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Juvenile Rehabilitation Legal Administrator (WMS02) Olympia

State of Washington See More Job Openings by This Employer

Full Time
$95,520 - $119,400/year

Thurston County – Olympia, WA

April 14, 2025

Job Description

Description

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally and academically, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title: Juvenile Rehabilitation Legal Administrator | WMS02
Location: Olympia, WA | Hybrid -This position will require travel for attendance at JR Facilities (Green Hill, Echo Glen and Community Facilities) across the state for hearing prep and presentation.
Closes: April 28th, 2025
Salary: $95,520 - $119,400 Annually

If you're looking to make a difference, this expert level, lead staff position is assigned to major projects or management and business issues that have agency-wide and statewide impact. This position directly manages multiple JR Legal initiatives and may support the agency, specifically in JR Legal hearings initiatives, to work with executive leadership, staff at all levels in other parts of DCYF, the Office of the Attorneys General and other state agencies.

This position is responsible for operations and management of JR legal hearings supports statewide. This position provides leadership, strategic advice, technical assistance, and consultation to JR which involves a high level of complexity and consequences for the agency, and heavily impacts the rights of individuals served by DCYF. This position also provides leadership, strategic advice, technical assistance, and consultation to DCYF's management team on critical, complex issues with significant, statewide, and long-term impact.

Click here to learn more about DCYF.

The Opportunity:
The Juvenile Rehabilitation Legal Administrator reports directly to the Litigation Administrator within the Administrative Services Division (ASD) under the Legal Office. This position has primary responsibility and direction to Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) staff and administrators in a variety of complex legal and administrative processes and settings. The JR administrative hearings and processes involve a high level of complexity and consequences for the agency, and heavily impact the rights of individuals served by DCYF.

This position serves as the agency's statewide lead in overseeing critical and highly consequential areas of JR legal support for administrative hearings and processes program. This position is responsible for ensuring JR leaders and staff have the legal support necessary to participate in administrative hearings and processes. In collaboration with JR leadership, this position assists in creating a standard process JR will use in determining which residents in its custody will be recommended for transfer to DOC as documented in the Record of Action for each resident.

Some of what you will get to do:
Strategic Leadership and Oversight:

This Juvenile Rehabilitation (JR) Legal Administrator is responsible for:
- Developing the overall strategic direction and management for JR Legal Supports based upon customer needs and data.
- Ensuring that the strategic direction aligns JR legal processes with the agency’s mission and applicable federal and state laws, rules, regulations, and administrative requirements.
- Supporting the Legal Officer (Assistant Director) and the Litigation Administrator in the development of the Legal Services team, providing hearings representation.

JR Legal Support Services and Administration:

This position provides guidance and counsel to the entire agency, including the Secretary, Assistant Secretaries, Directors, and other members of extended leadership team on legal and risk management matters affecting the agency, specifically in JR. The particular focus of this position is to provide JR program/field staff with RRB hearing preparation and representation. The position will also work closely with facilitation and coordination around legal support, working closely with our partners in the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) to ensure JR’s legal needs.

This position is also responsible to:

Oversee and direct the development of comprehensive JR program/field legal supports strategies to ensure individual legal matters are appropriately managed, and that the full scope of JR program and administrative legal liability is examined, and recommendations are brought forward, and training, policy, and programmatic changes are implemented to manage risk and reduce liability.
Consult and coordinate with legal counsel to DCYF; the Attorney General’s Office (AGO) as it relates to JR matters.
Establish and oversee the agency’s processes for requesting, tracking, and implementing legal guidance from the AGO for JR requests and guidance needs.
Oversee cases and direct support of JR and agency staff in preparation for, during and through establishment of a fair, constitutional, and legal administrative hearing and process, including legal compliance with the rules of evidence and due process.

Required Qualifications:

A Master’s degree in business, public administration, law or doctor of jurisprudence (JD), or closely allied field AND Three (3) years of professional experience* in planning, administering, developing, or delivering programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, corrections, business, or public administration.

A Bachelor's Degree in law, social science, criminal justice, health, public administration, or related field AND Six (6) years of professional experience* in planning, administering, developing, or delivering programs in criminal justice, juvenile justice, corrections, business, or public administration.

Equivalent education and experience* totaling nine (9) years of progressively responsible, paid, professional experience in law or related field AND Equivalent education and experience* totaling nine (9) years in in criminal justice, juvenile justice, corrections, or related field.

NOTE*- Years of experience can be gained concurrently.

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

Doctor of Jurisprudence (JD) is preferred.
Knowledge of Washington’s Administrative Procedure Act (WAC 34.05).
Previous early learning, licensing, regulatory, contracts, insurance and/or civil, criminal, administrative hearings, and/or litigation experience preferred.
Experience interviewing and prepping witnesses for trials/hearings.
Ability to communicate legalese into layman terms.
Ability to manage a heavy caseload.
Excellent negotiation and mediation skills.
Knowledge of DCYF’s Licensing and/or Early Learning programs.
Knowledge of State and Federal Contracting, Insurance and Regulatory Frameworks.
Ability to communicate clearly and succinctly with others.

How do I apply?
Complete your applicant profile and attach the following documents:

Cover Letter
Current Resume

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.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

This position requires a valid unrestricted (other than corrective lenses) driver's license.

If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment or if you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact Steven Loduha (Talent Acquisition Manager) at steven.loduha@dcyf.wa.gov

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

Salary

$95,520 - $119,400/year

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