Policy and Rules Manager; WMS BAND 2

(WMS BAND
2)

Schedule: This is a hybrid/flexible position with standard office hours of 8am to 5pm. Evening, holiday, or weekend work may occasionally be required as well as infrequent travel to meetings or trainings.

Compensation
:
The salary range for this position will depend upon candidate's skills, experience, knowledge and ability.

Who we are:

The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) provides centralized business services to state government agencies; to other public entities such as cities, counties and tribes; and to Washington residents. DES’ mission is to strengthen the business of government for a sustainable and just future. Learn more about DES.

What you will be doing: This position plays a critical role in taking an enterprise view of agency operations by providing centralized policy governance and rule making support. In doing so, it enables DES divisions to focus on their core missions while ensuring that agency wide policy and rule making efforts are coherent, legally sound, strategically aligned, and responsive to statewide priorities.

In this position, you will be a working supervisor responsible for operationalizing strategy, overseeing major projects within the Policy & Rules Division, and supervising a team of policy and rules administrators who coordinate all agency rule making and policy making functions.

You will serve as the agency’s lead for rule making activities ensuring rules are legally defensible and follow the Administrative Procedures Act and the Regulatory Fairness Act. You will be responsible for ensuring strong planning, process development, implementation, and support across administrative policies, enterprise policies, procedural rules, interpretive rules, and significant legislative rules so that:

• Policy and rule outcomes align with DES strategic anchors, values, and goals.
• All adopted rules and policies meet legal requirements, Governor’s directives, executive orders, and enterprise-wide standards, including OFM’s Administrative and Accounting Manual, WaTech Policies and Standards, and Executive Ethics Board guidance.
• Diversity, equity, and inclusion principles are embedded in policy and rule making activities.
• Risk is proactively assessed and managed to minimize legal liability to the department.
• Strong collaboration occurs across communications, government relations, tribal relations, and program subject matter experts to ensure robust stakeholder engagement and thoughtful implementation planning.
• Interested individuals and partners have meaningful opportunities to participate in policy and rule development.
• Agency rules and policies remain consistent, clear, current, accurate, accessible, and supportive of a unified “One DES” approach.

• Reviews and recommends all new, amended, and rescinded rule actions for prioritization and next steps.
• Reviews proposed rules or rule changes for advancement to the Director of Policy, Rules, & Compliance.
• Supplies management with consultation and recommendations where no clear precedent exists.
• Oversees preparation of the semi-annual Rule making Agenda.
• Manages and facilitates complex public rule hearings and stakeholder meetings, ensuring fair process, clear communication, and meaningful public participation.
• Prepares official hearing summaries under RCW 34.05.325 for review of the Director of Policy, Rules & Compliance and approval by the agency Director.
• Prepares the Director’s permanent rule‑making orders for the Office of the Code Reviser.
• Manages agency responses to rule‑making petitions under RCW 34.05.330.
• Advises the Director of Policy, Rules, and Compliance along with agency leaders on rule promulgation and strategic regulatory approaches.
• Ensures inclusive stakeholder engagement…