Program Operations Analyst

University of Washington • Seattle, WA

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Program Operations Analyst analyzes, documents, standardizes, and continuously improves College of Arts and Sciences (CAS) business processes, including HR, Finance, and General Operations. The role contributes to operational effectiveness by leading process improvement, developing and maintaining standard operating procedures (SOPs), workflows, and process documentation, supporting automation efforts, establishing documentation standards and governance practices, and maintaining centralized repositories for policies, procedures, process resources, and institutional knowledge. The work promotes consistency, transparency, continuity, and high-quality services across CAS.

The position is based on the Seattle campus, primarily onsite, with the possibility of up to two remote workdays per week. The schedule is Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The College of Arts & Sciences brings together 43 departments and centers across the Arts, Humanities, Social Sciences, and Natural Sciences. It has more than 1,400 faculty members, $120 million in annual research funding, over 24,600 students, two museums, and a performance hall. The University of Washington describes its workplace as diverse and intellectually exciting, with opportunities for professional growth. The University is committed to an inclusive, respectful, and welcoming community and is an equal opportunity employer.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience; equivalent education and/or experience may substitute for minimum qualifications except where legal requirements apply.
• At least three years of experience working in higher education in an operations environment.

Nice To Haves

• Experience developing SOPs, policies, procedures, workflows, process maps, and operational documentation.
• Strong experience facilitating stakeholder discussions and translating business requirements into practical process solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to simplify complex information.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and experience with version control and document governance.
• Ability to work cross-functionally and influence stakeholders without direct authority.
• Knowledge of project management and change management principles and practices.

Responsibilities

• Analyze, evaluate, and document current-state processes across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee transactions, payroll, leave administration, and offboarding.
• Partner with stakeholders to identify opportunities for standardization, simplification, and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate processes and create clear, user-friendly documentation for diverse audiences.
• Identify process gaps, redundancies, and opportunities to improve the experience of faculty, students, and staff.
• Establish documentation standards, templates, naming conventions, governance, and version-control practices to ensure consistency and accessibility.
• Develop recommendations that support operational effectiveness.
• Develop, document, and maintain SOPs, process flow diagrams, decision trees, swim lane diagrams, workflow documentation, job aids, and operational guides.
• Translate complex operational, technical, and system-based processes into clear, concise, user-friendly documentation.
• Collaborate with subject matter experts to capture business requirements, operational knowledge, and best practices.
• Ensure process documentation remains current, accurate, and aligned with organizational policies and regulatory requirements.
• Maintain SharePoint for policies, procedures, and process documentation.
• Develop training materials, job aids, onboarding resources, user guides, and reference documentation.
• Support the rollout of new processes and technologies through training and communication.
• Promote knowledge-sharing practices and maintain resources.
• Participate in cross-functional projects and initiatives that improve operational efficiency and employee experience.
• Partner with CAS IT and operational teams to evaluate and optimize systems workflows and business processes.
• Identify opportunities to use technology, automation, workflow tools, and self-service capabilities to improve efficiency and user experience.
• Support implementation, testing, validation, and documentation of new automated workflow processes.
• Support change management activities associated with new and updated process improvements.
• Develop communication plans.
• Assess organizational readiness and identify barriers to adoption.

Benefits

• The job posting directs applicants to the University of Washington staff benefits webpage for benefit information; specific benefits are not listed in the posting.
• Opportunities for professional growth.

What This Job Offers

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