Director, Department of Revenue

Full Job Description

Why work for the Department of Revenue?

As Washington state’s primary licensing and tax collection agency, we play a critical role in supporting education, public safety, social services, and other essential state programs.

We administer nearly 60 tax programs and provide taxpayer assistance to more than 625,000 businesses annually.

We also partner with all 39 counties to administer property taxes, manage the state’s Unclaimed Property Program, conduct tax and fiscal research, and support the development and implementation of tax legislation.

Our agency is powered by more than 1,400 dedicated employees across a wide range of professions.

We are nationally recognized for our leadership, innovation, compliance, and commitment to high-quality customer service, working collaboratively to ensure Washington’s tax system is fair, efficient, and responsive to the needs of businesses and communities statewide.

The job opportunity

As the Director of the state’s primary taxing agency, you’ll set the vision and are accountable for delivering on our mission.

This is a highly visible role for a collaborative, credible leader who understands tax administration, public policy, and how government works.

You’ll oversee the administration, assessment, and collection of state revenue, ensuring tax laws are implemented fairly, consistently, efficiently, helping taxpayers understand their obligations, and making sure the agency treats people fairly and equitably, and acts with integrity.

You will work closely with the Governor’s office and serve as a key liaison between the agency and executive leadership.

This includes engaging with legislators and policy leaders, building coalitions among diverse partners, and navigating competing interests.

You will also lead the agency through change, shifting economic conditions, and increasing expectations for transparency and accountability.

You bring credibility, sound judgment, and the confidence to thoughtfully challenge the status quo.

You value collaboration, support employees, understand the impact of decisions on taxpayers and communities, and are motivated by public service.

This is your opportunity to lead at a pivotal moment in the evolution of Washington’s tax system and make a meaningful impact for the people of the state.

Requirements

What you’ll work on

• Serve as the Governor’s chief tax policy advisor and a member of the Governor’s Executive Cabinet, providing statewide leadership on tax administration, revenue forecasting, and economic vitality.
• Provide executive leadership and strategic direction for the agency, ensuring efficient operations, effective use of resources, and high-quality service to taxpayers.
• Lead the development and execution of the agency’s strategic business plan to address emerging challenges, opportunities, and a changing economic environment.
• Oversee the administration of statewide tax programs and ensure uniform application of tax laws while advancing the agency’s mission of integrity, fairness, and voluntary compliance.
• Ensure accurate revenue estimates, effective tax enforcement, and timely collection of state and local taxes, including oversight of the Business Licensing Service and coordination with counties on property tax administration.
• Recruit, develop, and lead a diverse, high-performing management team, fostering a respectful, inclusive workplace that supports innovation, collaboration, and excellence in public service.

Qualifications

What we need you to bring

Required Qualifications:

• Deep knowledge of Washington State tax laws, tax theory, tax policy development, revenue systems, public-sector, financial practices, and the fiscal impacts of taxation on businesses, communities, and statewide revenue systems.
• Highly skilled in building trust-based relationships with employees, unions, businesses, tribes, legislators, customers, and statewide partners to advance equitable and sound tax administration.
• Ability to develop, implement, and oversee clear rules, processes, and internal controls; ensure legal compliance; and guide the agency through regulatory and legislative changes.
• Ability to foster a respectful, inclusive, and high-engagement workplace that supports employee development, psychological safety, organizational belonging, and collaborative problem-solving.
• Ability to lead and inspire a faster, simpler, and more equitable state government by fostering a culture of compassionate/human-centered service that values seeking customer feedback, and uses those insights to improve policies and practices, strengthen public trust, and enhances customer confidence and accessibility.

Desired Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, Business or Public Administration or an allied field.

We are most interested in finding the best candidate for the job, and that candidate may be one from a less traditional background. Don’t let doubts stop you from applying for this position.

If you have transferable experience, please tell us about it or contact us with questions about the required qualifications and how your experience relates to them.

Additional Information

What we offer:

We foster a culture of integrity, innovation, inclusion, and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences, believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being, we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

Please visit our website for a full list of benefits available to employees. Here’s a quick glance at some of the unique benefits that we offer:

• An environment of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
• Medical, Dental, Vision, and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays, 14 paid vacation days (minimum), and 12 days of sick leave per year
• State retirement programs

Application Process: Once you’ve decided to apply for a state government job, you’ll complete an online application to showcase your qualifications.

Keep in mind that once you submit the application, a real person is going to read it. We do not use AI or other technology that screens your application and rejects it.

So please be sure to provide clear and detailed information about your work history so your qualifications can be accurately assessed.

We will contact the top candidates directly to schedule interviews. If you need reasonable accommodation in applying, please call 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

When completing your application, we encourage you to attach all of the following:

• Cover letter: describing your qualifications for this specific position
• Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
• References: at least three professional references and their contact information.

Questions:

Our Staff ASL interpreter is available to all deaf and hard of hearing applicants. For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process, please email us at TalentAcquisition@ofm.wa.gov.

The Office of the Governor is an equal opportunity employer.

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

Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply.