WA.gov Product Manager

WA.gov Product Manager (EMS 3)

WaTech: Leading the way in technology! Washington Technology Solutions (WaTech) is at the forefront nationally in integrating innovative technologies that revolutionize how state services are delivered to the people of Washington. WaTech establishes the strategic technological framework for various state domains and programs, overseeing the primary technology services throughout the state.

About the opportunity: This position is within the Digital Experience (DEX) unit in the Strategy and Management Division (SMD). The Digital Experience programs advance WaTech’s mission by transforming how people connect with and access Washington State government services. WA.gov is being developed as a connected government experience that brings state services, information, and digital interactions together through a more consistent and resident-centered experience. The platform is supported by a statewide identity and access capability that enables people to securely establish and use a single digital identity across participating government services. Together, these capabilities create the foundation for a more connected, accessible, and personalized relationship between Washington residents and state government. The Digital Experience programs oversee the strategy, development, and evolution of WA.gov; the statewide identity experience; accessibility initiatives; and web and user experience services that support agencies across Washington State. This position reports to the Chief Digital Experience Officer.

About the role: The WA.gov Product Manager serves as the strategic leader for Washington State's connected digital government experience. This position provides product leadership for WA.gov as the state's digital front door and works across agencies and partners to connect services through a shared, secure, and consistent digital experience. This position directs the WA.gov product organization and is accountable for statewide product strategy, agency onboarding and service integration, customer experience, implementation standards, product governance, and the long-term operational sustainability of the platform. This position provides leadership and direction for the development, delivery, and continuous evolution of WA.gov and its connected capabilities, including integration with the statewide identity and access platform, to ensure secure, scalable, accessible, and customer-centered digital experiences that align with statewide priorities and resident needs.

Some of what to expect with this role:

• Define and direct the vision, strategy, roadmap, and long-term evolution of the WA.gov digital experience platform and resident portal.
• Establish product priorities; this roleis responsible for platform backlog prioritization and sequencing product capabilities.
• Establish and lead product governance processes, decision-making frameworks, and prioritization approaches to support consistent and transparent product delivery.
• Ensure customer experience, accessibility, security, and statewide business needs are incorporated into product strategy and delivery.
• Lead onboarding and delivery of agency services and digital capabilities within the WA.gov platform.
• Establish implementation priorities, onboarding approaches, and service delivery sequencing to support platform adoption and statewide objectives.
• Lead resolution and escalation of delivery barriers, implementation risks, and cross-team dependencies affecting successful delivery.
• Provide leadership and direction for the WA.gov product organization, including workforce planning, organizational development, and team alignment.
• Build and maintain strategic relationships with agency partners, leadership teams, vendors, and governance bodies to support successful delivery and adoption of WA.gov services.
• Provide leadership and direction for large-scale implementation efforts supporting delivery of WA.gov services and platform capabilities.
• Oversee cross-functional dependencies, risks, and issues that may impact successful delivery and operational readiness.
• Provide direction for prioritization and resolution of implementation barriers and escalate significant issues as appropriate.

Here’s what we’re looking for:

• 10 years of experience working in positions of progressively higher levels of management delivering IT services with an emphasis on analyzing business requirements and developing solutions for enterprise digital services. This required experience must include:

• A combination of experience totaling four or more years in any of the following areas: • Developing business models, strategic plans, policies, and budgets and creating cost-effective solutions to complex business challenges in all levels of an organization.

• Overseeing successful implementation of digital projects, i.e. high-traffic website design and development projects, accessibility remediation efforts, human centered design projects, and/or statewide web application projects.

• Overseeing a multi-organizational initiative with matrixed and contracted resources.

• Working with solutions architects and human-centered design teams to design complex systems which adhere to security, privacy, and accessibility standards and policies.

• Three or more years of experience in each of the following: • Managing large complex projects in the IT field. This includes providing senior-level expertise on project discipline, accountability, and best practices over a wide variety of technical and business project initiatives, delivering technology services to a large, geographically dispersed customer base.

• Evaluating and procuring technologies that align with organization strategic plans.

• Leading, developing, coaching, and managing a staff of IT professionals.

• In a customer facing role.

• As a supervisor or manager with demonstrated experience managing at a high level of accountability.

• One year of experience in each of the following: • Overseeing development and implementation of IT governance processes such as policy management, compliance, monitoring, and reporting.

• Training in or working with Agile techniques and methods such as SAFE, LeSS, SCRUM, and Kanban.

• A bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology or business management may substitute for up to four years of the required 10 years of progressive management experience. **

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Preference may be granted to applicants with the following:

• Experience implementing an enterprise portal or statewide software.
• Working knowledge of business models, operating models, financial models, cost-benefit analysis, budgeting, and risk management.
• Strong leadership skills including the ability to make critical decisions and manage priorities judiciously.
• Strong verbal communication skills, including ability to clearly communicate and present complex information to a broad and diverse audience.
• Strong written communication skills, including ability to produce process and policy documentation, executive-level reports, presentations, and partner communications.
• Proficiency with graphics tools for diagramming, charting, and modeling.
• Knowledge of Washington State law, administrative codes, the legislative process, and policy development.
• Experience with large-scale organizational change management.

Telework: This position is approved for telework. This position requires frequent on-site presence in Olympia, WA to support collaboration, planning sessions, engagement, operational activities, and other in-person business needs. The incumbent must reside within a reasonable commuting distance of Olympia to support ongoing operational and business requirements.

We value diversity and different perspectives: WaTech is committed to providing equal access and opportunities to all qualified applicants and employees. We seek to attract and retain a diverse staff and welcome your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. We invite you to include your preferred name and pronouns in your material to ensure we address you correctly throughout the application process.

What WaTech offers: As an employee of WaTech, you’ll have access to an outstanding employee benefits package that includes medical and dental plan options for you and your family, paid leave and holidays, retirement plan options and more.

While WaTech is headquartered in Olympia, Washington, which is near some of the country’s most scenic national parks, we are able to offer many of our positions telework and flexible schedule options to help support a healthy work-life balance.

To learn more about WaTech and what our employees enjoy about working here, please visit our website.

Additional information about this role:

• This position requires a background check. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability to perform in the position and is a continued condition of employment.

How to apply: Applications for this recruitment will be accepted electronically. Please select the large “apply” button at the top of this announcement. In addition to completing your online application, please also include the following attachments:

• A current resume detailing your applicable experience, training and/or education.
• A letter of interest highlighting how your experience aligns with the outlined job posting.

Top candidates will be asked to provide a list of their professional references with contact information.

Reminders:

• A real person is reviewing your application material. It is in your best interest to complete the application in its entirety and review thoroughly before submitting. You will not be eligible to re-apply for this posting for 30 days.
• Applications with missing or incomplete fields, or supplemental question responses such as “see resume” may be considered incomplete and removed from consideration.
• WaTech complies with the employment eligibility verification requirements of the federal Form I-9. The selected candidate must be able to provide proof of identity and eligibility to work in the United States. WaTech does not use the E-Verify system. We are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practice Training (OPT) opportunities. For more information, please visit https://www.uscis.gov.
• Applicants wishing to claim Veterans Preference should attach a copy of their DD-214 (Member 4 copy), NGB 22, or signed verification of service letter from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to their application. (Please redact any personally identifiable data such as social security number and date of birth prior to submittal.)

By submitting your materials, you affirm that all information is true and correct. Any untruthful information is cause for removal from the applicant pool. If hired as a result of this recruitment, the discovery of incorrect or falsified information may lead to disciplinary action or dismissal.

Recruitment process: The first round of application assessments will be conducted seven days after the initial job posting date. The hiring authority reserves the right to offer the position at any time after the initial seven-day job posting date. It is to the applicant's advantage to apply as early as possible. This recruitment may be used to fill multiple positions.

The salary range reflected above reflects the full potential for this position. The base pay offered to the selected candidate will consider the candidate’s specific qualifying experience and internal equity of the existing team.

Contact us: For inquiries about this position, please contact Rebekah Wilkes at (360) 407-8646 or email to [email protected]

If you’d like to request an accommodation for any part of the selection process, or to receive the application material in an alternate format, please contact Human Resources at (360) 407-8242 or [email protected] of disability or those who are deaf or hard of hearing can call the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.