Washington State ESD
The Office of Secretary of State (OSOS) offers some of the most unique and diverse job opportunities in state government. Its critical responsibilities include ensuring a fair and accurate elections process; connecting Washingtonians through the power of libraries; protecting our important government records; and registering corporations and charities. The Secretary of State also administers vital community programs that inspire giving, document our history, and assist crime survivors in avoiding further abuse. This independent office under the state Constitution operates from facilities in the Olympia area and statewide.
OSOS is looking for top‑performing employees who embody its core values of integrity, service excellence, visionary leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. It is committed to employee growth and work‑life balance. The benefits of working in state government also include potential eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Elections Division plays a critical role in ensuring Washington's democratic process is fair, accurate, accessible, and secure. Elections staff provide valuable services to voters, as well as statutorily required training and certifications to election administrators in all 39 counties. The division develops elections policy, administers our statewide voter registration database, manages statewide elections, and verifies and accepts petitions for initiatives and referenda.
VoteWA Support Manager, WMS2 Full‑time, Permanent
The VoteWA Support Manager is a member of the Elections Management Team that advises the Elections Deputy Director and Director on direction and policy. This position reports to the Elections Deputy Director and is deemed critical or essential according to the Division’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). It reports to the Deputy Director of Elections and is responsible for managing the VoteWA support team. VoteWA is a mission critical application required to register voters and conduct elections statewide.
The VoteWA manager develops, implements, and manages program objectives and priorities and makes collaborative strategic judgments and decisions balancing competing program demands and priorities for resources. This position plays a critical leadership role within the Elections Division, overseeing the VoteWA Support Team and ensuring effective collaboration between state and county election officials. The incumbent is responsible for supervising staff, managing the delivery of high‑quality customer service, and ensuring the functionality and usability of VoteWA – the centralized voter registration and election management system mandated under RCW 29A.08.125.
The position leads the development and implementation of the VoteWA training program and user manual for county election administrators, ensuring compliance with Washington State election laws and promoting consistent, accurate election administration across all 39 counties. A key responsibility includes managing the end‑to‑end process for Initiative and Referendum (I&R) filings in accordance with RCW 29A.72, ensuring legal compliance, transparency, and timely communication with stakeholders.
Additionally, the position serves as the primary conduit for VoteWA‑related communication between OSOS and county election offices. This includes representing OSOS in advisory and user engagement groups, gathering and synthesizing feedback from county users, and providing actionable recommendations to leadership and the VoteWA development team. The role requires a deep understanding of Washington’s election laws, strong leadership and communication skills, and a commitment to supporting secure, accessible, and transparent elections statewide.
Manages the VoteWA Support Team
Provides direct supervision, coaching, and performance management to assigned staff, ensuring alignment with Office core values.
Fosters a collaborative and inclusive team environment that supports innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Conducts regular team meetings, one‑on‑ones, and performance evaluations to support staff engagement and productivity.
Oversees the day‑to‑day operations of the VoteWA Support Team, ensuring timely and accurate responses to county election officials and other stakeholders.
Ensures high‑quality customer service is delivered consistently, including troubleshooting, issue resolution, and proactive outreach.
Monitors support trends and metrics to identify areas of improvement and training needs for assigned staff.
Ensures the VoteWA team maintains a high level of knowledge regarding VoteWA functionality, election processes, and statutory requirements, including voter registration (RCW 29A.08) and election administration (RCW 29A.04).
Develops, modifies, and implements policies related to VoteWA management.
VoteWA Training Program and Initiative & Referendum Processing
Leads the development, maintenance and delivery of the VoteWA training program and user manual for accessibility, tracking, and communication with relevant stakeholders.
Coordinates with subject matter experts and county partners to ensure training materials are accurate, accessible, and up‑to‑date.
Manages the full lifecycle of Initiative and Referendum processing in accordance with RCW 29A.72, including petition intake, signature verification coordination, and communication with sponsors and stakeholders.
Ensures Initiative & Referendum processing complies with legal requirements and internal procedures, and that all milestones are met with established timelines.
Manage VoteWA‑Related Communication Between OSOS and County Users
Serves as the primary liaison for VoteWA‑related communication between the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) and county election officials.
Directs the VoteWA Support Team in providing responsive, accurate, and courteous customer service to county election administrators, ensuring compliance with Title 29A RCW.
Represents OSOS in VoteWA Advisory Board and Learning and User Engagement Group meetings, ensuring county perspectives are heard and considered.
Collects, analyzes and synthesizes feedback from county users through various channels (e.g., meetings, support tickets, surveys) and translates it into actionable recommendations for leadership and the VoteWA Development team.
Collaborates with internal teams to ensure consistent messaging, timely updates, and transparent communication with county partners.
Develops timelines and procedures for response to incidents.
Implements clear expectations for timely and understandable responses and solutions to incidents sent to VoteWA Support Team by county partners.
Supports pre‑ and post‑Election testing of VoteWA, including Election Night results reporting.
Provides clear and timely communication to county partners of service disruptions, to include a timeframe for service restoration.
Distributes post‑election surveys to VoteWA users, analyzes the results, and prepares recommendations for leadership.
Communicates Release Notes with VoteWA users that are plain‑language and easy to understand.
Develops and implements a training program for election administrators including changes in Production releases and other needed topics.
Manages VoteWA Development in collaboration with leadership’s roadmap
Communicates with Development Manager on immediate complex issues with VoteWA.
Coordinates updates to the VoteWA Manual for the processes and procedures in VoteWA and distributes to users; including coordinating training of other teams within the Division on updates.
Assists with the implementation of state law changes.
Proposes WAC or Clearinghouse changes and assists in the review of drafts.
Educates and informs the VoteWA Business Analyst on election laws and business requirements for VoteWA when reviewing potential enhancements or bug fixes.
Reviews and discusses VoteWA support request trends with the VoteWA Support team and prepares and summarizes to assist with VoteWA Development prioritization.
Assists in drafting business requirements for VoteWA enhancements or bug fixes.
Assists with VoteWA testing of new enhancements and bug fixes prior to their release.
Collaborates on testing and review with the Risk, Compliance, and Quality Control (RCQC) team.
Maintain Voter Registration Data Integrity Program
Processes data from federal and state agencies in compliance with applicable laws including coordinating required notices and responses.
Manages user access for VoteWA and supporting applications and ensures regular ERIC data exports and report imports.
Notifies County Auditors of dual registrations or voting activity and supports state agencies with voter registration processes, ensuring accurate county‑level processing.
Compiles and analyzes data from data integrity programs to evaluate effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
Miscellaneous
Serves as a member of the elections management team.
Represents the office as staff to various committees.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Eight years of progressively responsible experience in program management to include policy and budget development, stakeholder engagement, and workforce planning;
OR
a Bachelor's degree in a field closely related to the position **and** four years of progressively responsible experience.
One year of experience as a supervisor managing teams and performing interviewing, hiring, training, assigning, directing work, and evaluating staff.
Ability to efficiently use a personal computer and applicable software to successfully perform the essential job functions of the position.
PREFERRED/DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Washington State Certified Election Administrator credentials highly preferred at time of hire.
A bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, computers, technology, education, or related field.
Experience as a supervisor and leading and mentoring staff.
Effective oral and written communication skills, ability to multi‑task, ability to analyze complex data and make recommendations.
Demonstrated knowledge of voter registration management and vote tabulation systems.
Demonstrated knowledge of governmental structure of municipalities, special purpose districts, counties, and the state.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills to successfully facilitate and coordinate the efforts of diverse staff and promote a cooperative work environment; coaching and mentoring, inspiring and motivating; building trust in others and maintaining confidentiality.
Demonstrated ability to balance and manage multiple priorities and activities; conduct annual, weekly, and daily workload planning and analysis, including establishment of short‑and long‑term goals, objectives, and performance measures; and meet critical deadlines without compromising accuracy or compliance standards.
Demonstrated skills and professional development to represent the agency in a positive, professional manner, when so requested or required.
WORKING CONDITIONS
While in office, standard office environment with sitting and using a computer, laptop, or files. Field work in county election administrator offices throughout Washington.
Standard core business hours of Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. Some evening and weeks which are generally scheduled in advance. Some election period leave blackout periods throughout the year. This position is eligible for mobile work up to 50%.
Travel to other facilities in Washington state. Statewide travel with overnight stays.
Direct working relationships with county election administrators with onsite desk support, training.
Willing to work with diverse groups and individuals with compassion and sensitivity.
How to Apply
To be considered for this position, you must attach the following: Letter of interest
describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the duties and qualifications of the position.
Resume
Three professional references . Personal references will not be considered.
You must complete the supplemental questions at the end of this application. Incomplete responses such as see resume will not be considered. In addition, if the employer you identify in the additional information section is not included on your resume or work experience profile and/or you do not identify an employer, you will not receive credit.
All veterans must include a copy of your DD214 or NGB-22/NGB-23 to receive preference in the hiring process. You must redact your social security number before attaching it to your application.
The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, age, sex, marital status, color, creed, national origin, political affiliation, military status, sexual orientation, or any real or perceived sensory, mental, or physical ability. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. Persons of disability needing assistance in the application process, or those needing the announcement in alternative format, should call (360) 704‑5211.
#J-18808-Ljbffr
OSOS is looking for top‑performing employees who embody its core values of integrity, service excellence, visionary leadership, collaboration, and teamwork. It is committed to employee growth and work‑life balance. The benefits of working in state government also include potential eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness program.
Elections Division plays a critical role in ensuring Washington's democratic process is fair, accurate, accessible, and secure. Elections staff provide valuable services to voters, as well as statutorily required training and certifications to election administrators in all 39 counties. The division develops elections policy, administers our statewide voter registration database, manages statewide elections, and verifies and accepts petitions for initiatives and referenda.
VoteWA Support Manager, WMS2 Full‑time, Permanent
The VoteWA Support Manager is a member of the Elections Management Team that advises the Elections Deputy Director and Director on direction and policy. This position reports to the Elections Deputy Director and is deemed critical or essential according to the Division’s Continuity of Operations Plan (COOP). It reports to the Deputy Director of Elections and is responsible for managing the VoteWA support team. VoteWA is a mission critical application required to register voters and conduct elections statewide.
The VoteWA manager develops, implements, and manages program objectives and priorities and makes collaborative strategic judgments and decisions balancing competing program demands and priorities for resources. This position plays a critical leadership role within the Elections Division, overseeing the VoteWA Support Team and ensuring effective collaboration between state and county election officials. The incumbent is responsible for supervising staff, managing the delivery of high‑quality customer service, and ensuring the functionality and usability of VoteWA – the centralized voter registration and election management system mandated under RCW 29A.08.125.
The position leads the development and implementation of the VoteWA training program and user manual for county election administrators, ensuring compliance with Washington State election laws and promoting consistent, accurate election administration across all 39 counties. A key responsibility includes managing the end‑to‑end process for Initiative and Referendum (I&R) filings in accordance with RCW 29A.72, ensuring legal compliance, transparency, and timely communication with stakeholders.
Additionally, the position serves as the primary conduit for VoteWA‑related communication between OSOS and county election offices. This includes representing OSOS in advisory and user engagement groups, gathering and synthesizing feedback from county users, and providing actionable recommendations to leadership and the VoteWA development team. The role requires a deep understanding of Washington’s election laws, strong leadership and communication skills, and a commitment to supporting secure, accessible, and transparent elections statewide.
Manages the VoteWA Support Team
Provides direct supervision, coaching, and performance management to assigned staff, ensuring alignment with Office core values.
Fosters a collaborative and inclusive team environment that supports innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Conducts regular team meetings, one‑on‑ones, and performance evaluations to support staff engagement and productivity.
Oversees the day‑to‑day operations of the VoteWA Support Team, ensuring timely and accurate responses to county election officials and other stakeholders.
Ensures high‑quality customer service is delivered consistently, including troubleshooting, issue resolution, and proactive outreach.
Monitors support trends and metrics to identify areas of improvement and training needs for assigned staff.
Ensures the VoteWA team maintains a high level of knowledge regarding VoteWA functionality, election processes, and statutory requirements, including voter registration (RCW 29A.08) and election administration (RCW 29A.04).
Develops, modifies, and implements policies related to VoteWA management.
VoteWA Training Program and Initiative & Referendum Processing
Leads the development, maintenance and delivery of the VoteWA training program and user manual for accessibility, tracking, and communication with relevant stakeholders.
Coordinates with subject matter experts and county partners to ensure training materials are accurate, accessible, and up‑to‑date.
Manages the full lifecycle of Initiative and Referendum processing in accordance with RCW 29A.72, including petition intake, signature verification coordination, and communication with sponsors and stakeholders.
Ensures Initiative & Referendum processing complies with legal requirements and internal procedures, and that all milestones are met with established timelines.
Manage VoteWA‑Related Communication Between OSOS and County Users
Serves as the primary liaison for VoteWA‑related communication between the Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) and county election officials.
Directs the VoteWA Support Team in providing responsive, accurate, and courteous customer service to county election administrators, ensuring compliance with Title 29A RCW.
Represents OSOS in VoteWA Advisory Board and Learning and User Engagement Group meetings, ensuring county perspectives are heard and considered.
Collects, analyzes and synthesizes feedback from county users through various channels (e.g., meetings, support tickets, surveys) and translates it into actionable recommendations for leadership and the VoteWA Development team.
Collaborates with internal teams to ensure consistent messaging, timely updates, and transparent communication with county partners.
Develops timelines and procedures for response to incidents.
Implements clear expectations for timely and understandable responses and solutions to incidents sent to VoteWA Support Team by county partners.
Supports pre‑ and post‑Election testing of VoteWA, including Election Night results reporting.
Provides clear and timely communication to county partners of service disruptions, to include a timeframe for service restoration.
Distributes post‑election surveys to VoteWA users, analyzes the results, and prepares recommendations for leadership.
Communicates Release Notes with VoteWA users that are plain‑language and easy to understand.
Develops and implements a training program for election administrators including changes in Production releases and other needed topics.
Manages VoteWA Development in collaboration with leadership’s roadmap
Communicates with Development Manager on immediate complex issues with VoteWA.
Coordinates updates to the VoteWA Manual for the processes and procedures in VoteWA and distributes to users; including coordinating training of other teams within the Division on updates.
Assists with the implementation of state law changes.
Proposes WAC or Clearinghouse changes and assists in the review of drafts.
Educates and informs the VoteWA Business Analyst on election laws and business requirements for VoteWA when reviewing potential enhancements or bug fixes.
Reviews and discusses VoteWA support request trends with the VoteWA Support team and prepares and summarizes to assist with VoteWA Development prioritization.
Assists in drafting business requirements for VoteWA enhancements or bug fixes.
Assists with VoteWA testing of new enhancements and bug fixes prior to their release.
Collaborates on testing and review with the Risk, Compliance, and Quality Control (RCQC) team.
Maintain Voter Registration Data Integrity Program
Processes data from federal and state agencies in compliance with applicable laws including coordinating required notices and responses.
Manages user access for VoteWA and supporting applications and ensures regular ERIC data exports and report imports.
Notifies County Auditors of dual registrations or voting activity and supports state agencies with voter registration processes, ensuring accurate county‑level processing.
Compiles and analyzes data from data integrity programs to evaluate effectiveness and identify areas for improvement.
Miscellaneous
Serves as a member of the elections management team.
Represents the office as staff to various committees.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Eight years of progressively responsible experience in program management to include policy and budget development, stakeholder engagement, and workforce planning;
OR
a Bachelor's degree in a field closely related to the position **and** four years of progressively responsible experience.
One year of experience as a supervisor managing teams and performing interviewing, hiring, training, assigning, directing work, and evaluating staff.
Ability to efficiently use a personal computer and applicable software to successfully perform the essential job functions of the position.
PREFERRED/DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Washington State Certified Election Administrator credentials highly preferred at time of hire.
A bachelor’s degree in public administration, business administration, computers, technology, education, or related field.
Experience as a supervisor and leading and mentoring staff.
Effective oral and written communication skills, ability to multi‑task, ability to analyze complex data and make recommendations.
Demonstrated knowledge of voter registration management and vote tabulation systems.
Demonstrated knowledge of governmental structure of municipalities, special purpose districts, counties, and the state.
Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills to successfully facilitate and coordinate the efforts of diverse staff and promote a cooperative work environment; coaching and mentoring, inspiring and motivating; building trust in others and maintaining confidentiality.
Demonstrated ability to balance and manage multiple priorities and activities; conduct annual, weekly, and daily workload planning and analysis, including establishment of short‑and long‑term goals, objectives, and performance measures; and meet critical deadlines without compromising accuracy or compliance standards.
Demonstrated skills and professional development to represent the agency in a positive, professional manner, when so requested or required.
WORKING CONDITIONS
While in office, standard office environment with sitting and using a computer, laptop, or files. Field work in county election administrator offices throughout Washington.
Standard core business hours of Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. Some evening and weeks which are generally scheduled in advance. Some election period leave blackout periods throughout the year. This position is eligible for mobile work up to 50%.
Travel to other facilities in Washington state. Statewide travel with overnight stays.
Direct working relationships with county election administrators with onsite desk support, training.
Willing to work with diverse groups and individuals with compassion and sensitivity.
How to Apply
To be considered for this position, you must attach the following: Letter of interest
describing how your experience and qualifications relate to the duties and qualifications of the position.
Resume
Three professional references . Personal references will not be considered.
You must complete the supplemental questions at the end of this application. Incomplete responses such as see resume will not be considered. In addition, if the employer you identify in the additional information section is not included on your resume or work experience profile and/or you do not identify an employer, you will not receive credit.
All veterans must include a copy of your DD214 or NGB-22/NGB-23 to receive preference in the hiring process. You must redact your social security number before attaching it to your application.
The Office of the Secretary of State is an equal opportunity employer (EOE). We do not discriminate on the basis of religion, age, sex, marital status, color, creed, national origin, political affiliation, military status, sexual orientation, or any real or perceived sensory, mental, or physical ability. All interested candidates are encouraged to apply. Persons of disability needing assistance in the application process, or those needing the announcement in alternative format, should call (360) 704‑5211.
#J-18808-Ljbffr