briefed for all engagements.
• Maintain an efficient and professional flow of information between the Executive and internal and external stakeholders, ensuring alignment on organizational priorities. Prepare, compile, and distribute materials for meetings and follow-up actions.
• Build and maintain positive, collaborative relationships across all levels of the organization, modeling professionalism and supporting effective communication and teamwork.
• Serve as a liaison between the Executive, department leadership, county staff, and community partners, fostering strong working relationships and supporting effective collaboration.
• Coordinate and review all travel arrangements for the Executive, including preparing itineraries, confirming lodging and transportation, and processing travel reconciliation.

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.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
Ideal Candidate

We are seeking an Aide to the Executive who can provide high-level support to the County Executive, anticipate needs, manage complex priorities with discretion, and build positive, collaborative relationships across the organization. This person should:

• Have a strong background providing professional-level support to an Executive Director, CEO, COO, or other senior leader, with the ability to maintain confidentiality and exercise sound judgment, tact, and diplomacy when making independent decisions.
• Demonstrate the ability to work effectively with people at all levels, maintain a positive attitude, and show a strong commitment to equity and social justice.
• Be proactive and able to coordinate a high volume of diverse assignments, managing multiple competing priorities while maintaining excellent attention to detail.
• Have strong editing, writing, presentation, and communication skills.
• Understand how large organizations operate, including how to nimbly navigate formal and informal channels with savvy to move work forward.
• Demonstrates flexibility and adaptability, including the ability to adjust hours, priorities, start and end times as needed to support the Executive and respond to changing priorities or unexpected demands.
• Possess the ability to navigate differing or conflicting stakeholder perspectives with professionalism and clarity.
• Be proficient and comfortable using office productivity software and relational databases in daily work.

Supplemental Information
Why Join Us

The Aide to the Executive will play a pivotal role in creating a more unified, efficient, and resident-centered government-ensuring that 11 departments work together as one team to deliver exceptional service to the public.

The King County Executive Department 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 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. This position will likely work more in the office, due to the Executive's schedule. 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 opportunities
• Ability 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.
King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support our employees' health and well-being. Eligible positions receive the following benefits and have access to the following programs:

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what's best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred-compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

For inquiries about the specifics of this position, please contact the recruiter identified on this job posting.
01

Please acknowledge you have submitted 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.

• Yes
• No

Required Question