Legislative Operations Lead

State of Washington•Thurston County – Lacey, WA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington Utilities and Transportation Commission (UTC) is hiring a Legislative Operations Lead (Management Analyst 5) in its Policy and Legislative Affairs division. The role serves as the Commission’s expert-level lead for agency-wide legislative operations, managing the institutional systems that support legislative work from intake, assignment, analysis, fiscal-note coordination, and decision support through implementation tracking and statutory deliverables. The incumbent provides expert analysis, consultation, process design, and continuous improvement on highly complex, multidimensional issues affecting agency-wide programs and policies. Under the administrative direction of the Deputy Director of Legislative Affairs, the Legislative Operations Lead independently establishes methods, management systems, standards, analytical approaches, work objectives, and procedures for accomplishing the Commission’s legislative objectives. The role plans, designs, and carries out agency-wide legislative operations and implementation projects, and represents executive management on assigned interagency and external initiatives. It leads cross-functional and cross-agency work involving multiple divisions, agency leadership, other state agencies, the Governor’s Office, regulated companies, and external stakeholders. The position exercises substantial independent judgment to develop policy options, recommendations, implementation approaches, workflow standards, and analytical products for decisions made by authorized decision-makers. This is a hybrid opportunity. The successful candidate must reside in Washington State and be available to report to the Lacey headquarters when needed. Moderate travel may be required, typically within the state and to utility headquarters; occasional out-of-state travel may also be required. Travel may occur outside normal work hours.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, economics, political science, law, public policy, or a closely related field, and five years of progressively responsible professional experience conducting complex management, policy, legislative, regulatory, program, or organizational business-process implementation and analysis. Additional qualifying professional experience may substitute for education year for year; relevant graduate education may substitute for part of the required experience consistent with agency classification practice.
Qualifying experience must demonstrate extensive knowledge gained through research and experience sufficient to independently resolve highly complex, critical, or novel issues and provide specialized technical guidance.
Advanced ability to analyze, interpret, and recommend action on complex legislative, regulatory, and organizational issues, applying expert judgment to precedent-setting challenges and executive decision-making.
Ability to design, establish, and continuously improve agency-wide management systems, workflows, and accountability mechanisms, and identify and address process gaps, risks, and inefficiencies.
Ability to build and maintain credible relationships with internal and external stakeholders, communicate complex information clearly, facilitate workshops, and represent executive management in sensitive or adversarial environments.
Ability to manage workload and priorities, deliver statutory, regulatory, and organizational requirements on time, accept accountability for outcomes, maintain performance visibility, and recommend corrective or preventive actions.
Ability to learn and grow by recognizing personal strengths and weaknesses and using learning to improve government programs and processes for people in Washington.
Ability to adapt and respond empathetically and with a customer-service focus to the distinct needs of colleagues and people served.
Must reside within Washington State and be available to report to the Lacey headquarters when needed.
Applicants must submit a letter of interest, resume, and at least three professional references with current telephone numbers and email addresses; one reference must be the current or most recent supervisor. The application work-experience section and supplemental questionnaire must also be completed.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated experience with Washington State or other legislative environments.
Demonstrated experience leading complex cross-functional initiatives or agency-wide process improvement.
Graduate degree in public administration, economics, public policy, law, business administration, or a closely related discipline.

Responsibilities

Own the Commission’s agency-wide legislative operating framework and independently design, establish, and continuously improve the systems, standards, controls, workflows, and accountability mechanisms used to execute legislative work and implementation.
Provide agency-wide expert analysis and consultation on highly complex, multidimensional, and unprecedented legislative implementation, organizational, regulatory, and business-process issues.
Represent executive management on assigned legislative-operations and implementation initiatives.
Provide expert consultation and complex reporting to executive leadership, Commissioners, governmental entities, and external organizations.
Independently plan, design, and carry out agency-wide legislative operations and implementation projects.
Lead cross-functional and cross-agency work involving multiple divisions, agency leadership, other state agencies, the Governor’s Office, regulated companies, and external stakeholders.
Develop policy options, recommendations, implementation approaches, workflow standards, and analytical products to support decisions by authorized decision-makers.
Perform other advanced management, policy, regulatory, legislative, and special-project assignments consistent with the position’s level and purpose.