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State of Washington
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Posted: April 9, 2026 (1 day ago)
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Director, Professional Certification - Teaching, Learning, and School Improvement
State of Washington
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Location
Washington, 98504
Salary
$119,638 - $133,673
per year
Type
Full-Time
More Management & Supervision jobs →Closes
April 27, 2026
Job Description
Summary
This job involves leading a team that certifies and supports teachers and school staff in Washington state, ensuring they meet standards for high-quality education.
The director will oversee programs focused on teaching, learning, and improving schools, while promoting equity and collaboration across public education.
It's a great fit for an experienced education leader passionate about closing opportunity gaps and supporting diverse student needs.
Key Requirements
- Bachelor's degree in education, public administration, or related field (advanced degree preferred)
- At least 7-10 years of professional experience in education policy, certification, or school improvement
- Proven leadership skills in managing teams and programs within K-12 education
- Strong understanding of equity, diversity, and inclusion in educational settings
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement abilities
- Knowledge of Washington state education laws and regulations
- Ability to work in Olympia with partial telework options
Full Job Description
EXEMPT
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Director, Professional Certification
$119,638-$133,673 annually
Closes April 26,2026
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill the Director position within the Professional Certification department.
This full-time position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position may be eligible for partial telework after an initial onboarding/training period.
Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to learn more about our agency.
About OSPI and our initiatives
OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state.
Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the agency's success. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives.
We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that fosters professional growth and values their expertise.
OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:
- We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
- We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within OSPI by way of a cross-divisional, collaborative committee.
The committee's focus includes employee engagement and education, reinforcing OSPI values, maximizing the value of diversity, and identifying strategies for inclusion.
Vision, Mission, and Values Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.
Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators.
We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.
Values: Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child
Equity
Each student, family, and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefit their peers, educators, and schools. Ensuring educational equity:
- Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.
- Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.
Position Overview
The Director provides visionary leadership and strategic direction for the Professional Certification department within the Teaching, Learning, and School Improvement division (TLSI), guiding programs, operations, and a diverse team to achieve division and agency priorities.
The position ensures policies and procedures to support equitable, effective, and high-quality educator certification while fostering a collaborative, high-performing work environment.
This role represents the department and OSPI to the Professional Educator Standards Board (PESB) and the Paraeducator Standards Board (PESB), as well as other interested parties, guiding policy interpretation, statewide initiatives, and implementation strategies for educator certification.
Through strategic leadership, the Director advances TLSI and OSPI goals by promoting a diverse, inclusive, and highly skilled educator workforce and ensuring that all students in Washington have access to effective educators.
Key Responsibilities
The Director provides strategic oversight of the Professional Certification Department, ensuring that operations, programs, and staff activities are aligned with TLSI and OSPI goals.
The Director provides visionary leadership to a diverse team, fostering a learning-centered, antiracist, and inclusive office culture that models' equity, accountability, and professional growth.
The Director achieves this with effective teaming practices, clear expectations, timely feedback, and meaningful evaluation.
The Director advises, develops, and evaluates educator and paraeducator certification policies, WACs, regulations, and requirements in collaboration with internal and external partners, including the Professional Educator Standards Board, Paraeducator Standards Board, Washington State Legislature, and education associations.
The Director represents the department in all matters of policy, regulation, and strategic initiatives, providing authoritative guidance to stakeholders across Washington State.
The Director oversees departmental processes and business functions, ensuring alignment with TLSI and OSPI strategic objectives, driving continuous improvement, and coordinating internal and external communications to advance the department’s mission of supporting a highly effective and equitable educator workforce.
The position manages departmental budgets, contracts, grants, and data-sharing agreements, optimizing resources to support operational priorities and agency objectives.
The Director provides strategic direction and authoritative guidance on educator and paraeducator certification policy, system functionality, and statewide implementation in consultation with the Assistant Superintendent of TSLI and the Chief of Education.
The position ensures that policies enacted by the Professional Educator Standards Board, Washington State Legislature, and relevant WACs are operationalized consistently, equitably, and transparently.
The Director oversees departmental resources, including staffing, budgets, and operational processes, and makes independent, high-level decisions on program direction, departmental policies, and resource allocation.
These decisions influence certification outcomes, service delivery, and workforce stability statewide.
Acting as the department’s principal representative, the Director advises OSPI leadership, the Professional Educator Standards Board, and key educational stakeholders on policy feasibility, implementation strategies, and system impacts.
Drawing on subject-matter expertise, operational knowledge, and data analysis, the Director, in collaboration with the Certification team, makes significant recommendations regarding policy interpretation, procedural adjustments, and strategic initiatives that support equity, compliance, and educator workforce effectiveness.
This position also develops, implements, and evaluates internal procedures, departmental protocols, and staff policies to ensure alignment with statutory requirements, policy intent, and agency standards.
Through presentations, consultation, and cross-agency collaboration, the Director ensures that certification policy is operationalized effectively and consistently across the state, safeguarding public trust in the integrity and quality of Washington’s educator workforce.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in education, administration, public policy, business, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
- At least five (5) years of experience in the educator certification system, education policy, or successful experience in the K-12 education system.
- Extensive leadership experience in K–12 education or state education administration, including management of teams, programs, and complex operations.
- Demonstrated experience as a supervisor establishing effective evaluation practices and team development.
- Strong understanding of RCWs, WACs, and policy implementation, with the ability to ensure compliance and advise on statewide education policy.
- Proven ability to lead high-performing teams, fostering an inclusive, antiracist, and collaborative office culture.
- Experience managing budgets, contracts, grants, and departmental resources, aligning financial and operational priorities with strategic objectives.
- Expertise in educator data systems, reporting, and analytics, with the ability to guide data-informed decisions and policy implementation.
- Exceptional strategic thinking, decision-making, and communication skills, including experience presenting complex information to legislators, boards, and stakeholders.
- Strong collaboration skills, with the ability to work effectively with internal departments, state and federal agencies, and external education partners.
- Demonstrated experience in process improvement, operational alignment, and system optimization, including experience applying methodologies such as LEAN or similar continuous improvement practices.
- Commitment to advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion and modeling antiracist leadership practices.
- The selected candidate must maintain residency in the state of Washington to be eligible for this position.
- Full-time in office (5 days per week) for onboarding/training.
Travel Requirements:
The Director of the Professional Certification Department is based in an office environment and may require in-state and occasional national travel, with an estimated cumulative travel time of approximately four to six weeks per year.
Travel is conducted to support department initiatives, collaboration with education partners, policy engagement, and participation in statewide and national meetings.
Desired Qualifications:
- Washington State teaching and/or administrator certificate.
- Experience in project development, electronic data systems, and software implementation at a departmental or state level.
- Experience in policy development, stakeholder consultation, and contract management.
- Experience in executive-level human capital planning, including hiring, evaluation, professional development, and staff alignment.
CompensationThe annual compensation for the position is $119,638 - $133,673 per year and depends upon experience, educational background, and qualifications.
Geographic differentials may be applied based on the successful candidate's work location.
Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental, and life insurance, retirement, and an optional deferred compensation program.
Please visit the Health Care Authority for information on health benefits and the Department of Retirement Systems for information on retirement plans.
This position serves at the pleasure of the Superintendent and is Civil Service Exempt. A bargaining unit does not represent this position.
Application Process
Those interested in this position must apply through Careers.wa.gov. Applications must include the following documents in MS Word or PDF format:
- A letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in this announcement;
- A current résumé, and
- A list of three or more professional references.
NOTE: Your resume and letter of interest must be attached to your application. Please confirm they are attached before you submit.
Please address any questions to:
Sal Salazar, Human ResourcesOffice of Superintendent of Public Instruction
600 Washington Street Southeast
Olympia, Washington 98504-7200
360-725-6278: sal.salazar@k12.wa.us
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 725-6270 or (360) 725-6066, or e-mail hroffice@k12.wa.us.
New Jobs Alert Service
OSPI offers a subscription service, which regularly notifies subscribers of new OSPI employment opportunities on careers.wa.gov. Subscribers are notified via text or email alert. If you are interested in this service, then please subscribe at this location.
OSPI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity.
OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability.
If you would like, please include your name and gender pronouns in your application so we can address you appropriately throughout the process.
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resource consultant listed in “Application Process.”
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