Director of External Labor Relations and Policy

About WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT manages the world's longest floating bridge, leads an award‑winning Active Transportation Plan, holds the record for the world’s widest tunneling project, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

WSDOT is seeking a strategic, mission‑driven executive to serve as Director of External Labor Relations and Policy. Reporting to the Secretary of Transportation, this Director position operates at the highest levels of the agency and serves as the principal advisor on external labor policy, workforce strategy, and the governance and utilization of project labor agreements (PLAs). As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, this role provides expertise and strategic direction for labor policy frameworks impacting WSDOT’s statewide construction program, ensuring compliance with state and federal law, alignment with agency priorities, fiscal stewardship, and long‑term operational effectiveness.

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, the External Relations & Policy Director will:

• Provide executive leadership, governance, and strategic direction for the negotiation, implementation, and oversight of Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) and related workforce policies across WSDOT’s construction programs.
• Establish and oversee agency wide policy frameworks, standards, and procedures governing the consistent application of PLAs.
• Exercise full authority to approve all PLA‑related documents, including dispute resolutions and agreements.
• Serve as WSDOT’s senior executive liaison with labor organizations, contractors, industry groups, small businesses, elected officials, and other external partners.
• Represent the Secretary of Transportation and the agency’s strategic position on external workforce and labor matters in high‑visibility and politically sensitive environments.
• Provide executive‑level analysis and recommendations to the Secretary and Executive Leadership Team regarding labor law, compliance, risk, and workforce strategy.
• Prepare agency responses to labor‑related legislation, regulatory proposals, and external project labor agreement inquiries.
• Lead complex negotiations and manage high‑impact labor issues with significant fiscal, compliance, delivery, and reputational implications.
• Balance legal compliance, workforce stability, fiscal impacts, project delivery needs, political considerations, and public accountability.

To be considered for this opportunity, the following competencies are required:

• Demonstrated ability to serve as a senior executive advisor on complex external labor policy matters, providing strategic guidance that informs high‑level decision‑making.
• Demonstrated ability to provide strategic counsel to executive leadership on workforce policy, labor relations, and transportation‑related labor strategy, aligning recommendations with statutory authority and executive priorities.
• Demonstrated ability to shape, implement, and monitor enterprise‑level labor policy, ensuring broad organizational alignment and measurable impact.

• Demonstrated ability to develop, negotiate, implement, and oversee compliance for Project Labor Agreements (PLAs) within large, complex construction programs.
• Demonstrated ability to establish governance frameworks, standards, and procedures that ensure consistent and compliant PLA application across programs and regions.
• Demonstrated ability to anticipate and evaluate downstream impacts of labor policy decisions on project delivery, fiscal stewardship, regulatory compliance, and organizational reputation.

• Demonstrated ability to lead high‑level negotiations involving multiple stakeholders with competing…