Chief Review Judge

The ideal candidate is a seasoned legal professional with exceptional judgment, integrity, and leadership skills. You are known for your ability to unify independent legal thinkers around a consistent interpretation of law, and for your commitment to fairness and equity in public service. You thrive in complexity, make timely decisions with confidence, and lead with humility and kindness.

You understand that this role is both judicial and relational—balancing legal precision with human-centered leadership. You are a collaborative communicator who builds trust across teams and agencies, and you bring a growth mindset to your work. You value the contributions of your team and know that success depends on fostering a culture of respect, inclusion, and shared purpose.

The Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking a highly accomplished legal professional to serve as Chief Review Judge, leading the Commissioner’s Review Office (CRO)—a quasi-judicial body responsible for issuing final agency decisions in Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Paid Family & Medical Leave (PFML) related matters. These decisions carry statewide impact and are binding on administrative law judges and agency personnel. The Chief Review Judge is the sole position in the agency with authority to publish precedential decisions that shape Washington law and policy.

This is a working manager role with full responsibility for legal decision-making, team leadership, budget oversight, and strategic coordination with internal and external stakeholders. The position reports directly to the Commissioner and operates independently, while remaining aligned with the agency’s mission, vision, values, and strategic goals.

Duties

The Chief Review Judge supports ESD’s mission to contribute to healthy communities by providing equitable access to resources that improve economic security. The CRO ensures fair, impartial, and legally sound decisions in appeals involving UI and PFML benefits and tax matters. In addition, this position leads a team of six Review Judges, a Deputy Chief Review Judge, and a Legal Administrative Manager, and manages a $1.8 million annual operating budget.

This role is responsible for:

• Selecting and publishing binding precedential decisions
• Personally deciding the most complex and high-impact cases
• Ensuring consistency and legal integrity across thousands of decisions annually
• Maintaining strong partnerships with the Office of Administrative Hearings (OAH), the Attorney General’s Office (AGO), and internal ESD teams
• Fostering an inclusive, collaborative, and high-performing team culture

Additionally, some of your duties may include:

• Train and mentor Review Judges, including intensive onboarding for new hires
• Coordinate with OAH, AAGs (Assistant Attorneys General), and ESD divisions on legal and operational matters
• Lead legal seminars and outreach on administrative law, UI and PFML issues
• Advise on settlement and appeal strategies for judicial review cases

To request a detailed position description, click here.

Salary

• $105,228 - $146,784/year

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, and Competencies:

• Juris Doctorate
• Active or judicial member of the Washington State Bar Association
• Within the past 15 years:
  • (A) Five years of trial practice, hearings examiner experience, or service on a judicial/administrative tribunal
  • (B) Five years of management experience in a public or private organization or substantial unit thereof
  • These periods may overlap if both roles were performed simultaneously
• At least one year of experience in a field of law related to UI or PFML cases

Required Competencies:

• Law & government knowledge
• Complex problem-solving
• Active learning
• Deductive reasoning
• Inductive reasoning
• Interpersonal skills
• Problem recognition
• Decision-making
• English language proficiency
• Clear writing
• Active listening
• Reading comprehension
• Customer service
• Legal research tools (Westlaw, Lexis)
• Task and time prioritization

Preferred Competencies:

• Knowledge of administrative, procedural, substantive, and common law
• Familiarity with rules of evidence and applicable Federal/State laws and regulations
• Understanding of departmental policies, public disclosure law, and agency structure
• Ability to review hearing records for procedural and legal errors
• Skilled in legal research and providing legal advice
• Capable of drafting clear findings, conclusions, and orders
• Able to instruct others in disclosure and administrative law
• Knowledge of strategic planning, resource allocation, and team coordination
• Performance monitoring and improvement
• HR expertise in recruitment, training, compensation, and labor relations
• Effective staff management and equitable leadership
• Insight into human behavior, learning, and motivation
• Familiarity with UI and PFML tax, wage rules, and agency procedures
  

Additional Requirement of Employment:

• This position is stationed in Olympia, Washington and requires frequent in-office attendance.
• Must be able to pass Unemployment Insurance (UI) & Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) claim and fraud check.

Please submit only the required documents as noted below and ensure all Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as Social Security numbers etc. are edited out of your materials for privacy.

Additionally, we ask that you not include photographs or external links within your documents. Any documents uploaded through this platform will be securely transmitted electronically to support application review.

Please submit your Cover Letter and Resume with your Online Application through the "Add Attachments" field. A resume will not substitute for the "work experience" section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields, or supplemental question responses with comments such as "see attachments" may be considered incomplete.

Other Information

Our agency's mission and values drive every decision that we make, determine how we interact with others and are at the core of who we are. We value Access, Love, Belonging, Equity, and Stewardship. We understand that a work environment that respects your work/life balance is key; that's why many of our positions are eligible for flexible work schedules and teleworking opportunities. Through support, value, and trust, our employees are empowered to grow and develop into their best self.

Opportunity for All

We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people over 40 years of age, people with religious beliefs, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

The Employment Security Department is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

If you are a person needing assistance in the application process, if you need this job announcement in an alternate format, or if you have general questions about this opportunity, please contact Katie Swanson or the Talent Acquisition Team, or Washington Relay Service 711 prior to the recruitment closing. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact careershelp@des.wa.gov or (360) 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960, Washington Relay 711.

**This Organization Participates in E-Verify**

Benefits

More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Holidays
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.

Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.

Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.

Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.

Sick Leave
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.

Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

Vacation (Annual Leave)
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.

Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.

Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

As provided in WAC 357-58-175, an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.

Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.

Military Leave
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.

Bereavement Leave
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.

Additional Leave
Leave Sharing
Parental Leave
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay

Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.

Updated 07-21-2025