Community Liaison - Spokane & Eastern, WA

Description Who We Are In response to deaths resulting from encounters with law enforcement and the community’s demand for change, the Washington State Legislature created a new, first-of-its-kind agency: the Office of Independent Investigations (OII). This new agency was formed in 2021 and operates under the requirements of the law in which investigations involving the use of deadly force must be truly independent of the involved law enforcement agency. Our mission is to conduct fair, thorough, transparent, and competent investigations of incidents involving use of deadly force. This innovative approach to investigations is intended to remove conflicts of interest, improve accountability and transparency, and renew the public’s confidence. Through these efforts, we hope to strengthen the relationships between police and the community, build public trust, and promote effective policing. An essential component to help carry out this mission is the Community Liaison position. As a Community Liaison on our diverse team, you will play an integral role supporting OII by building and maintaining positive relationships with community organizations around the state who have an interest in the activities of OII, its investigations, and the ongoing development of the agency. In addition to creating a plan for strategic communications with community organizations, a large part of your work will center around identifying and engaging with community groups, non-profits, and advocacy organizations who have an interest in OII activities. This position will support Spokane and Eastern Washington, which includes regions 5 and 6. For more information, please see the Office of Independent Investigations Regional Map: https://oii.wa.gov/investigations Duties What You’ll Do Your responsibilities will include but are not limited to… Community Relations: Identify key community organizations and non-governmental organizations with an interest in OII and develop a list of them as well as key contacts for these groups. Develop a plan for ongoing and strategic communications with community organizations, municipal government leadership, and non-profits. Connect with OII’s family and tribal liaisons for on-going mutual support. When OII accepts a case for investigation, communicate with community organizations to ensure they are kept apprised of key developments in the investigation. Coordinate with agency policy advisors to ensure they remain fully informed regarding key concerns of community groups. Inform leadership of any key events, conferences, or workshops where OII presence would be expected or in the best interest of developing good relations between the agency and local community groups. Advise OII leadership on navigating relations with key community organizations and their leaders. Develop and implement a plan for engaging with community groups to ensure they are kept informed and aware when OII is activated and initiating an investigation. Family Support: Identify and document organizations and non-profits with resources available for families of those harmed or killed in encounters with law enforcement. Coordinate with OII family liaisons and tribal liaisons to identify resource needs for the people both programs serve. General Engagement: Maintain awareness of key developments in on-going investigations, for example, release of final investigation report. Coordinate with the Communications Director to review all agency news releases, ensuring any interested community groups and key stakeholders are made aware before the release is issued. Meet and communicate regularly with agency leadership to stay well informed of issues of importance to OII. Advise agency leadership regarding key groups and organizations, meeting schedules, and other opportunities for engagement. Apprise agency leadership on developing issues, concerns, and questions from key community groups and organizations. Establish and maintain good relationships with leaders of key regional community groups and organizations. Assists agency leadership, as necessary, in development of stakeholder outreach planning. Qualifications Required / Minimum Qualifications: Five (5) or more years of experience in the community outreach field with an established record of community engagement, including a background working as part of a national, statewide, or local organization serving communities such as people of color, women, youth, immigrants, LGBTQ, or other marginalized groups. Effective organizational skills with an ability to work independently and manage competing interests. Excellent communication, both written and verbal, and deep listening skills. Strong understanding and commitment to anti-racism, diversity, and equity principles. Knowledge of local community organizations, an established network of influential contacts within the community, and a high level of comfort building relationships, networking, and interacting with the public, government officials, and other interested parties. Experience organizing community meetings. Exceptional communication skills, with experience managing difficult conversations, and an ability to converse with a wide variety of people. Sound judgement and ability to diplomatically advocate positions at odds with executives and others in positions of authority. Must be able to safely operate a state assigned vehicle for the purpose of conducting field work, including frequent regional or in-state travel. Desired Qualifications: A degree in communications, interpersonal communications, psychology, social work, or related field. Training in de-escalation techniques and managing difficult conversations. Any ability to speak a language other than English, including American Sign Language. Special Requirements: Employees driving on state business must have a current, valid driver’s license. Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately-owned vehicle. Must abide by Criminal Justice Information Sharing (CJIS) Agreements. Candidates will be required to pass a review of their background including a criminal history search and fingerprinting as part of the CJIS ACCESS process. Supplemental Information How to Apply Interested? We would love to hear from you. Click “Apply” at the top of this page to start your application (you can save the application and come back to it, if needed). In your submission, please include the following: A cover letter that describes your specific qualifications for the outlined position. A current resume that details your applicable experience and qualifications. Three professional references with current contact information, including a telephone number and email address. We will review all applications as they are received and contact the top applicants to interview for this position. Because we base our selection on the information you provide, we recommend submitting a tailored resume outlining the knowledge, skills, and abilities you possess that address the qualifications described above. To be considered for this position, candidates must meet the required/minimum qualifications. Questions? For questions about this recruitment or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email OII Recruiting at recruiting@oii.wa.gov. For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388. The Office of Independent Investigations 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, and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply. If you need accommodations or help in the application process, or who wish to receive this job announcement in an alternative format, you may call 360-725-0158 or dial 711 to reach the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf system. Special Note: This position is exempt from civil service rules. For more information, please see WAC 357-19-195.