Position: Director of Operations
Agency: Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid
Salary: $120,000 to $145,000 DOE
Job Type: Regular full-time; FLSA Exempt
Location: Washington State
Travel: Travel is required
Open: March 25, 2024
Close: Open until filled; first review of applications received will occur on or before April 15, 2024. OCLA reserves the right to close this recruitment at
any time.
Start Date: Flexible; ideally June 2024, or as soon thereafter as possible
Overview
The Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) is an independent judicial branch state agency, created with the understanding that provision of legal aid services to indigent persons is an important component of the state’s responsibility to provide for the proper and effective administration of justice. The mission of the Office of Civil Legal Aid is to secure, invest and oversee the use of public funding for civil legal aid to low-income people in Washington State and to ensure accountability for public funds dedicated to the purpose. https://ocla.wa.gov
About OCLA
Since its founding in 2005, OCLA was established as an agency with the principal responsibility to underwrite a general civil legal aid system in Washington. OCLA has grown and changed in recent years. Recognizing OCLA’s essential contributions, and the compelling need for these services, the legislature has expanded OCLA’s mandate to support legal aid to victims of crime and domestic violence, children in foster care, kinship caregivers, indigent tenants facing eviction and individuals reentering society following completion of their terms of incarceration. OCLA administers an annual budget of $65.9 million with a current staff of 15 FTEs. Staffing is expected to grow to 17 FTEs by June 2024.
The credibility, past performance, and institutional history of OCLA form a strong foundation for anticipated programmatic expansion. Capturing this knowledge and developing forward-looking operational, administrative, and human resources systems to maximize performance consistent with the agency’s mission and core equity and accountability responsibilities, represent the core of this job, in step with day-to-day operations management.
OCLA is a government agency, housed in the state judicial branch. While vigilantly adhering to necessary regulatory and performance standards that are a key element of our credibility, we operate as a team of colleagues. Our caring and welcoming culture is our great strength. Our transparency and our appetite to learn and problem solve continue to make us stronger.
Areas of Responsibility
The DoO will report directly to the agency Director. The DoO will be the senior administrative officer, responsible for day-to-day administrative operations, regulatory accountability, budget development, planning and tracking; and conduct of operations consistent with the agency’s equity commitments. They will ensure that the planning, execution, and administration of all OCLA programs, services and systems are in alignment.
Key duties include:
- Ensure effective coordination of all programs, contracts, and vendor relations.
- Assist the OCLA Director and program leaders with overall agency and programmatic budget development and expenditure tracking.
- With the Director, develop, implement, and revise operational polices and guidance for the organization.
- Oversee Human Resources for the agency.
- Establish and maintain uniform systems and templates for equity-informed agency contracting and procurement practices.
- Develop and maintain internal systems for standardization of practices and procedures to support accounts payables, data collection and maintenance, information management, and other agency operations.
- In concert with the OCLA Director and program leads, develop fiscal notes, engage with relevant legislative policy leads and budget writers, legislative staff, and others to ensure effective and successful representation of the agency’s budget requests.
- Represent the agency in judicial branch and other task forces, work groups, and planning committee on matters that affect the agency’s core mission and responsibilities.
- Manage and oversee central support staff.
Skills and Background
We are seeking a DoO with relevant experience administering a not-for-profit organization or governmental entity who has a passionate commitment to the agency’s equity and justice mission, values, and commitments. The DoO should care deeply about making a measurable and sustainable difference in the lives of those most harmed by the civil justice and related systems and who are least able to access critically needed civil legal assistance and representation.
Candidates should have a combination of experience and successful track record in administration, budgeting, human resources, governmental contracts management, systems development, implementation, and measurement. Candidates should have the ability to align operations and systems in pursuit of overall institutional goals and to manage a complex, diverse organization in a progressive, entrepreneurial, and consistent manner.
Reporting
The Director of Operations reports to the Director
Compensation and Benefits
Location: Must have the ability to be in Olympia, Washington on a regular basis.
Salary: $120,000-$145,000 DOE
Benefits: Paid medical/dental, life insurance, and long-term disability insurance programs
Leave: Paid vacation and sick leave benefits
Retirement: Employer contributions to state retirement benefits
Click here for more benefits information.
Application Procedure
Click the Apply button to submit your online application. Submissions must include:
- A cover letter and resume outlining the applicant’s credentials and professional/lived experience that is responsive to the skills and background outlined in this Notice
- A list of at least three (3) peer professional references
- A self-edited writing sample
CLOSING DATE: The announcement will remain open until filled, and applications will be accepted until the position is filled. OCLA reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time.
Additional Information
The Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) is committed to equity and inclusion in hiring and employment practices and full compliance with federal and state equal employment opportunity and non-discrimination laws. OCLA strongly encourages members of diverse and historically disfavored and underrepresented demographic communities to apply. OCLA will not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship, or immigration status; families with children; gender (including gender identify and gender expression); marital status; sexual orientation; age; veteran or military status; the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability (actual or perceived); or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Individuals needing reasonable accommodation for the application or interview process should contact support@ocla.wa.gov.
OCLA believes in providing substantial professional flexibility consistent with necessary accountability considerations. We also support Washington State greenhouse gas reduction efforts. We therefore take a generous approach to telecommunication and remote work activity.