Administrative Specialist

Administrative Specialist

The Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid (OCLA) is an independent judicial branch agency. Created with an understanding that the provision of legal aid services to indigent persons is an important component of the state's responsibility to provide for the proper and effective administration of justice, OCLA's mission is to secure, invest and oversee the use of public funding for civil legal aid to low-income people in Washington State and to ensure accountability for public funds dedicated to the purpose.

Since 2005, OCLA has administered and overseen general civil legal aid in Washington. Today the agency also supports legal aid to victims of crime and domestic violence, children in foster care, kinship caregivers, indigent tenants facing eviction, and individuals reentering society following completion of their terms of incarceration. Through these programs, OCLA was able to serve 42,000 Washingtonians in 2023.

One of the programs OCLA administers is the Children's Representation Program (CRP). The CRP underwrites and oversees the delivery of effective standards-based, trauma-informed, and culturally competent attorney representation for children subject to dependency and termination proceedings. Since the CRP was established in 2014, the right to counsel for children has expanded and with it, the size and reach of the program.

Full statewide implementation of this growing program will occur by January 1, 2032.

The CRP does not provide direct legal services but recruits, trains, supports, and oversees a contracted panel of independent attorneys who provide standards-based legal representation to children and youth in the child welfare system across Washington state. To achieve this, the CRP relies on a team of high-functioning, independent administrative support staff. The program is currently recruiting an Administrative Specialist to manage higher level programmatic support needs.

This is primarily a hybrid/remote position that requires occasional travel in Washington State for meetings, events, and onsite work.

This position is part of the Children's Representation Program and is responsible for:

• Providing programmatic support as assigned in the receipt and review of contractor invoices for compliance with CRP policies, procedures, and other requirements; processing contractor invoices and routine payments, including verifying payment accuracy, obtaining necessary approval(s); and submitting to the CRP Director or their designee for prompt approval.
• Reconciling CRP financial data and receipts.
• Collecting and compiling data, including use and performance data, and preparing complex reports as directed by the CRP Director, CRP Training and Operations Manager, and CRP Oversight Manager.
• Supporting the CRP Director, or assignee, with development, maintenance, and implementation of programmatic policy and procedures.
• Supporting the CRP's external communications, including communicating on behalf of the CRP, monitoring assigned CRP inboxes, maintaining the agency website, and conducting copy editing for CRP.
• Supporting the CRP Director and CRP Oversight Manager in data collection and programmatic development of the administration of the contracted social worker panel.
• Assisting with the review, organization, and management of contractor resource materials.
• Assisting with the organizing and maintaining of contractor information.
• Assisting with organizational recruitment, including processing applications and managing the interview process.
• Providing administrative support to the CRP Director as needed.
• Participating in OCLA's Race Equity and Justice Statement of Purpose.
• Working effectively as a critical member of a small team of professionals in a highly mission-driven environment.
• Other tasks as assigned.

This position also serves as a backup to others within the agency and may complete other duties as assigned to support the CRP and OCLA.

Required Qualifications

• Experience working in the Microsoft 365 suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams) and demonstrated proficiency in Word, Excel, and Teams.
• Experience with data collection, entry, analysis and interpretation, and preparation of complex reports using Excel, case management, and/or other relevant systems.
• Ability to prioritize and manage a wide spectrum of tasks, handle short deadlines, work independently, and adapt as new and changing demands require.
• Exceptional administrative support skills.
• Ability to identify problems and…