Legal Assistant 4 (LA 4) – DOH8549

Do you have a background in complex legal support and experience leading others? We’re looking for someone to supervise seven legal assistants and provide senior level legal support. 

This position is a hybrid, full-time, permanent Legal Assistant 4 position located within the Office of Investigative and Legal Services (OILS) in the Health Services Quality Assurance Division which provides disciplinary and professional services to ensure patient safety under the Washington Uniform Disciplinary Act. This position is expected to be in office at the DOH Tumwater facility approximately 2-3 days per week. 

What You Will Do:

As the Legal Assistant 4 (LA 4) you will supervise and direct legal assistant staff to ensure quality work products and that office protocols are followed. The Legal Assistant 4 performs complex legal support for staff attorneys, case managers, and paralegals relating to the disciplinary process.   

Expectations and Responsibilities:

• Supervises, trains, sets expectations, coaches, and identifies training needs of legal assistants.
• Assigns, tracks, and monitors workflow and reviews work of legal assistants for quality assurance and ensures office protocols are being followed.
• Acts as a resource to legal assistants concerning questions or problems they may have arising out of their work or concerning the litigation support systems used by the office.
• Completes expectations and performance evaluations for the legal assistants.
• Assists the Executive Director of Legal Services, Deputy Director, Director, and Operations Manager with personnel issues dealing with legal assistants.
• Assists the Executive Director of Legal Services, Director, Deputy Director, and Operations Manager with interviewing and selecting legal assistant applicants for employment within the division, section, or regional office.
• Assists in balancing work assignments among legal assistants by assigning work.

This position applies knowledge of disciplinary and adjudicative proceedings, policies, and procedures and provides research and background information pertaining to investigations. The LA4 enters and updates information in the division’s enforcement database. The LA4 also serves as a member of the Office of Investigative and Legal Services management team and participates in recruitment and hiring processes.  

You’re Our Ideal Candidate If: 

• You embrace cultural humility by honoring diverse perspectives and cultures.
• You are committed to equity and inclusion, removing barriers, championing social justice, and fostering a sense of belonging.
• You use an outward mindset to make impactful contributions, blending your personal expertise with collaborative achievements.
• You excel at problem-solving and crafting effective solutions while communicating clearly across different mediums.
• You are dedicated to customer service and navigate diverse interactions to build strong organizational relationships.
• Your technical competence shines, making you an invaluable asset to our team!

Location and Flexibility 

Enjoy the flexibility of our hybrid work environment, where you can balance working from home and collaborating in the office.  It is anticipated that you’ll be expected to report onsite at the DOH facility located in Tumwater, WA, to meet business and operational needs two (2) to three (3) days per week.  

Required Qualifications (you must meet ONE of the provided options and any additional criteria listed.): 

Experience defined below may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile. 

Option 1: Five years of experience in a legal environment in support of an attorney, administrative law judge(s), review judge(s) or equivalent including at least two years of supervising, leading, mentoring, coaching, or training experience.

Option 2: One year as a Legal Assistant 3.

Option 3: A combination of six years of college education and/or relevant experience* including at least two years of supervising, leading, mentoring coaching or training experience.

*Relevant experience includes experience in a legal or judicial setting, supervising legal support staff positions that assist attorney(s), judge(s) or equivalent and perform expert level legal support duties.

AND the following Competencies (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, and Behaviors):

Collaborates – Building partnerships and working collaborative with others to meet shared objectives.

Customer Focus – Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer- centric solutions.

Decision Quality – Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward.

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

Being Resilient – Rebounding from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

Demonstrates Self-Awareness – Using a combination of feedback and reflection to gain productive insight into personal strengths and weaknesses.

Self-Development – Actively seeking new ways to grow and be challenged using both formal and information development channels.

Preferred Qualifications: 

Two years recent experience in a legal environment in direct support of an attorney, administrative law judge(s), industrial insurance appeals judge(s), review judge(s), or equivalent.

One-year experience with Adobe Acrobat DC.

Intermediate user of Microsoft Word and Outlook. Able to create documents, edit, format, and move between programs.

Ability to proofread legal documents using proper grammar and editing skills.

Skilled at working with difficult customers and prioritizing tasks.

Ability to be a positive team member and seek continuous improvement.

Time management skills that ensure tasks are complete with quality and within established timelines.

Benefits and Lifestyle

We prioritize your work-life balance and offer one of the most competitive benefits packages nationwide, tailored to support your lifestyle. Discover more about "Why DOH" by visiting Work@Health.

Who We Are:

The Health Systems Quality Assurance (HSQA) division is responsible for oversight of Washington State’s health care delivery system, which includes licensing and regulating over 463,000 health professionals in 83 health professions and 9,000 facilities. HSQA also works closely with communities and local health partners to build strong health systems and prevention programs across the state to help ensure communities have access to good health care and emergency medical services. 

The Office of Investigative and Legal Services (OILS) supports the agency and division mission by implementing licensing or discipline procedures, including investigating authorized complaints and providing legal assessments for health and health-related professionals and businesses as required under the Washington Uniform Disciplinary Act, RCW 18.130.

We are the Washington State Department of Health (DOH)

At DOH, we safeguard public health in an ever-evolving world. Through collaboration with local health jurisdictions and state, federal, and private partners, our programs and services impact every Washingtonian and visitor daily. We're driven by Equity, Innovation, and Engagement, as outlined in our Transformational Plan for the future of Washington health.

Conditions of Employment: 

I am prepared, with or without accommodations, to do the following:

• Commit to a full-time 40-hour workweek schedule (flexible work schedule requests must be approved supervisor).
• Communicate through applications such as MS Teams and MS Outlook, and by phone while working remotely.
• Adjust my work schedule occasionally to align with business needs, which may entail working evenings and weekends.
• Perform my job duties either remotely from home or in-person at the designated DOH site location. In-person work at the Tumwater, WA DOH office is required approximately 2-3 times per week.
• Occasionally travel as necessary, sometimes requiring overnight stays or trips out of state. 
• Legally drive a vehicle or arrange alternative transportation for state business.
• Engage in emergency response exercises and high-priority assignments as assigned during emergency events. 

APPLICATION DIRECTIONS:

To apply, click "Apply" and complete the application. Attach your resume, and cover letter. In your Applicant Profile, include at least three professional references (including a supervisor, a peer, and someone you’ve supervised or led, if applicable). Please do not include private information such as social security number or year of birth.

Make sure to document your years of experience, skills, and abilities as listed in the qualifications section of this job posting.

Do attach the following:

• Resume
• Cover letter
• DD-214 (if applicable)

Veterans Preference: Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference must attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or a signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. Please remove or cover any personally identifiable data such as social security numbers and birth year

Do not include or attach the following – these documents will not be reviewed:

• REMOVE personal photos – do not submit any documents containing personal photos 
• Transcripts (unless specifically requested in the Application Directions)
• Certifications or Diplomas
• Projects or Portfolios
• Letters of Recommendation

Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion:  We regard diversity as the foundation of our strength, recognizing that differing insights and abilities enable us to reflect the unique needs of the communities we serve.  

DOH is an equal-opportunity employer. We prohibit discrimination based on race/ethnicity/color, creed, sex, pregnancy, age, religion, national origin, marital status, the presence or perception of a disability, veteran’s status, military status, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender expression, or gender identity. 

Questions and Accommodations: If you have questions about this position, please contact Kristina Cox at 360-485-5249 or kristina.cox@doh.wa.gov.  For general DOH recruitment questions, email the Talent Acquisition Team at employment@doh.wa.gov. For persons with disabilities, this document is available in other formats, please call 800-525-0127 (TDD/TTY 711) or email doh.information@doh.wa.gov.

Technical Support: Reach out to NEOGOV directly at 1-855-524-5627 for technical support and login issues.