DSHS ESA Regional Administrator

Community Services Division Regional Administrator / Exempt Management Services 3 (EMS3)

As the Regional Administrator for Region 3, you guide one of the most complex and community-connected service areas within the DSHS’s Economic Services Administration. You lead a broad network of Community Services Offices across Southwest Washington and the coastal counties, ensuring people across the region have timely, equitable access to public assistance services. Your public assistance leadership strengthens the systems that help Washington residents meet basic needs, navigate life changes, and build stability.

You will shape the direction of regional operations by supporting leaders, strengthening service delivery, and building relationships with Tribal governments, community partners, labor representatives, and local governments. You will help teams stay aligned with statewide priorities while responding to emerging needs across diverse communities. Your leadership centers trust, clarity, inclusion, and steady guidance through change.

In your first six months, you will learn the region’s operations, meet staff across all Community Services Offices, and build relationships with Tribal partners and community organizations. You will assess current practices, identify opportunities for improvement, and begin strengthening workforce planning, operational consistency, and service quality. You will establish a clear communication rhythm with regional leaders, reinforce expectations for accountability and collaboration, and begin shaping long-range plans that support both staff and the communities we serve.

Some of what you will do

• Provide visible, engaged leadership across Region 3 to support consistent, customer-centered service delivery.
• Guide Community Services Office Administrators and regional leadership teams through coaching, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Oversee regional operations, including service delivery, staffing, workforce planning, fiscal stewardship, and compliance with state and federal requirements.
• Strengthen partnerships with Tribal governments, community organizations, labor representatives, and local governments.
• Lead organizational change efforts that support employee engagement, succession planning, and workforce development.
• Coordinate emergency response, business continuity, and implementation of statewide initiatives.
• Use data, performance measures, and sound judgment to inform decisions that improve outcomes for customers and staff.
• Foster collaboration across administrations and external partners to align regional work with statewide goals. Who should apply

We are looking for someone with demonstrated executive leadership experience overseeing large-scale public assistance, human services, or comparable public-sector service delivery operations across multiple locations. This role requires experience guiding complex systems with responsibility for operational performance, workforce management, fiscal accountability, and implementation of state and federal policy.

This role also requires substantial experience in the planning and administration of a statewide human services delivery system. You may meet the requirements through several experience and education pathways, but the core requirement is extensive, practical experience guiding complex human services operations reflecting these areas:

• Executive leadership experience directing large, geographically dispersed operations within a public-sector or human services environment.
• Experience leading through change while maintaining operational stability and employee engagement.
• Skill in developing leaders through coaching, mentoring, accountability, and succession planning.
• Experience managing core operations including service delivery, fiscal stewardship, workforce planning, program integrity, and organizational risk.
• Ability to build collaborative partnerships with Tribal governments, community organizations, labor representatives, and local governments.
• Ability to make timely, informed decisions in complex and rapidly changing environments.
• Commitment to equity, inclusion, belonging and culturally responsive leadership.
• A leadership style grounded in integrity , transparency, accountability, collaboration, and service to Washington communities. DSHS partners with people to access support, care, and resources. Working a hybrid, telework schedule, with a duty station in Tacoma, WA. Pierce County employees are eligible to receive an Orca Card for transportation needs.

Interested? Please list 3 professional references’ current contact information on your application and include your current resume and a letter of interest (up to two pages) specifically addressing the knowledge, skills and experience you have related to this job and duties.

Questions? Please contact the Recruiter, Jenny, at [email protected] or 360-725-5810 and reference #06288. Learn more about DSHS .

The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) vision that people find human services to shape their own lives requires that we come together with a sense of belonging, common purpose, shared values, and meaningful work. It is crucial to our agency’s vision that you bring a fairness, access, and social justice commitment to your work with DSHS. We strive to support all Washingtonians, including Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, people with physical, behavioral health, and intellectual disabilities, elders, LGBTQIA+ individuals, immigrants and refugees, and families building financial security.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal record history may be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant’s suitability and competence to perform in the job. This announcement may be used to fill multiple vacancies. Employees driving on state business must have a valid driver's license. Employees driving a privately owned vehicle on state business must have liability insurance on the privately owned vehicle.

Washington State Department of Social and Health Services is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate in any area of employment, its programs or services on the basis of age, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity/expression, marital status, race, creed, color, national origin, religion or beliefs, political affiliation, military status, honorably discharged veteran, Vietnam Era, recently separated or other protect­ed veteran status, the presence of any sensory, mental, physical disability or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability, equal pay or genetic information. Persons requiring accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the Recruiter at (360) 725-5810. Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6384.

Relationship and Reporting Structure (Nepotism) Disclosure: If you are selected for hire, you must disclose whether you have a relative, household member, close friend, or romantic partner within your potential supervisory chain of command. DSHS has a Relationships and the Reporting Structure policy that prohibits nepotism and can be reviewed here . Applicants whose appointment would result in a prohibited reporting relationship are not eligible for appointment to that position.

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