Tribal Relations Strategist (MA 5)

Full Job Description

Tribal Relations Strategist (MA 5)
At the Department of Commerce we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places.

Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work.

We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes.

We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact.

This job is a commitment to reshape systems so they work better for everyone. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and build meaningful connections, we want to meet you.

Let’s build what’s next, together.

At the Department of Commerce (Commerce), we are creative, collaborative, and trusted. We identify opportunities to deliver critical funding and services to strengthen communities, we cultivate an environment in which we continuously learn, and we own our work.

The Community Services Division (CSD) partners with local governments, tribes, community action agencies, community-based organizations and nonprofits to provide community assistance and services to promote individual and family self-sufficiency and reduce poverty; address the causes and effects of crime and interpersonal violence; and increase equity and belonging for underserved and historically marginalized communities by centering the voices of lived experience. There are seven units within CSD including: Community Economic Opportunities (CEO), Office of Crime Victims Advocacy, Community Safety/Office of Firearm Safety and Violence Prevention, Community Reinvestment Program (CRP), Special Initiatives Unit, the Washington State Developmental Disabilities Council, and the Statewide Reentry Council.

As the Tribal Relations Strategist, this position will support and coordinate with Office of Tribal Relations to enhance CSD by strengthening government-to-government relations between the division and federally recognized tribes within Washington State as well as other tribally affiliated and urban Indian organizations and communities. This work will include overseeing CSD’s programmatic levels of tribal communications including tribal consultation and collaboration, planning processes, leading environmental justice assessments for CSD programs, research and developing systems to ensure CSD contracting, policies, reporting, presentations and programs are culturally responsive and uphold the sovereignty of federally recognized tribes.

Half of this position’s capacity will be dedicated to supporting the entire Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) initiative. The Community Reinvestment Program (CRP) is a community-designed initiative to uplift communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. The goal is to create lasting economic benefits, build wealth and ensure everyone has a fair chance at success. Guided by our legislative mandate and RCW 43.79.567: Community reinvestment account, Commerce is directed to distribute grants in collaboration with “by and for community organizations” in the areas of economic development, legal assistance, violence prevention, and reentry services. CRP is not a single program, but a larger initiative that includes strategic, community-driven investments that are coordinated across multiple state agencies and divisions within Commerce.

Recognizing the sovereignty of Tribal Nations and the unique and ongoing harms that Tribal Nations have endured due to historic and systemic oppression, CRP is committed to setting aside funding specifically for federally recognized tribes within Washington. Tribes will have direct access to flexible, culturally grounded funding to support programs that address economic, legal, and intergenerational disparities in tribal communities. This position will have proactive engagement on a regular basis and ensures all contractual requirements and outcomes are achieved within designated timeframes and provides subject matter expertise on CSD programs for tribes and tribal partners. Additionally, this position leads meaningful, respectful, effective communication, collaboration, and relationship building in communities including tribes and tribal partners and provision of quality services to tribal people within Washington that align with the Office of Tribal Relations Policy.

The Tribal Relations Strategist will be required to travel regularly, primarily within Washington, and will have use of a state vehicle. This position can be done remotely, though regular in-person meetings should be expected. This position reports directly to the Divisions’ Policy and Community Relations Manager and has a matrixed relationship with the CRP Strategic Partnerships Manager. This position will have a dotted line to the Office of Tribal Relations and will interact between CSD and Office of Tribal Relations as the tribal engagement coordinator.

Requirements

Lead Community Reinvestment Program’s Tribal Community Investment Strategy
Tasks include:
• In close collaboration with the CRP team and agency Office of Tribal Relations, lead the consultation and collaboration process for CRP program funding that is set aside for tribes, ensuring all efforts align, with the agency’s Tribal Relations Policy and Tribal Relations Resource Guide
• Create a comprehensive, culturally responsive tribal communication strategy in coordination with the agency communications team and Office of Tribal Relations, ensuring alignment with the agency’s Office of Tribal Relations Policy and Resource Guide and Office of Tribal Relations Glossary and other communications guidelines.
• Present on all significant agency actions (SAAs) related to CRP at tribal roundtables, including but not limited to, new CRP grant programs, significant CRP decision packages, Commerce Tribal Advisory Committee (COMTAC), and any agency request legislation related to CRP
• Collaborate with the agency compliance and contracting office to ensure all CRP contracts and processes with tribes are aligned with MOU Agreements (if MOU Tribe), culturally responsive, reflect contracting best practices for tribes, and uphold tribal sovereignty
• Manage and ensure contracts, including Tribal Nations MOUs and tribal funding agreements with tribes are aligned with statutes, program rules, agency performance expectations, and providing technical assistance, monitoring performance, maintaining all financial documentation, reviewing and approving invoices for payment, and coordinating site visits.
• Monitor submission of required data from tribal grantees and check for timeliness, completeness, and accuracy. Identify others in the agency working on data sovereignty issues and contribute to the development of data collection systems that meet individual data program requirements, needs, and respects data sovereignty.
• Attend weekly CRP team meetings and meetings with partners as requested.
• Attend cadence meetings with Office of Tribal Relations, Tribal Liaison meetings and at the Tribal Nations request(s).

Support CSD collaboration, consultation, and engagement with tribes
Tasks include:
• Lead early meaningful and effective outreach and engagement efforts to promote CSD equity programs to tribes.
• Provide strategic guidance on the consideration and inclusion of tribes in CSD programs.
• Provide technical assistance and develop tribal partnerships focused on Commerce’s commitment to pro-equity anti-racist work by making it easier for potential applicants to navigate the CSD services and grant opportunities.
• Identify opportunities for increased outreach, engagement and strengthened partnerships with tribes in collaboration with COM’s Office of Tribal Relations’ Policy and Office of Tribal Relation staff.
• Collaborate with the Office of Tribal Relations and Communications teams to ensure outreach and community engagement presentations and supporting materials are accurate, culturally relevant, accessible and meet the needs of target audiences, specifically the tribes within Washington state boundaries, including tribes with land and rights within Washington state boundaries.
• Utilize COM’s Tribal Engagement Policy, Tribal Relations Resource Guide and Glossary of Terms as a framework for all tribes and tribal outreach and engagement efforts.
• Collect and analyze qualitative and quantitative data, where Tribal Data Sovereignty and the CSD can determine effective engagement and partnership strategies and revises strategies and tactics based on community feedback and data.
• Develop and maintain positive meaningful and consistent relationships with tribal leaders, tribal programs, tribal advocates, consumers and tribal partners statewide.
• Write succinct, plain-talked communications where language relates to tribes, tribal communities with content about CSD equity programs for tribal audiences (e.g., presentations, legislative reports, program one-pagers, webpages, bill analyses, CSD equity plans, federal or state funding applications, GovDelivery, etc.)
• Develop and deliver presentations, technical assistance workshops and trainings that meet the needs of tribes and tribal partners, tribe hosted events and tribal communities.
• Develop written standard operating procedures for the tribal outreach and engagement responsibilities assigned and updates them regularly by ensuring consistency with CSD and the Department of Commerce’s policies and procedures, to include Office of Tribal Relations’ Policy.
• Serve as a CSD equity programs subject matter expert (SME) by providing virtual and onsite advanced level technical assistance to tribes, tribal nations or tribal-based community organizations and nonprofits to support potential applications for grants and contracting opportunities.
• Provide consultation and analysis support for CSD units analyzing bills, drafting budget requests, and exploring agency request legislation with potential tribal impacts
• Lead drafting, review, and requests for all division tribal communications, including Dear Tribal Leader letters
• Coordinate, facilitate, and attend tribal engagement meetings and events initiated by CSD programs.
• Strengthen partnerships with urban Indian organizations and develop a CSD confer process, by identifying existing relationships with urban Indian organizations and Commerce programs, organizing meetings to learn about urban Indian community priorities, and develop a plan for ongoing coordination and connection.
• Lead tribal consultation and collaboration procedures for CSD, in close coordination with the Office of Tribal Relations
• Ensure Government-to-Government processes are in a timely manner collaboration with Office of Tribal Relations, Governors Office of Indian Affairs and incorporate tribal expertise
• Maintain CSD SharePoint resources, training, and information related to tribal engagement
• Actively participate in all agency-led spaces and trainings to advance tribal relations and integrate new information and learnings into CSD
• Attend external trainings and conferences, including tribe-hosted conferences to increase knowledge and awareness of nationwide broadband equity efforts and best practices.
• Provide a monthly report that briefly summarizes the status of all contracts, programmatic development, successes/challenges, list of all outreach presentations or engagement meetings, and any other pertinent information.

Lead CSD Environmental Justice and Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act Compliance
Tasks include:
• Provide consultation and coordination to all CSD Units, programs, and staff to support CSD’s Significant Agency Actions that require Environmental Justice Assessments (EJA)
• Provide strategic guidance and drafts agency administrative rules under the Washington Administrative Code (WAC) related to rulemaking efforts with tribal impacts
• Draft and manage the Environmental Justice Assessment process for all CRP funding, including facilitating and incorporating public comment
• Present at tribal roundtables and Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) convenings, as needed and requested on environmental justice assessments and significant agency actions.
• Maintain CSD SharePoint resources, training, and information related to environmental justice and HEAL
• Serve as primary point of contact for the CSD EJAs, working in close partnership with the agency HEAL implementation team
• Present on all significant agency actions (SAAs) related to other Community Services Division programs, COMTAC, at tribal roundtables, including but not limited to, new grant programs, significant decision packages, any agency request legislation related, and significant rulemaking.

Other duties as assigned.
Tasks include:
• Other duties as assigned to support the Community Reinvestment Program, the Policy and Community Relations Team, and/or the Community Services Division.

Qualifications

Required Position Qualifications:

Nine (9) years of combined experience and/or education as described below:

Experience must include:

Three (3) years of experience working for, or in partnership with Tribal Nation

Two (2) years of experience in three or more of the following areas:

• Organizing and delivering presentations

• Facilitating public, community, and/or tribal engagement processes

• Experience with data collection, analysis, storing, and reporting practices that respect tribal data sovereignty

• Building collaborative partnerships both internally and externally to an organization

• Managing and leading numerous projects simultaneously in a fast-paced environment

• Producing materials that follow readability (e.g. Plain Talk), usability, and accessibility guidelines.

Education involves tribal relations, tribal governance, Native American or Indigenous studies, public relations, public affairs, public policy, public health, environmental justice, or closely related field.

Qualifying education post High School or equivalent may be substituted year for year for experience.

Examples of how to qualify:

• 9 years of experience

• 8 years of experience and one year of education

• 7 years of experience and two years of education

• 6 years of experience and three years of education

• 5 years of experience and four years of education

• 4 years of experience and five years of education

• 3 years of experience and six years of education

Required Position Competencies:

• Intermediate skill level in the Microsoft Office suite of products including OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.

• Knowledge of Government-to-Government processes

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

• Managing governmental contracts

• Lived or professional experience serving communities centered in CRP and other CSD programs

To be considered for this position the following are needed:

• A complete and detailed online application.
• A cover letter (enter online).
• At least three professional references (enter online).

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

Additional Information

Work from Anywhere in Washington State
This position may be located anywhere within Washington State though occasional travel to a Commerce office building or in-state travel to attend events or meetings may be required. If selected, you will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Many Commerce employees work remotely or have a hybrid schedule.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies over the next 60 days.

This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement.

Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support may answer general questions regarding the recruiting system atcareershelp@des.wa.gov.

Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity
The Washington State Department of Commerce 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, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process or this job announcement in an alternative format may email Human Resources at Human.Resources@commerce.wa.gov. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.