Our Mission: Keep Washington Safe and Working!
Our Values: Customer Focus, One L&I, Respect, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Learning and Growth, Reliability

EXTRA Salary Information:WMS/EMS

*** The Target Pay Range typically considered for this position is $88,632 -$126,276 (Range of Consideration) annually. The Full Pay Range for this WMS Band is $72,420- $132,924 (Full band range) annually. Compensation decisions are determined using factors such as job-related skills, experience, and education or training. We will consider your individual qualifications, should we make you an offer of employment.

The Department of Labor & Industries is looking for a Policy Operations Manager to lead the strategic and legislative engine of our Self-Insurance Program. You'll drive policy and rule development, guide the program's legislative strategy, and serve as the go-to business analyst during session, translating complex RCWs and WACs into action.

You'll also supervise three high-impact teams: penalty adjudication and billing disputes, presumptive coverage claims (including Radiological Hazardous Waste and PTSD), and our Management Analyst group — ensuring employers and third-party administrators uphold their duty of good faith to Washington's workers.

If you thrive where policy, data, and people leadership intersect and you want your work to directly shape protections for firefighters, nurses, and workers facing life-altering claims, we want to hear from you!

• Using technical expertise, develops policy for consideration by executive management and change management best practices, techniques and tools for initiation, planning, execution, controlling and monitoring, communication and key performance metrics for SI oversight and program initiatives. Prepares integrated program roadmaps that identify timing and resource dependencies and coordinates implementation timelines to ensure successful project implementations. Integrates any changes or new deliverables into the overall strategy.

• Manages the supervisor and staff of the penalty unit, including ensuring they are meeting statutory requirement of issuing decision within 30 days of a penalty request; and the program MTA. Sets clear expectations for work quality and provides the tools and training necessary to meet requirements.

• Manages the supervisor and staff of the self-insurance management analysts and the management of the program’s performance, research, and data management team. Implements and maintains electronic reporting of data, with systems such as the Self-Insurance Electronic Data Reporting Systems (SIEDRS) and the Medical Bill Electronic Data Interchange (EDI), penalty dashboard, and project management.

• Manages a team of adjudicators responsible for special education of Radiological Hazardous Waste Facility law and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) claims. Serves as point of contact for our Special Insuring Agreement with federal Department of Energy, and the liaison to the Hanford Workforce Engagement Center (HWEC) and any other employers resulting from the Radiological Hazardous Waste Facility law. Sets clear expectations for work quality and provides the tools and training necessary to meet them.

• Oversees the legislative strategy for the program including policy review, legislative and rule analysis, development of rules, processes, and procedures, and implementation of changes; and connecting these to the strategic direction of the agency, division, and program.

• A bachelor's degree or a combination of relevant education and experience

• Two (2) years of project or program management experience in a leadership role;

• Four (4) years of experience with workers' or crime victims' compensation claims within the State of Washington;

• Four (4) years of experience in the training of external customers, giving presentations to both small and large audiences, and stakeholder groups;

• Abide by L&I Core and Leadership Competencies;

• Knowledge and experience with:
  oChange Management - Knowledge and experience in applying advanced principles of change management.
  oProject Management - Knowledge and experience in applying advanced principles of project management.
  oOperational Management - Knowledge and experience in operations of state government; strategic planning; resource allocation; legislative and rule development systems.

Preferred Education, Experience, and Competencies

• A Professional Certification in change management from a recognized Change Management Program, such as Prosci, utilizing Prosci change management methodology, with emphasis on the Adkar model adopted by L&I. A Professional Certification in project management.
• Working knowledge of federal and state law relative to workers' compensation.
• Working knowledge of the Washington State legislative and rule-making processes.
• Demonstrated ability to manage for results.
• Excellent communicator both written and verbal.
• Effective at building and maintaining networks of contacts useful in achieving work-related goals.
• Excellent people management skills demonstrated by setting and clarifying expectations and providing feedback and coaching.
• Skilled in using personal computers, software such as MS Word, EXCEL, and L&I related software, and other programs to produce work products that satisfy the demands of the assignment

Things You Need To Know

To help you maintain a proper work-life balance, teleworking is one of the work schedule options for this position. L&I also offers flexible custom work schedules.

State employees who meet the qualifications will become eligible for a generous retirement package at the end of the employee’s career. Click on the “Benefits” tab to learn more.

At L&I, your voice matters. In addition, L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3.3 million workers. Take a look at this brief video and learn more about why L&I is an employer of choice.

For this position, telework is permitted full time, permitted part time, not permitted, permitted on occasion, not permitted during training, or dependent upon business needs and supervisor approval). The assigned duty station for this position is Tumwater Washington.

Alternative language: The assigned duty station may be in any of our L&I service locations statewide. The incumbent must reside anywhere in Washington State, as well as those living near the Oregon/Washington or Idaho/Washington borders.

For positions where in-office work is necessary, the frequency of telework will be discussed with the supervisor of the position at the time of offer.

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Application process

We will contact the top candidates directly to interview for this position. Because we base the selection on information provided by you, it is in your best interest to identify the knowledge, skills, and abilities that address the required and desirable qualifications described in the announcement.

Please include the following documents with your application:

Please do not attach or place any medical information (vaccination status included) within the application, resume, or cover letter. If you do, we will have to reject your application to safeguard others from receiving your confidential information. You will have to remove the confidential information before you can apply again.

To learn more about our hiring process timeline at L&I please visit our L&I recruiting page atHiring Process at L&I. If you would like to read our website in a language other than English, scroll up to the top of the page to select your language of choice from the banner.

Background Check Notice

Prior to a placement in this position, a background check, including criminal history record will be conducted. Information from your background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining your eligibility to perform the requirements of the position.

Other information

Did You Know?

Washington is America's Top State to live, play, and work, according to U.S. News (2021). Join the L&I team and enjoy all the Evergreen State has to offer.

In addition to offering a positive balance between life and work, L&I provides one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation. We also believe your voice matters. We value our employees and their work-life balance by encouraging flexible schedules. L&I is a diverse state agency dedicated to the safety and health and security of Washington's 3 million workers.

Veterans Preference

Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach to their application a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. Please blackout any personally identifiable data such as Social Security numbers. For further information, contact L&I’s Jobs@lni.wa.gov.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Employer

L&I employees come from all walks of life. We strive to hire great people from a wide variety of backgrounds. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

We believe in the importance of recognizing the value each of us contribute to the success of the agency mission. Having a diverse workforce is this agency’s greatest resource of strength and knowledge. It is through the combination of talents and abilities that we can pursue finding effective measures to provide the best customer service. We are committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone and we strongly mean everyone.

The State of Washington is an equal opportunity employer. Persons with a disability who need accommodation in the application process or testing process, or those needing this announcement in an alternative format, may call 360-902-5700. TTY users should first call 711 to access the Washington Relay Service.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our award-winning diverse and inclusive organization.

For more Information

If you have any questions regarding this job posting, program, or the agency, please contact the (Insert Recruiter’s name and email here) Jobs@lni.wa.gov.