Workforce & Strategic Initiatives Administrator (WMS2) - Statewide

Full Job Description

Job Title: Workforce and Strategic Initiatives Administrator (WMS2).
Location: Multiple Locations Statewide - Flexible/Hybrid. This position is primarily remote; however, the incumbent must have the ability to travel to offices and regions throughout the state to attend in-person meetings, training, and conferences. Must be willing to make overnight trips as needed for required meetings/training. The designated office can be any office location in the state.
Schedule: Assigned hours of work: Monday - Friday: 8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Although this position may require work beyond these to complete tasks. Note: This position is overtime exempt under the federal Fair Labor Standards Act. Duties may require work beyond a 40-hour workweek. In an emergency, the incumbent in this position may be required to work in a capacity outside of this position and may be asked to stay for extended periods.
Closes: 02/13/2026
Salary: $87,024 - $108,780 Annually.

We are looking for a Workforce and Strategic Initiatives Administrator (WMS2) to join our Child Welfare Programs and Practice Unit and support Child Welfare field operations statewide. In this leadership role, the Administrator oversees the division’s workload planning, staffing model, and strategic initiatives. The Administrator ensures the Workload Planning Model is evaluated on a regular basis, including developing systems for measuring program practices, establishing performance metrics, and fostering accountability by setting clear expectations and using change management strategies to implement change. This senior-level position provides governance for the division’s project portfolio, and manages, monitors, and directs project leaders to manage complex Child Welfare projects that span across and support all Child Welfare Regions, programs, and staff. These projects have statewide, legislative, and federal implications, and operational and legal impacts to DCYF. Additionally, the Workforce and Strategic Initiatives Administrator advocates strategies that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families served by the agency. If you have proven leadership skills and want to make a difference in the lives of children and families, apply today!

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:
This exciting NEW position will be located in the division of Child Welfare and will be responsible for the Child Welfare Workload Model. This position will identify, organize, and lead statewide workgroups related to workload-related policies, procedures, and other identified areas to review activities and social work practice expectations. This includes developing proposals for changes to policies, procedures, requests for decision packages, requests for ARL, and assessment tool development. The Administrator is accountable for projects associated with the implementation of Child Welfare strategic initiatives, including workforce planning, workload redesign, operational efficiencies, and other initiatives, to meet child welfare goals. This involves providing strategic advice and technical assistance on critical issues, managing resources and budget efficiently, and representing the agency in interactions with executive leadership, staff, and other state agencies. By articulating the agency’s vision and engaging with external partners, the Administrator contributes to a high-quality, human-centered culture, ensuring that all efforts are results-driven and continuously improved.

Some of what you'll do:

• Administrator for the Child Welfare (CW) Workload Model.
• Develop, implement, analyze, and publish outcomes for CW workload reports, directives, procedures, and policies.
• Manage related projects, group facilitation, and handle sensitive assignments.
• Provide statewide leadership for development, implementation, and ongoing monitoring of CW Regional staffing model and dashboard, including rules, policies, and procedures.
• Utilize statistical data analysis to ensure the effectiveness of the workload model, and apply expertise in workforce analysis and organizational design.
• Develop and submit an annual Workload Report for the Legislature.
• Support the development of Child Welfare biennial and supplemental budget requests.
• Review and analyze proposed legislative bills relative to DCYF Child Welfare to determine workload impacts on CW Operations.
• Participate in policy development and changes such as legislative proposals, federal law and regulatory changes, DCYF proposals, community partner proposals, and inter and intra-departmental proposals.
• Provide statewide leadership in committees and workgroups to represent workload perspectives.
• Guide fidelity of data protocols, identify child welfare needs, research options for improvements, innovations, and ensure effectiveness and sustainability of the SACWIS/CCWIS system, processes, and functionality.
• Manage information and data collection to direct, guide, and inform IT and business-related enhancement processes.
• Participate in the coordination of the Child Welfare Division's IT systems implementations, improvements, training, and customer support efforts.
• Conduct capacity planning.
• Make strategic decisions and recommendations in project management that significantly impact Child Welfare and DCYF.
• Coordinate, collaborate, and communicate effectively with staff, Tribes, agency partners, DCYF leadership, management, supervisors, program staff, contractors, advocates, community organizations, lived experts, service providers, and state and federal agency and legislative representatives.
• Manage personnel activities related to recruiting, hiring, evaluating, ensuring staff accountability, and addressing staff performance issues.
• Ensure expenditures and procurements follow department policy/procedures, and are budgeted, tracked, and allowable by funding sources.
• Act as the primary backup to the DCYF Director of Child Welfare Programs and Practice regarding workload, workload model, and other related topic requests from the Assistant Secretary of Child Welfare.

Required Qualifications:

Master’s degree in social sciences, organizational development, business or public administration, behavioral sciences, or an allied field.

AND

• Three (3) years of progressively responsible and multi-dimensional experience in managing complex projects and/or programs.

• Three (3) years of progressively responsible supervision and directing the activities and performance of others.

• Years of experience can be gained concurrently.

OR

Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, organizational development, business or public administration, behavioral sciences, or an allied field.

AND

• Six (6) years of progressively responsible and multi-dimensional experience in managing complex projects and/or programs.

• Six (6) years of progressively responsible supervision and directing the activities and performance of others.

• Years of experience can be gained concurrently.

OR

• Equivalent combination of education and experience totaling ten (10) years of progressively responsible, paid, multi-dimensional professional experience in managing complex projects and/or programs.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:

• Demonstrated ability in business and data analysis using tools like Excel to monitor outcomes, identify trends, and optimize workforce performance, ensuring feedback informs hiring, training, and supervision.
• Possesses a passion for process improvement and continuously looks to refine workflows to boost efficiency and meet child welfare policy requirements.
• Ability to lead change when navigating reform initiatives, policy updates, and cultural shifts using agility and empathy.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze legislation for its effects on children, youth, and families and determine workload impacts.
• Demonstrated equity-centered leadership and applied equity lens to workload strategies.
• Communicate performance metrics and staffing insights to leadership for effective decision-making.
• Ability to develop/use dashboards and data tools to monitor workload model, staffing model, turnover, onboarding timelines, retention, and training completion.

Advanced principles and techniques of management, business, and data analysis, organization analysis, and strategic planning; Applicable state and federal statutes and regulations, personnel rules, and DCYF program and policy regulations.

Management and quality assurance principles, system and organizational analysis strategies, program evaluation and research methods, data interpretation, including monitoring and tracking systems analysis.

Confidentiality and disclosure laws, regulations, and policies; procedures and analysis; Budgeting and expenditure techniques; cultural diversity issues and policies.

• Previously demonstrated ability to manage and facilitate effective meetings to achieve desired results and communicate appropriate information to staff, stakeholders, contractors, and executive management teams.
• Previously demonstrated ability to manage work teams effectively and demonstrate leadership abilities to achieve desired goals.
• Mastery of leadership skills, including public speaking, meeting facilitation, planning, and training.
• Demonstrated ability to plan and manage multiple and complex projects and initiatives in collaboration with communities, other agencies, and tribal organizations.
• Demonstrated skills to strategically plan and develop measurable goals and targets, and monitor organizational performance and progress.
• Ability to establish and maintain tracking and monitoring systems.
• Ability to manage (supervise, lead, coach, mentor, and train) professional staff and large, diverse work groups.
• Make sound independent judgments in a complex organizational environment.
• Analyze sensitive issues in an objective and realistic manner and furnish advice and consultation.
• Demonstrated ability to establish a learning environment, change management, and leadership using research and the LEAN approach to best practices.
  

How do I apply?

Complete your applicant profile in full and attach the following:

• Resume
• Cover Letter

Supplemental Information:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve. If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

This position is included in the bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE).

For more information: https://wfse.org/ Benefits eligibility for this position may be different than what’s listed in the benefits tab of this recruitment announcement.

For more information on employee benefits eligibility, visit: Public Employee Benefits Board (PEBB).

If you need an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact DCYF Recruiter.

If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

2026-00990