Consumer Program Specialist

Description

Respect. Professionalism. Integrity. Accountability.

Help protect the consumers of Washington state!

INTERNAL ONLY

Salary Range: 52, Step A ($57,252) – Step L ($75,108) annually. The starting salary offer will be determined based on Article 42 of the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE) Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA). Typically Step M of the pay range is a longevity step.

This recruitment is open until Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 5:00pm.

Serving as a consumer complaint team staff lead, the Consumer Program Specialist 3 investigates the most complex consumer complaints. It receives escalated complaints from consumers who disagree with staff’s findings and makes determinations whether findings are correct or need to be changed. This position will investigate or assign complaints that are referred to the UTC by the governor’s office and/or by the legislature.

This position also serves as trainer for new consumer program specialists. Trains new consumer complaint team members, and other division staff, on UTC laws, rules, and company tariffs. It also trains staff on how to respond to and investigate consumer complaints and inquiries and how to process complaints in the complaint system (CRM).

This is a hybrid opportunity. However, the incumbent must be available to report to the Lacey headquarters building to meet business needs.

Occasional travel during and outside normal work hours throughout the state for public meetings or hearings related to commission filings may be required.

• Provide guidance and instruction to complaint staff on investigating and processing consumer complaints.
• Review and evaluate completed complaints for thoroughness and accuracy, clarity and conciseness, and compliance with established policies and procedures. Ensure complaint staff document the actions taken during the complaint process, including rule violations, in the CRM database to identify companies whose business practices warrant investigation by the compliance investigations team.
• Receive escalated complaints from consumers who disagree with staff’s findings and make determinations if staff’s findings are correct or need to be changed.
• Receive referrals from staff when assistance is needed to resolve issues and/or customers that are more difficult to answer/handle.
• Respond to, and investigate as appropriate, consumer complaints referred by the Commissioners, the Governor’s Office, Legislative members and staff, and municipal leaders.
• As trainer, train and instruct complaint team staff on UTC laws, rules, and company tariffs, how to receive and investigate consumer complaints, and how to prepare and document complete and comprehensive complaint records in CRM. Review in-training staff’s investigative work before closure to ensure its complete.
• Provide technical assistance to regulated companies and document the technical assistance in the Compliance Investigations Database. Discuss with the Consumer Protection Manager self-reporting cases and cases where the company strongly disagrees with commission staff’s interpretation of the rules.
• Assist the Administrative Assistant with responding to non-jurisdictional consumer inquiries, to include drafting a written response.
• Provide back up to the Administrative Assistant for deleting activities in CRM, such as unsent email activities, for complaint staff.

• In a call center environment, answer calls received to the Consumer Complaint hotline when staffing is low.
• Records information in the complaints database about customer complaints regarding service from a company regulated by the commission.
• Investigates the customer's claims by researching the appropriate statute, rule, or tariff, and analyzing data obtained from the company.
• Works with the customer and a representative from the company to resolve the customer's dispute, mediating, facilitating, and negotiating as needed.
• Determines whether the company's conduct complies with relevant statutes, rules, tariffs, and contracts. If the company's business practices…