Associate Superintendent

State of Washington•Multiple Locations - Western Washington, WA

9d•Onsite

About The Position

The Associate Superintendent is an exempt Band 3 position within the Washington State Department of Corrections’ Prisons Division, based at either Washington Corrections Center for Women in Gig Harbor or Washington Corrections Center in Shelton. This is an internal recruitment open only to current permanent Washington State Department of Corrections employees. The position requires advanced correctional knowledge and management capability, with authority and impact across the entire facility. Under the direction of the Superintendent, the Associate Superintendent manages daily on-site and off-site facility operations through the chain of command, ensuring operations follow established safety and security procedures. The position is a key member of the Superintendent’s Executive Leadership Team and serves as the Superintendent’s designee during the Superintendent’s absence. Its focus includes long-range strategic planning, translating agency and local decisions into operational plans, developing biennial budget decision packages, and managing significant portions of the facility budget within delegated authority. The Associate Superintendent develops, implements, and monitors policies, local operational memorandums, and procedures that guide facility operations and security. Depending on the Superintendent’s direction, oversight may include incarcerated-individual services and programs; physical plant maintenance and construction; work, training, and volunteer programs; religious, medical, and food services; records and classification; general population, segregation, and intensive management operations; emergency response; security and safety; PREA compliance; support services; Correctional Industries; and staff training and safety. The role also serves on a rotational basis as Duty Officer, making decisions about facility-level incidents outside normal business hours. During major emergencies or disasters, the Associate Superintendent may open and command the Facility Incident Command Post, serve as Incident Commander, direct response and recovery, allocate resources and personnel, and coordinate with facility and community corrections offices, other government agencies, Headquarters Duty Office, and the Emergency Operations Center. This position is not allocated for telework or remote work and may involve working directly with or near incarcerated individuals in a potentially hazardous setting.

Requirements

High school diploma or GED and ten years of corrections work experience, including seven years of management experience; or satisfactory completion of two years of college (60 semester or 90 quarter credits) and eight years of corrections work experience; or a bachelor’s degree and six years of corrections work experience. Credentials must be from an institution recognized by CHEA or the U.S. Department of Education, or a foreign equivalent.
Management experience must be broad-based and progressive, include supervisory experience in a multi-level custody adult correctional environment, and include experience in at least five of the following areas: emergency management (ICS) and contingency planning; prison programs; sustainability; evidence-based programs; correctional practice, theory, and law; budget administration and development; offender classification; labor relations; public relations methods and application; training and staff development; or working with unions.
Effective project management skills and quality improvement analysis.
Organization and time management skills.
Conflict resolution skills and abilities.
Working knowledge of policies, procedures, collective bargaining agreements (CBA), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and Revised Code of Washington (RCW).
Ability to remain calm and thoughtful in emergent situations.
Must be a current permanent Washington State Department of Corrections employee to apply.

Nice To Haves

One year of Unit Team Management experience.
Working knowledge of LEAN practices and their application to improving business practices in a large-scale organization.
Experience in budget administration and development.
Experience working with minimum-security camp incarcerated individuals, including off-site work crews.
Professional experience working with mentally ill incarcerated individuals and operating an Intensive Management Unit or Intensive Treatment Unit.

Responsibilities

Plan, lead, organize, and control the daily work performed by the facility under the Associate Superintendent’s supervision.
Manage and direct daily on-site and off-site operations through the facility chain of command, consistent with safety and security procedures.
Administer, monitor, and oversee facility operations, safety, security, and emergency response activities.
Ensure clean and safe facility operations and support effective communication throughout the organization, including two-way communication among staff and incarcerated individuals.
Balance facility missions and objectives with budgeted resources, develop biennial budget decision packages, and manage delegated portions of the facility budget.
Develop operational goals and working objectives and ensure they are achieved.
Develop, implement, and monitor policies, local operational memorandums, and procedures; ensure compliance with department directives, mission, values, and goals.
Oversee assigned areas of facility operations, which may include incarcerated-individual services and programs, physical plant maintenance and construction, classification, security, support services, PREA compliance, Correctional Industries, and staff training and safety.
Serve as a key member of the Superintendent’s Executive Leadership Team and act as the Superintendent’s designee during the Superintendent’s absence.
Serve rotationally as Duty Officer, making decisions and directing facility and community corrections office activities during incidents outside normal business hours.
Open and assume command of the Facility Incident Command Post during a major emergency or disaster; serve as Incident Commander and manage facility response and recovery.
Allocate personnel and resources and coordinate emergency activities with facility and community corrections offices, federal, state, and local agencies, Headquarters Duty Office, and the Emergency Operations Center.
Maintain high standards of personal, professional, and ethical conduct; support a diverse workforce and a work environment free from discrimination and harassment.
Promote public confidence and trust through integrity, fairness, honesty, legal compliance, and protection of privileged information.