Education & Employment Manager (MA 3)

Description Education & Employment Manager (MA 3) At the Department of Commerce we strive to be creative, collaborative, and trusted. We identify opportunities to deliver critical funding and services to strengthen communities and aim to promote equity in all aspects of our work. We believe that a diverse and inclusive workforce is essential to our success, and we work to foster an environment where all individuals are valued and respected. We cultivate an environment in which we continuously learn, and we own our work. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the richness of the communities we serve. Together, we can build a brighter and more inclusive future. The Housing Division (HD) partners with local governments, Tribes, housing authorities, nonprofits, and other organizations to develop and preserve affordable housing, promote individual and family self-sufficiency, and reduce adult and youth homelessness. The Office of Homeless Youth Prevention and Protection Programs (OHY) in HD manages state funding and directs the state’s efforts to address youth and young adult homelessness. OHY is responsible for leading efforts to coordinate a spectrum of ongoing and future funding, policy, and practice efforts related to homeless youth and improving the safety, health, and well-being of homeless youth in Washington State. Youth of color and those who identify as LGBTQ2+ experience homelessness and housing instability at higher rates than their peers. The OHY strives to achieve equity for these youth and ensure that youth are at the center of funding, practice, and policy decisions. This position serves as OHY’s Education & Employment Manager and reports to the Systems Change Manager. This position represents Commerce on the interagency Project Education Impact (PEI) established in section 223(1)(bb), chapter 299, Laws of 2018 and further expanded in RCW 28A.300.544, which is a multi-agency workgroup tasked with achieving educational equity for students in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or in or exiting juvenile rehabilitation facilities. The position supports OHY’s youth homelessness education and employment policy development and program implementation efforts by coordinating and managing projects, drafting and editing reports, preparing communications, researching and analyzing program data, working with stakeholders and providing specialized technical assistance to OHY’s education and employment program grantees. This position will write program policy and practice guidelines for education and employment-related programs, and help shape statewide public policy on addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adult who have experienced or are experiencing homelessness. This position is responsible for maintaining strong relationships with diverse agency partners and stakeholders by fostering a collaborative policy development environment in which community input is highly valued. Duties Policy and legislative support and strategy Tasks include: Provide research and administrative support to the Systems Change Manager and OHY policy staff. Lead policy development initiatives, with a focus on education and employment for youth that disproportionately experience housing instability Draft and implement program policy for Homeless Student Stability Program and other OHY education and employment programs to ensure strategic alignment across Washington State’s student homelessness education and employment portfolio and adherence to best practice. Solicit policy recommendations and input from young people and other impacted parties with lived experience of homelessness, housing instability, and systems involvement. Make recommendations on how to deliver special projects and initiatives related to addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness with lasting policy impacts. Assist in monitoring, researching and responding to policy development issues including legislative, programmatic and regulatory issues. Assist in the compilation and analysis of data, reports and workgroup/committee recommendations. Keep OHY policy staff current on major project developments, efforts and progress. Provide professional and technical advice to OHY policy staff and others regarding youth homelessness education and employment initiatives, programs, and policies Track, monitor, and analyze relevant state and federal legislation, hearings, and bill activity; provide the Systems Change Manager and OHY leadership and policy staff with analysis and recommendations. Provide advice and technical support in initiating, designing and implementing projects, programs and policies to advance OHY’s strategies on addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Develop briefing materials and reports (oral and written) including legislative reports, one- page handouts, policy memos and talking points. Attend hearings, workgroups, and other meetings as needed, taking notes and sharing report-outs as requested. Support committees, taskforces and working groups related to the development and implementation of OHY’s strategies for addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Assist with development of fiscal notes and bill analyses and other policy documents that summarize proposed changes to agency programs during legislative session. Emerging Youth Homelessness Education and Employment Projects Tasks include: Assist in management of multiple youth homelessness education and employment projects, including but not limited to the Homeless Student Stability Program (HSSP): develop, coordinate and monitor project activities and resources to meet the unit’s objectives including compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements. Conduct research and analysis, formulate recommendations and inform the development of the OHY’s strategies for addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Coordinate with OHY’s program team to ensure compliance with legislative or regulatory requirements. Provide technical assistance to grantees/funding recipients, communities and stakeholders on assigned projects. Co-Lead and facilitate a learning community alongside staff from the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) for grantees of the HSSP and other OHY education and employment programs focused on the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Develop training curriculums, conduct workshops, and facilitate the dissemination of best practice for the education and employment learning community. Serve as a backup representative on the intragovernmental Rapid Response Team (RRT), which is charged with developing, implementing and maintaining systems to identify and serve complex cases of youth at the highest risk of homelessness. Serve as OHY’s representative on the Project Education Impact (PEI) workgroup, which is charged with developing statewide strategies for promoting education equity for students in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or in or exiting Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities. Partner with other governmental entities (Department of Children, Youth, and Families; Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction; and Washington Student Achievement Council) and nongovernmental entities, including youth and young adults with youth and young adults who have lived experience in foster care, homelessness and Juvenile Rehabilitation, to develop, implement, and report on recommendations to promote parity in education outcomes with the general student population for students who are in foster care, experiencing homelessness, or in or exiting Juvenile Rehabilitation facilities and to eliminate racial and ethnic disparities for education outcomes in comparison to the general student population. Partner with other governmental entities, including the Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board to develop strategies to increase economic opportunity for youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Develop and coordinate projects associated with youth homelessness education and employment activities and resources to meet the OHY’s strategic objectives and compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements. Communications and stakeholder outreach Tasks include: Manage communication with stakeholders. Observe best practices in maintaining collaborative relationships. Ensure adherence to effective and inclusive community engagement practices. Receive and respond to policy and project-related inquiries from the public and stakeholders. Maintain distribution lists relevant to specific projects. Represent the division on various task forces, workgroups, and committees as needed. Present at state and national conferences on our state’s initiatives and successful outcomes on addressing the educational and employment needs of youth and young adults who experience homelessness. Qualifications Required Qualifications: Seven years total of professional experience in community, trade or economic development with a focus in the delivery of homeless housing assistance, affordable housing, or a related field. OR Seven years total combination of professional and/or lived experience, and post-high school equivalent formal education (including college level coursework, technical and/or vocational education and/or certification programs. A graduate or advanced degree may substitute for one year of the required professional experience. Lived experience with housing instability and/or experience navigating and receiving services from public systems such as homeless and housing services systems, foster care, the criminal legal system, or behavioral health system will substitute for two years of professional experience. What is lived experience? Lived experiences is relevant expertise derived from the accumulated personal life and professional experiences of an individual. Experience can be gained through life events, volunteer role/capacity, any experience gained outside of professional paid and unpaid experience, academic or a combination of experiences. The above listed experience will demonstrate that a candidate possesses the necessary knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies to successfully qualify for and perform the duties of the position. Professional experience with programs or systems that serve youth and young adults experiencing homelessness, or child welfare, juvenile justice, or behavioral health programmatic solutions, public policy development, legislative advocacy, public and post-secondary education, and/or workforce development. Preferred/Desired Qualifications: Experience working for, or in partnership with, organizations that serve historically excluded groups including Black, Indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC), members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer or questioning, and two-spirit (LGBTQ2S+), and people living with disabilities. Experience conducting presentations or trainings. Experience facilitating workgroup and committee meetings Understanding of and ability to apply principles of change management. Understanding of and ability to apply principles of project management. Strong understanding of state budgeting and legislative policies and practices and the ability to employ budget and fiscal management techniques. Strong communicative and interpersonal skills. Able to build alliances to promote policy collaborations across issues such as poverty and homelessness. Able to work collaboratively with a diverse group of stakeholders Personal experience of programs or systems that serve youth and young adult experiencing or at-risk of homelessness. To be considered for this position the following are needed: A complete and detailed online application. A cover letter (enter online). At least three professional references (enter online). For questions about this recruitment, please contact our recruitment team via email: comrecruitment@commerce.wa.gov - please reference the job number in your message Supplemental Information Work from Anywhere in Washington State This position may be located anywhere within Washington State though occasional travel to a Commerce office building or in-state travel to attend events or meetings may be required. If selected, you will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Many Commerce employees work remote or have a hybrid schedule. This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies over the next 60 days. This position is covered by a collective bargaining agreement. Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support may answer general questions regarding the recruiting system at careershelp@des.wa.gov. Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity The Washington State Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process or this job announcement in an alternative format may email Human Resources at Human.Resources@commerce.wa.gov. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388. Department of Commerce also offers a competitive benefits package including: medical and dental insurance benefits, retirement and deferred compensation plans, 11 paid holidays each year, 14-25 vacation days per year (depending on length of employment), 8 hours of sick leave per month (if full time employed), bereavement leave, an employee assistance program, as well as other benefits. Please see the Benefits Tab for more details.