Performance and Strategy Manager

State of Washington • Thurston County – Olympia, WA

3d • Onsite

About The Position

The Washington State Department of Licensing’s Programs and Services Division is seeking a collaborative professional to help connect everyday decisions with long-term division and agency goals. The position serves as an expert advisor on operations, strategic planning, communications, policy, and legislative implementation, helping leaders and staff consider impacts on employees, customers, partners, and resources. The role calls for independent judgment, inclusive collaboration, and a focus on strengthening services for Washington residents.

The position reports to the PSD Assistant Director and combines strategic analysis, project leadership, organizational change support, legislative analysis, facilitation, and staff supervision. It requires in-office work and collaboration at the Olympia location multiple times a month. A pre-employment check, including criminal record history, is required.

Requirements

• Nine years of demonstrated experience in at least two of the following areas: conducting research; analyzing policies, laws, rules, or regulations; conducting business analysis and developing requirements; leading business projects; managing business operations; or business policy development.
• Ability to understand and follow agency values of respect, trust, diversity, equity, and inclusion through behaviors and decisions.
• Ability to promote and support a respectful, equitable, and inclusive workplace for employees and inclusive delivery of services to customers.
• Ability to take action to learn and grow and to meet the needs of others.
• Up to four years of relevant education in business administration, public administration, law, public health, health administration, or a related field may substitute year for year for experience.
• Eight years of experience writing clear, concise information for internal and external audiences in multiple formats and methods using plain language.
• Eight years of experience analyzing and researching qualitative and quantitative data to develop reports, dashboards, and summaries for intended audiences.
• Eight years of project management or project leadership experience, including creating plans, managing goals and timelines, constraints and risks, identifying outcomes and assignments, and communicating statuses and operational changes to staff at all organizational levels.
• Eight years of experience using Microsoft Office Suite products—Word, Access, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint—to create, compose, and edit written and illustrated materials, correspondence, reports, and spreadsheets.
• One year of experience leading or supervising a team, including hiring, assigning and reviewing work, mentoring or coaching staff, training, performance evaluation, setting expectations, and corrective actions.
• Must be able to work in the office and collaborate at the Olympia location multiple times a month.
• Must possess work authorization that does not require employer visa sponsorship now or in the future.

Nice To Haves

• Three years of experience using specialized Microsoft applications, including Power BI, Power Automate, Microsoft Planner, Microsoft Lists, and SharePoint, for data analysis and presentation, workflow automation, project and deadline management, shared documents, and tracking assignments and business processes.
• Three years of experience planning, coordinating, leading, or facilitating meetings, trainings, or group discussions that encourage cooperation, bring together ideas, establish goals and timelines, build agreement, and develop solutions to policy issues.
• Two years of experience using organizational change management practices to assess impacts, communicate changes, engage employees and partners, identify barriers, and support adoption of changes to policies, processes, systems, and business practices.
• Two years of experience working with subject matter experts, program managers, and business partners to improve business processes using Lean concepts and tools.
• One year of experience preparing policy and procedure documents, analyzing and critiquing legislative proposals, or responding to information requests from business partners.

Responsibilities

• Analyze research, customer feedback, and operational data to identify gaps and recommend improvements, explaining the risks, benefits, and broader impacts of available options.
• Develop reports, dashboards, and performance measures to guide decisions, evaluate results, support strategic planning, and track continuous improvement.
• Lead division, agency, and enterprise-wide projects; define scope, develop plans, manage resources and timelines, and document decisions and progress with partners.
• Support adoption of changes to policies, processes, systems, and business practices by assessing impacts, identifying barriers, and supporting implementation.
• Analyze proposed legislation for division impacts and coordinate timely, accurate fiscal notes and other legislative assignments.
• Facilitate discussions that help staff and partners share ideas, resolve concerns, build agreement, and follow through on next steps.
• Supervise staff by assigning and reviewing work, setting expectations, coaching professional growth, evaluating performance, and addressing performance concerns.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior
• Education Level: No Education Listed