Salary : $115,000.00 - $124,008.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Exempt
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Office of the Governor
Division: Office of Equity
Opening Date: 09/22/2026
Closing Date: 10/6/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
As a policy and legislative affairs liaison, you will help advance the Office of Equity's mission to achieve systemic equity across Washington state government. You will support the Federal Affairs Director and guide key legislative initiatives that drive meaningful, statewide change.

The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidate's qualifications within the budgeted salary range of $115,000-$124,008 annually.

This is a remote position with schedule flexibility that requires travel in Washington State for meetings, events, and on-site work. The frequency of on-site work varies based on business and operational needs. The Governor's Office may choose, but is not required, to employ individuals who reside outside of Washington on a case-by-case basis.

Duties (Primary Functions)

Facilitates interaction between legislative staff and members, other agencies, outside partner organizations, and other interested parties:
• Manages issues that are received in various formats, from legislators, legislative staff, and external partners.
• Reviews legislative constituent correspondence to determine appropriate EQUITY staff to assist in drafting responsive correspondence.
• Uses process improvement to facilitate the collection and analysis of legislative information.
• Assists EQUITY leadership to identify and plan business process changes for short- and long-term strategic goals.
• Communicates between EQUITY and external governmental offices and agencies, as appropriate.
• Oversees the monitoring of legislative communications, to include the news and social media, for issues of interest to EQUITY leadership, outside partner organizations, and other stakeholders.
• Assists with the development of briefings and fact sheets for informing external parties and legislators of EQUITY priorities, resource needs, and policy direction.

Provides consultation and analysis on legislative issues:
• Provides informed advice and consultation to the Federal Affairs Director and other EQUITY leadership, outside partner organizations, and other interested parties with varying issues, assorted complex and conflicting interests.
• Reviews the content of bill analysis and monitoring reports to inform testimony and informational follow-ups to legislative hearings.
• Reviews bill summaries for impact and implementation considerations.
• Prepares briefings for the Federal Affairs Director and EQUITY leadership with actionable recommendations for policy or legislative responses.
Manages the development of proposed legislation, budget packages, and regulations; acts to accomplish legislative and regulatory goals and strategies:
• Oversees the monitoring of legislation and development of bill analyses and fiscal notes for the Office of Equity.
• Works with interested parties on legislative impacts, including the Governor's Office staff and other impacted groups.
• Establishes and maintains important key working relationships concerning equity and accessibility, statutes, policy development and implementation with legislators, professional organizations, state agency legislative teams and other interest groups.
• Directs the development of EQUITY's state legislative request package; obtains legislative sponsors and leads the orderly progress of essential bills through the legislative process. Builds and maintains the office's internal legislative review process to ensure the proper disposition of required actions.
• Directs and develops strategy and communication with legislators, legislative staff, and state agencies to prioritize actions.
• Reviews and analyzes all appropriate state legislative proposals and other equity issues with executive staff.
• Makes recommendations as executive staff build out their proposals for ARLs and DPs.
• Provides advice to EQUITY staff as needed to ensure that policy goals are achieved.
• Represents EQUITY at legislative meetings and maintains collaborative relationships with legislators and legislative staff; consults with legislators and their staff on issues of equitable policymaking and assigns appropriate staff to respond to issues.
• Directs the monitoring of legislative requirements from the biennial budget and their fulfillment by department divisions.
• Reviews and approves communications in collaboration with the Communications team with state and local elected officials.
• Reviews draft fiscal notes with appropriate backup documentation in partnership with Operations
• Attends in-district meetings as necessary with legislators, staff, and community organizations.
Build and sustain relationships with state government partners and communities with lived experience facing racism, oppression, or marginalization.

Coordinates policy efforts and leads the Policy Subcommittee of the Governor's Immigration Subcabinet.

Leads and implements special programs and projects as assigned.

Other duties as assigned.
Qualifications

All combinations of experience and higher education relevant to the position, including lived experience, volunteer (paid or unpaid) experience, or professional experience that demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the work, will be considered.

Fundamental (Required)

You must have the lived, volunteer, or professional experience and/or education that demonstrates your ability to:
Demonstrated experience:

1. Developing, evaluating, and implementing legislation and legislative strategy.
2. Navigating Washington state legislative processes, such as tracking legislative bills, hearing schedules, writing fiscal notes, drafting legislative briefing materials, and monitoring hearings.
3. Working with a wide range of stakeholders, specifically legislators, and creating effective working relationships.
4. Building and maintaining relationships between government (other state agencies, Federal and local governments), nonprofit and private sector organizations, foreign governments, or international organizations and groups who have been excluded and marginalized by government decisions.
5. Experience developing and maintaining relationships with diverse communities, including Tribes, Black, Indigenous and communities of color, low-income communities, immigrant and refugee communities, LGBTQ+ communities, people with disabilities, and other historically marginalized communities.
6. Leading change and strategic planning in organizations.
7. Discussing issues and topics of racism, anti-Black racism, social justice, disability justice and belonging.

Must have:

1. A vision for embedding equity throughout the legislative process.
2. Ability to evaluate legislative policy agendas and actions during Washington State legislative sessions in the areas of equity, access, belonging, and anti-poverty.
3. Understanding of equity and social justice and the role institutional racism and oppression plays in inequitable outcomes across sectors, including lived experience.
4. Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
5. Strong commitment to and comfort with curiosity, improvisation, and continuous improvement.
6. A demonstrated commitment to social and racial justice issues and fundamental understanding of the historical context underlying current challenges facing communities of color, people with disabilities, immigrant communities, lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer (LGBTQ) communities, as well as low-and moderate-income families.
7. Ability to exercise a high level of emotional intelligence, critical thinking, self-care, and judgment during challenging or ambiguous situations.
8. Advanced skills with Microsoft PowerPoint, Excel, and Word.

Added Value (Preferred)
Additional lived, volunteer, or professional experience and/or education that demonstrates your ability to:

1. Experience in civil rights, disability justice, and anti-poverty policy.
2. Proficiency in a language other than English.

If you have gotten this far and are thinking you do not qualify, consider again. Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. If you are excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may just be the needed candidate for this or other roles.

Supplemental Information
Interested? Let us hear from you!

To apply, click "Apply" at the top of this page to start your application (you can save it and return to it if needed). Please include the following:

1. Attach a current resume that describes how your lived, volunteer, or professional experience and/or education make you competent and prepared for this job.

2. Attach a letter of interest that shares how you have made a difference when the stakes were high, and you may not have had much support.

3. Include three professional references, including your current or recent supervisor, with current telephone numbers and email addresses in your application.

To report accessibility barriers with the online application system and get assistance with submitting your online application, contact the Department of Enterprise Services' job seeker support at 360.664.1960 (877.664.1960) or You are also encouraged to view recommendations for assistive technology on the Accessibility Information Page at careers.wa.gov.

All applicants will be notified of their status in our process. The Office of Equity will contact the selected individuals directly to engage in our hiring process. For questions about this recruitment or to request reasonable accommodation in the application process, please email Jon Woodbury at For TTY service, please call the Washington Relay Service at 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.

This position is exempt from civil service rules. For more information, please see
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state