Assistant Director, Housing Division (EMS 4)

Assistant Director, Housing Division (EMS 4)

The Department of Commerce is seeking a visionary, strategic, and collaborative leader to drive innovation and expand housing access across the state. This role can be based in Olympia or Seattle, with hybrid work flexibility.

The Organization:

The Washington State Department of Commerce is the state’s lead agency for community and economic development, with a mission to strengthen communities and expand opportunity statewide.

Commerce manages a diverse portfolio across multiple divisions, all working toward vibrant communities, a resilient economy, and equitable access to opportunity.

Operating at the intersection of policy, funding, and partnership, the agency deploys resources that influence housing, infrastructure, energy, and economic vitality across Washington State.

The Housing Division within Commerce is one of the most visible and mission-critical portfolios in state government.

The Housing Division is responsible for advancing the state’s commitment to ensuring that every Washington resident has access to safe, affordable housing. It does so through a comprehensive and highly integrated portfolio that includes:

• Policy development, legislative support, and advisory functions shaping statewide housing strategy to meet the goal of building 1.1M new housing units over the next 20 years.
• Capital investments to build and preserve affordable housing statewide
• Programs that prevent homelessness and stabilize households
• Data and performance systems that inform decision-making and improve outcomes

The division’s work spans the full housing continuum—from homelessness response and permanent supportive housing to homeownership and multifamily development—while also supporting statewide coordination and alignment across systems.

With a strong commitment to equity and systems-level impact, the division partners with local governments, Tribes, nonprofits, and community organizations to expand housing availability and stability statewide.

Notably, the Housing Trust Fund, administered through Commerce, has invested over $2.6 billion and supported more than 59,000 affordable housing units, underscoring the scale and impact of the division’s work.

The Housing Division is seeking its next Assistant Director. This is a high-impact leadership opportunity to shape the future of housing in Washington State at a pivotal moment.

Following a period of sustained leadership transition and rapid organizational growth, the division is ready for a unifying, forward-looking leader who can stabilize, align, and accelerate the organization’s work.

This role sits at the center of one of the Governor’s top priorities, creating a powerful platform for impact.

The Assistant Director will lead nearly 200 professionals across eight organizational units, overseeing one of the largest and most complex housing portfolios in the Pacific Northwest, with over $2.5 billion in funding across 82 programs driving statewide housing outcomes.

Beyond operational leadership, this role offers the chance to drive meaningful systems change by modernizing housing delivery, strengthening cross-agency alignment, and advancing bold strategies to meet the state’s long-term housing goals.

As a key member of Commerce’s Executive Leadership Team, the Assistant Director will also help shape agency-wide strategy and influence how we invest, build, and serve communities across Washington.

Success in this role will require a leader who can build trust quickly, bring clarity amid ambiguity, and translate vision into measurable progress.

• Stabilize and unify the division by building trust, strengthening leadership alignment, and creating clarity of direction across teams.
• Drive measurable housing outcomes, contributing to the state’s long-term goal of developing approximately 1.1–1.2 million new housing units over the next 20 years.
• Break down silos and position the Housing Division as an integrated, strategic partner across Commerce and with external partners.
• Lead through complexity and change, navigating evolving policy discussions, organizational transformation, and external partner expectations.
• Establish a strong leadership presence as a trusted advisor to agency leadership, the Governor’s office, and external partners.

As Assistant Director of the Housing Division, your leadership will directly shape housing outcomes across Washington. Key responsibilities include:

• Strategic & Operational Leadership: Lead the day-to-day operations of the Housing Division, setting a clear vision and driving execution across all functions. Foster a culture of accountability, collaboration, innovation, and belonging.
• Program & Team Oversight: Oversee 8 units and more than 80 programs focused on housing access, affordability, and homelessness. Ensure alignment, performance, and compliance across a complex program portfolio.
• Fiscal Stewardship: Manage a large and complex operating and capital budget, ensuring responsible allocation of resources and maximum impact.
• Policy & Executive Advisory: Serve as a key advisor on housing and homelessness issues, providing strategic insight on legislative, political, and operational implications.
• Cross-Sector Leadership: Build and maintain strong partnerships with Tribes, local governments, community organizations, advocacy groups, private sector stakeholders, and related public agencies.
• Organizational Leadership & Talent Development: Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing leadership team that’s aligned around shared goals and outcomes. Strengthen organizational cohesion in an environment with varying tenure and evolving structure.

This role is ideal for a strategic, mission-driven executive who thrives in complexity and is motivated by public impact at scale. We welcome candidates from both public and private sectors who bring the leadership maturity, systems thinking, and political navigation required for this role.

Minimum Qualifications:

• 10+ years of relevant experience, with a minimum of 5 years of demonstrated success in senior-level leadership roles with responsibility for managing complex programs, large multidisciplinary teams, and significant operating and/or capital budgets.
• Familiarity operating within public sector authorizing environments.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field; a combination of education and progressively responsible leadership experience may be substituted
• Experience coaching people managers, driving organizational effectiveness, and fostering collaborative and inclusive team environments
• Track record of advising executive leadership and driving strategic plans and initiatives
• Action-oriented and proactive, with the ability to navigate barriers and drive initiatives forward in a matrixed environment; highly resourceful
• Demonstrated success leading organizations or divisions through transformation, including scaling programs, improving systems, or driving cross-sector initiatives; skilled in stabilizing and supporting teams during change
• Proven ability to translate policy or strategy into actionable programs, drive implementation, and deliver measurable outcomes at scale; sets long-term vision while driving near-term execution with clear expectations and accountability
• Skilled at navigating ambiguity and aligning stakeholders around shared goals
• Exceptional communication skills, with the ability to engage and influence decision-making across executive leadership, policymakers/elected officials, and external partners
• Strong interpersonal skills with a track record of building trust and effective partnerships
• High integrity, emotional intelligence, humility, resilience, transparency and authenticity
• A strong listener who leads with empathy, clarity, sound judgement and decisiveness
• An innovative problem-solver; able to gather input, assess risks, and make timely, strategic decisions
• Committed to equity with demonstrated ability to apply an equity lens to leadership, policy, and decision-making

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading housing or community development programs within a state or local government environment, or in close partnership with public agencies
• Experience with affordable housing finance tools and structures (e.g., LIHTC, tax-exempt bonds, public-private partnerships) and oversight of housing development or preservation initiatives
• Significant experience working with state, local or federal legislative bodies, contributing to policy development, and navigating complex regulatory environments
• Experience advancing equity in housing access and outcomes, including experience serving historically underserved or disproportionately impacted communities
• Knowledge of Washington State housing programs, including funding mechanisms and legislative processes

This is an opportunity to shape the future of housing in Washington State.

You will help define how the state responds to one of its most pressing challenges, working at the intersection of policy, community impact, and systems transformation. For the right leader, this is a chance to leave a lasting legacy on communities across Washington.

How to Apply:

This search is being led by Anvil Rock Consulting, a retained executive search partner. All applications will be reviewed in partnership with the hiring organization.

To be considered, please submit a resume and cover letter as part of your application. Your cover letter should highlight your alignment with the role and your interest in advancing housing initiatives within Washington State. Please note, incomplete applications may not be considered.

For questions about this recruitment, please contact our recruitment team via email:comrecruitment@commerce.wa.gov- please reference the job number in your message.