Director of Washington Thriving

State of Washington • Thurston County – Olympia, WA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

Join the Governor’s Office in a highly visible leadership role responsible for advancing Washington Thriving, Washington State’s strategic plan to build an integrated behavioral health system of care that improves the well-being of children, youth, and families from birth through young adulthood. This position will lead and manage statewide implementation efforts designed to strengthen and transform Washington’s behavioral health system by coordinating initiatives across agencies, aligning executive leadership around shared goals, and driving accountability for measurable results. Working directly with the Governor’s Office, executive agency leaders, and the Children and Youth Behavioral Health Work Group, you will accelerate progress on Washington Thriving’s priority initiatives, ensure successful implementation across state government, and incorporate emerging best practices to strengthen the state’s broader system of care. You will also drive the work of the Washington Thriving Leadership Council, established under House Bill (HB) 2429, to transform governance, funding, and operational approaches across public and private behavioral health systems, while advancing policy recommendations to improve mental and behavioral health outcomes for Washington’s children and youth at every level of need. This is an exceptional opportunity for a strategic leader who excels at building partnerships, leading complex cross-sector initiatives, and delivering transformational change that will positively impact generations of Washington families.

Requirements

• Extensive experience in behavioral health, children’s systems, youth-serving systems, family-serving systems, public policy, systems transformation, or cross-sector initiative leadership.
• Leadership experience coordinating complex, cross-sector initiatives involving state agencies, local governments, Tribal partners, educational systems, health care organizations, nonprofit organizations, and community-based partners.
• Direct experience developing, implementing, or overseeing strategic initiatives, policy implementation efforts, systems transformation projects, or multi-year organizational priorities.
• Demonstrated knowledge of Washington State’s behavioral health system, including service delivery systems, funding structures, regulatory environments, and cross-system coordination challenges.
• Advanced knowledge of system-of-care principles and practices, including youth- and family-driven approaches, trauma-informed care, prevention and early intervention strategies, cultural responsiveness, and equity-centered implementation.
• Proven ability to analyze complex policy, operational, fiscal, governance, and implementation issues and develop strategic recommendations, implementation strategies, and actionable solutions.
• Advanced skills in strategic thinking, systems analysis, organizational change management, implementation planning, and performance accountability.
• Extensive experience facilitating collaboration, stakeholder engagement, consensus-building, and relationship management among executive leadership, policymakers, Tribal governments, advocacy organizations, providers, community partners, and individuals with lived experience.
• Direct experience working collaboratively with youth, families, caregivers, advocates, and individuals with lived experience.
• Strong skills in executive-level facilitation, written and verbal communication, and preparation of executive briefings, legislative reports, strategic recommendations, presentations, and public-facing materials.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise independent judgment, political acumen, professionalism, and discretion in highly visible, politically sensitive, or rapidly evolving environments.
• Proven ability to manage multiple priorities, coordinate competing demands, adapt to emerging needs, and maintain progress toward strategic objectives in fast-paced environments.
• The ability to learn and grow: Curious about themselves and others, who take responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and who use their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.
• The ability to meet the needs of others: Flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people we work with and serve.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree in public administration, social work, public health, law, medicine, behavioral health, nursing, or a closely related field.
• Knowledge of national system-of-care models, cross-state innovations, and evidence-informed practices in children, youth, and family behavioral health.
• Familiarity with state and federal funding sources, including Medicaid, behavioral health block grants, Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA), commercial insurance, and philanthropic investments.
• Experience facilitating high-stakes cross-agency planning processes or resolving multi-system operational barriers.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate statewide implementation of the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan and First Initiatives by establishing implementation priorities, monitoring progress, resolving cross-system barriers, and ensuring alignment among participating agencies, councils, and system partners.
• Facilitate collaboration among executive leadership from state agencies, legislative partners, behavioral health system leaders, and community stakeholders to advance integrated behavioral health system transformation for children, youth, and families.
• As an extension of the Governor’s policy and leadership team, support alignment of practices across agencies and community partners around the state in close consultation with those entities.
• Support the work of the Washington Thriving Leadership Council established under HB 2429 by coordinating strategic planning activities, facilitating policy discussions, developing implementation recommendations, tracking deliverables, and ensuring follow-through on statewide priorities.
• Develop implementation frameworks, performance measures, accountability structures, and reporting processes to evaluate progress toward Washington Thriving goals and ensure agencies and partners meet identified commitments and timelines.
• Develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with state agencies, behavioral health providers, community organizations, tribal partners, advocacy organizations, youth and family representatives, and other implementation partners to support coordinated system transformation efforts.
• Coordinate development of executive briefings, legislative reports, strategic updates, presentations, and implementation status materials for the Governor’s Office, Legislature, Leadership Council, and external stakeholders regarding progress, barriers, recommendations, and system outcomes.
• Partner with executive leadership and communications staff to develop consistent statewide messaging, communication strategies, and informational materials related to Washington Thriving implementation efforts and behavioral health system transformation initiatives.
• Ensure implementation activities, policy recommendations, and system transformation efforts incorporate principles of equity, culturally and linguistically responsive practices, trauma-informed approaches, and meaningful engagement of youth, families, and individuals with lived experience.
• Provide direct supervisory leadership to the Project Director, maintain oversight of project progress and systemic barriers, and ensure the “Children in Crisis” initiative aligns with and informs implementation of the Washington Thriving Strategic Plan.

Benefits

• An environment of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year
• State retirement programs

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director