Central Sound Regional Director

Full Job Description

Central Sound Regional Director

The ideal candidate is an experienced, equity-minded regional executive with a strong record of leading complex public-sector or mission-driven organizations.

They bring demonstrated success managing large teams, navigating organizational change, and delivering high-quality workforce services across multiple locations.

This leader excels at building collaborative relationships with community partners, business and industry, local boards, and government agencies.

They communicate with clarity, coach and develop emerging leaders, and foster a culture grounded in equity, inclusion, continuous improvement, and customer-centered service.

They are comfortable with budgets, contracts, compliance, and data-driven performance management, and they bring a disciplined yet supportive leadership style that strengthens teams and builds trust.

The successful candidate is an in-person, highly visible regional presence who can embed themselves across offices in the Central Sound area.

They must live within King County or Pierce County or be willing to relocate to King County or Pierce County at their own expense, with Auburn as the duty station.

Above all, this is a role for a seasoned, steady leader—someone who thrives in complexity, brings stability during transition, and is committed to building a WorkSource system that delivers exceptional outcomes for job seekers, employers, and communities across the region.

Organizational Structure:

The Central Sound Regional Director (RD) reports to the Director of the Workforce Services Division (WSD).

As part of Workforce Services Division, this position is responsible for the strategic oversight and management of Central Sound Regional WorkSource system operations including job seeker and employer services administered by the Employment Security Department.

This requires work with the Local Workforce Development Boards (WDC) (Seattle-King County Workforce Development Area Workforce Development Area (WDA)5 and Tacoma-Pierce County WDA 6) to develop and support the strategic focus and framework needed to effectively meet the local and regional workforce development needs of job seekers and employers.

Requirements

Strategic Planning: Lead regional workforce strategy by partnering with LWDBs, aligning cross-regional program implementation, strengthening stakeholder relationships, and driving customer-centered improvements through Lean, HCD, and collaborative system design.

Budget and Oversight: Direct and monitor regional budgets, resources, contracts, and facilities planning to ensure compliant, efficient, and strategically aligned operations across all local offices and partners.

Culture Building: Cultivate a values-driven, accountable, and inclusive regional culture by modeling the ESD Values Lens, engaging staff at all levels, and fostering understanding, communication, and adaptability.

Coaching and Supervision: Develop and support regional leaders by providing guidance, training, policy alignment, and a values-based environment that promotes safety, continuous improvement, and effective service delivery.

Performance measures: Equip regional and local leaders to interpret data, track progress, and meet performance goals by providing analysis, guidance, and ongoing support for achieving agency outcomes.

Internal or External Compliance Expectations: Ensure administrators and staff consistently follow agency policies, confidentiality standards, and WorkSource complaint procedures to maintain full compliance with internal and external requirements.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

Five (5) years of experience managing a diverse multi-functional organization, or equivalent education and experience.

Demonstrated knowledge of strategic and operational business planning principles and processes.

Demonstrated ability to model and promote leadership characteristics / attributes, motivate and inspire employees, serve as a role model for quality leadership behaviors.

Demonstrated problem solving skills and ability to prioritize and delegate work.

Demonstrated effective listening skills and the ability to build and maintain relationships with stakeholders, partners and fellow leaders.

Demonstrated understanding of the business environment, appropriate management and use of technology, and ability to interact with partners, stakeholders and customers in strategic planning and problem solving.

Demonstrated ability to make timely decisions and take calculated risks based on available information. Ability to accept responsibility for decisions and modify decisions based on new information.

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with staff, peers, partners, elected officials and the media using a variety of methods including oral and written forms of communication.

Demonstrated ability to effectively present information to groups. Must be able to direct and/or participate in writing program grants, proposals, and contracts.

Demonstrated ability to listen effectively.

Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor staff, value diversity, and recognize outstanding contributions by teams and individuals.

Ability to interact with others in an amicable and professional manner. Assess and evaluate performance and work behaviors in a timely manner and establish a harmonious work environment based on trust.

Demonstrated ability to analyze and interpret data and performance goals, assess data to identify trends and characteristics influencing operational and performance outcomes and interact with local service delivery partners to analyze economic and political climate to respond to community and customer needs.

Knowledge of quality improvement strategies, tools, and processes as well as working with teams to increase customer satisfaction and improve the quality of business functions.

Required equity competencies:

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, communications, operations strategy, organizational development or closely related field.

Demonstrated leadership in: Human resources, Collective bargaining agreements, Fiscal management principles and procedures.

Demonstrated ability to: Model culture sensitivity, equity, and inclusion, embrace the agency values (see ESD Values Lens), work effectively with internal and external stakeholders, analyze and Interpret data.

Use data and performance measures, meet performance outcomes and improve business functions, develop and manage a budget, meet deadlines and performance standards, translate agency mission to day-to-day office administration, give public presentations, understanding of Lean and the Customer First culture.

To request a detailed position description, click Central Sound RD PD request.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

Please submit only the required documents as noted below and ensure all Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as Social Security numbers etc. are edited out of your materials for privacy.

Additionally, we ask that you not include photographs or external links within your documents.

Any documents uploaded through this platform will be securely transmitted electronically to support application review.

Please submit your Cover Letter and Resume with your Online Application through the "Add Attachments" field.

A resume will not substitute for the "work experience" section of the application or vice versa.

Applications with blank fields, or supplemental question responses with comments such as "see attachments" may be considered incomplete.

Additional Information

Our agency's mission and values drive every decision that we make, determine how we interact with others, and are at the core of who we are. We value Access, Love, Belonging, Equity, and Stewardship.

We understand that a work environment that respects your work/life balance is key; that's why many of our positions are eligible for flexible work schedules and teleworking opportunities.

Through support, value, and trust, our employees are empowered to grow and develop into their best self.

Opportunity for AllWe strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity.

Women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people over 40 years of age, people with religious beliefs, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

The Employment Security Department is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

If you are a person needing assistance in the application process, if you need this job announcement in an alternate format, or if you have general questions about this opportunity, please contact Sanyu.Tushabe@esd.wa.gov or at 360.480.4514 or the Talent Acquisition Team, prior to the position closing.

If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact careershelp@des.wa.gov or (360) 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960, Washington Relay 711.

This recruitment may be used to fill additional agency-wide positions in accordance with Article 4 of the WFSE Collective Bargaining Agreement.