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King County

Executive Director -- Children’s Justice Center of King County

King County See More Job Openings by This EmployerArrow
  • Full Time
  • $119,465.01 - $151,428.99/year
  • Seattle, WA
October 17, 2025

Job Description

Summary

This position is grant funded and continuance is contingent on annual grant renewal

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office is seeking to hire a motivated individual as an Executive Director to join our office. The Executive Director is responsible for the leadership, management, and sustainability of the Children's Justice Center of King County (CJCKC), guiding daily operations, strategic planning, and community collaboration. This position requires strong organizational, diplomatic, and advocacy skills to lead a multidisciplinary team (MDT) response and to advance the PAO’s and King County’s Race, Equity, and Social Justice (RESJ) goals. The Executive Director will be available for consultation and collaboration across all units of the PAO, including the Gender-Based Violence and Prevention (GBV-P) Division, Juvenile (JUV) Division, Sexual Assault Unit (SAU), Domestic Violence Unit (DV)), Purpose, Strategy and Performance (PSP), and Victim Services. 

The Children’s Justice Center of King County (CJC) is one of 1,000 nationally accredited Children’s Advocacy Centers (CACs) across the United States. Housed within the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), the CJCKC provides coordinated, trauma-informed responses to cases of child abuse and neglect in partnership with law enforcement, prosecutors, medical and mental health providers, victim advocates, and the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF).

The CJCKC supports victims of child sexual abuse, physical abuse, neglect, and commercial sexual exploitation (CSEC), ensuring safety for children, healing for victims, and justice for the community.


About the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office
Our mission is to do Justice:

  • We exercise the power given to us by the people with fairness and humility.
  • We serve our diverse community, support victims and families, and hold individuals accountable.
  • We develop innovative and collaborative solutions for King County and the State of Washington.
We are guided by our core values of Integrity, Compassion, Professionalism, and Leadership. Our office is comprised of six divisions that are further organized into specialized units: To learn more about the Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (PAO), please visit our website.

We value diversity and strive to hire a workforce that reflects the community that we serve. It is essential to our mission that we create and maintain an office that is diverse and inclusive. All PAO employees are expected to participate in PAO equity work and attend equity trainings and discussions. PAO employees are expected to comply with race, equity, and social justice principles, and to work with PAO colleagues and management to identify opportunities for improvement.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all qualified applicants.

 

Work Location: In-person /telecommute (hybrid)-Kent Maleng Regional Justice Center (MRJC) ,4th Floor and Seattle King County Courthouse, Juvenile (1211 East Alder Street, Suite 4015, Seattle)

Work Schedule: This position works a 40-hour work week schedule, normally Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. An alternative schedule is subject to supervisor approval. This position is eligible for King County’s generous benefits package. 

Employees assigned to this position enjoy a hybrid work schedule that allows telecommuting, with a minimum of 3-days in office per week, subject to business needs and a telecommuting agreement. If a successful candidate is new to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, they will be required to work in office four days a week for the first six months of employment.

Salary: Range 68 -$119,465.01 (step one) - $151,428.99 (step ten) 

Application Process:

Interested individuals must complete the three application components:  

1) Submit a resume and cover letter 

2) Respond to the supplemental questions 

3) Fully complete King County application. **  

**Applications and/or supplemental questionnaires that state “see my resume” or are blank, are considered incomplete and will not be considered competitive.  


Selection Process:

Materials will be reviewed for qualifications, and the most competitive candidates may be invited to participate in a panel interview process.


For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact:

Karla Avila Vargas (She/Her)

Human Resource Analyst 

Kvargas@kingcounty.gov

Special Requirements:

Finalists must successfully submit to a criminal background check, reference check, and be fingerprinted. 


Job Duties

Leadership & Strategic Planning

  • Lead the Children Justice Center of King County (CJCKC) with a trauma-informed, victim-centered lens consistent with best practices and Race, Equity and Social Justice (RESJ) principles.
  • Oversee development, implementation, and updates of the CJCKC’s Strategic Plan.
  • Use data to guide decision-making, performance management, and reporting.
  • Work with PAO leadership, the Purpose, Strategy and Performance (PSP) team, and Criminal Division leadership on funding and sustainability.
  • Represent the CJCKC in legislative and policy discussions related to child advocacy, child victimization, and funding.
  • Serve as a subject matter expert and resource on child abuse response and multidisciplinary collaboration.
Operations Management
  • Maintain CJCKC accreditation with the National Children’s Alliance (NCA), ensuring compliance and coordinating accreditation site reviews.
  • Lead the update of the King County Special Assault Protocol in coordination with PAO divisions and Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT) partners.
  • Supervise, coach, and support CJCKC staff, promoting a healthy, collaborative, and inclusive work environment.
  • Manage grant funding, budgets, and reports; seek additional funding opportunities.
  • Oversee recruitment, onboarding, and professional development of CJCKC staff.
  • Develop and maintain policies, procedures, and guidance materials for CJCKC operations.
Training & Professional Development
  • Design, coordinate, and deliver high-quality training for MDT partners and PAO staff (e.g., Criminal Legal System 101, SAU 201, CSEC 201, SAU 301: Juvenile Court, Lunch & Learns).
  • Develop and distribute training communications, including the monthly CJCKC newsletter and partner updates.
  • Facilitate countywide MDT Roundtables and orientation for new MDT members.
  • Provide consultation to MDT partners on child development, trauma impact, victim services, and best practices.
  • Identify gaps in MDT training and develop new offerings, including topics on resiliency, equity, and victim-centered investigations.
Community Outreach & Engagement
  • Develop and implement a community outreach plan, with attention to underserved populations.
  • Build and strengthen relationships with community agencies, schools, and service providers.
  • Create and maintain outreach materials and presentations about the CJCKC and MDT model.
  • Represent the CJCKC at community meetings, task forces, and partner events.
Court Education & Support
  • Oversee the development and distribution of court education materials for children, teens, and families (e.g., Kids’ Court, Teen Court).
  • Provide training and consultation to MDT partners on preparing children and families for court.
  • Evaluate and update court education resources to ensure accessibility and effectiveness.

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

  • 3 years of demonstrated leadership experience in child advocacy, MDT coordination, or related fields including responsible leadership experience including in a supervisory role.
  • 10 or more years of progressive expertise in issues related to child abuse, child development, trauma, and multidisciplinary collaboration. 
  • Ability to demonstrate applied knowledge of Race, Equity, and Social Justice (RESJ) principles and their application in victim services.
  • Demonstrated success in writing, managing, and reporting on grants and budgets.
  • Excellent communication, conflict resolution, and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders with diplomacy.
  • Experience developing and delivering training to diverse audiences.
Additional Requirements
  • Ability to travel throughout King County; occasional evenings and weekends required.
  • Ability to lift and move boxes/documents and sit or stand for extended periods.

Competencies

Nurtures relationships– Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization. Cultivates bonding, bridging, and collaboration, recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to the organization.

Instills Trust Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. Steps up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said.

Ensures accountability – Holding self and others accountable to meet commitments.

Drives engagement Creates a climate where people are motivated to do their best to help the organization achieve its objectives.

Directs work Providing direction, delegating, and removing obstacles to get work done.

Develops accountable teams – Instills mentorship to cultivate high-accountability teams, connected to purpose, that apply their diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals, vision, and strategy.

Optimizes work processes  Knowing the most effective and efficient processes to get things done, with a focus on continuous improvement.

Situational adaptability– Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations.

Interpersonal savvy –Relating openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people.

Values differences –Recognizing the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization.

Cultivates innovation – Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful through process and practice.

Plans and Aligns –Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals.

Manages conflict– Works through tough disagreements and settles disputes equitably. Facilitates breakthroughs by integrating diverse views and finding common ground or acceptable alternatives.

RESJ Focused- Applies a RESJ lens when creating or revising policies/practices and when engaging in employee relations matters. Running open and transparent hiring practices that support the advancement of diversity in hiring.


Supplemental Information

The Prosecuting Attorney's Office is dedicated to making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles--we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native American and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people living with disabilities, and veterans.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.

To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.

Salary
  • $119,465.01 - $151,428.99/year


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