Print and Mail Operations Manager WMS2

State of Washington$115K — $125K *
Business Services
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 9+ years in commercial printing or related fields, with 5+ years in leadership roles.
  • Strong knowledge of operational leadership principles and practices.
  • Expertise in print, mail, and production operations environments.
  • Skilled in business and financial acumen, including budgeting and resource management.
  • Proficient in change and project management principles.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the Print and Mail Program to align operations with business missions.
  • Develop integration strategies for optimizing print and mail services.
  • Implement industry best practices and monitor compliance.
  • Foster a Lean culture that encourages continuous improvement.
  • Guide the team in professional development and performance management.

Benefits

  • Competitive health and retirement plans with choices to fit needs.
  • Paid leave to support work-life balance.
  • Access to staff training and professional development opportunities.
Full Job Description
Salary : $115,000.00 - $125,000.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Tumwater, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Job Number: 2026-BRD-020
Department: Dept. of Enterprise Services
Division: BRD
Opening Date: 08/13/2026
Closing Date: 8/27/2026 11:59 PM Pacific

Description
Schedule: Monday-Friday, 8am-5pm
What you will be doing:

In this position, you will provide leadership and guidance to multi-discipline teams that develop reliable information, evaluate and make information-based decisions on changes to standard processes, systems and policies that are intended to improve processes, reduce risk, remove barriers, facilitate better customer service and increase use of services. You will also lead, plan, design, implement and participate in change management processes.
This position encourages a Lean organizational culture that promotes the practice of respect for people, openness, trust, safety, transparency, collaborative problem solving, managing with data and incremental continuous improvement with an emphasis on coaching and mentoring to internally practice teaching, questioning, listening, suspending assumptions, supporting and encouraging, observing, empowering, appreciating and inspiring staff. By developing a successful business culture, you will transfer your knowledge of project management and Lean problem solving processes that will enable teams and individuals to independently lead and implement initiatives.

Duties
Some of what you'll enjoy doing includes:

  • Provides direct management of the lines of business of the Print and Mail Program to ensure they are aligned with the business mission and operate on a positive net income basis.
  • Works with the Print and Mail Program Manager to develop integration strategies for print and mail services that are duplicative or may result in synergies that benefit the State of Washington.
  • Works with the Print and Mail Program Manager to develop relevant best practices within each line of business, while striving to stay apprised of industry standards.
  • Responsible for developing and implementing growth opportunities within the program, while creating long-term value for DES and its customers.
  • Works with the Print and Mail Program Manager to develop and implement policy, standards, and guidelines related to print and mail.
  • Works collaboratively with the Print and Mail Program Manager in the development of business plans, long-term strategies and customer service strategies. Works with the Print and Mail Program Manager to facilitate the coordination of agency resources to implement business plan initiatives and customer service strategies.
  • Works collaboratively with the Print and Mail Program Manager and Management Team to develop biennial budgets the lines of business of the program. Including development of appropriate rate strategies to ensure programs are providing value and maintaining cost recovery.
  • Monitors the operations' biennial budgets and expenditures and make changes as necessary; proactively seek efficiencies and cost savings in all aspects of operations.
  • Assures appropriate and optimum use of the organization's resources and enhance the effectiveness of employees through timely appraisal and professional development opportunities; guide, mentor, and develop managers and line staff for success; ensure that employees' workloads are reasonable, employees are properly trained and supported, employees accomplish assigned tasks in a timely manner, and excellent employee job performance is recognized and acknowledged.
  • Provides expert-level consultation services, to customers, for each line of business.
  • Executes plans after collaborating with the Print and mail Program Manager to ensure the program is in compliance with the Hazard Communication Program.
  • Set goals, provide direction, and maintain the quality control, continuous improvement, and customer service focus of the operation; maintain the highest standards of personal, professional, and ethical conduct.
  • Supports effective communications throughout the organization and establish and maintain excellent internal and external communications and working relationships.


Qualifications
REQUIRED:

A minimum of nine (9) years of professional experience in commercial printing, transactional print operations, mail operations, document services, manufacturing operations, fulfillment operations or related field to include at least five (5) years of operational leadership experience, experience can be concurrent.

**Qualifying education may substitute year for year for relevant experience.

And must demonstrate the following competencies:
  • Operational leadership: Knowledge of principles and practices for leading complex, high-volume production or service operations. Skill in setting direction, establishing priorities, exercising sound judgement, and balancing operational, customer, and organizational needs.
  • People leadership and development: knowledge of effective leadership, coaching, employee development, and performance management practices. Skill in building effective teams, developing supervisors and employees, establishing accountability, and fostering a productive and respectful work environment.
  • Print, mail, and production operations: knowledge of production environments such as commercial or transactional printing, mail operations, document services, manufacturing, or fulfillment. Understanding of production workflows, quality standards, capacity, equipment, and factors affecting timely and reliable service delivery.
  • Service delivery and customer focus: knowledge of service delivery principles, customer requirements, and service-level expectations. Skill in balancing customer needs, operational capabilities, quality, timeliness, and organizational priorities.
  • Workforce and production planning: Knowledge of workforce planning, production capacity, scheduling, workload management, and resource allocation principles. Skill in analyzing operational needs and determining appropriate staffing and resource strategies.

  • Business and Financial Acumen: Knowledge of budgeting, financial planning, resource management, and business operations. Skill in interpreting financial and operations information and applying it to sound business decisions.
  • Strategic thinking: Knowledge of strategic and business planning principles. Skill in seeing the broader organizational picture, anticipating operational needs and risks, and connecting operational decisions to organizational goals.

  • Performance management and operational analysis: Knowledge of performance measures, service-level agreements, operational metrics, and data informed decision making. Skill in interpreting performance information, identifying trends and gaps, and using information to support operational decisions and improvement.
  • Problem solving and continuous improvement: Skill in analyzing complex operational issues, identifying root causes, evaluating alternatives, and developing practical solutions. Knowledge of continuous improvement principles and approaches for improving efficiency, quality, service, and business processes.
  • Communication and relationship management: Skill in communicating clearly and effectively with employees, leaders, customers, and stakeholders at different organizational levels. Ability to build productive relationships, facilitate discussions, navigate differing perspectives, and communicate complex information effectively.
  • Change and project leadership: Knowledge of project and change management principles. Skill in navigating organizational change, managing competing priorities, engaging stakeholders, and supporting successful implementation of significant initiatives.

Leadership Competencies:
Incumbents at DES in a supervisory or leadership position are required to demonstrate the following Washington State Enterprise Leadership Competencies:
Models and champions our culture and values; cultivates a shared, strategic vision; develops people; drives results; fosters learning; builds relationships; fosters teamwork and collaboration; communicates effectively; makes things happen as a public servant; leads and navigates change; embraces and embeds inclusion in decision making. Read the full
Equity Competencies

State of Washington Employees contribute to ensuring services, programs, workplaces, and interactions are responsive, respectful, accessible, and effective to the people and communities we serve. Employees are expected to:
  • Take action to learn and Grow: Demonstrate a willingness to learn from new experiences, seek feedback, consider different perspectives, and continuously improve knowledge, skills, communication, and approaches to work.
  • Take action to meet the needs of others: Seek to understand the needs and experiences of customers, coworkers, and communities. Identify barriers to access and participation and address them before they become obstacles for the people we serve, providing support that is respectful, timely, and effective

PREFERRED:
  • Experience with high-volume transactional print and mail operations.
  • Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a broad range of parties, including state and local government officials, the public, and the media.
  • Experience in working in a labor relations environment.
  • Experience with high-speed inkjet printing technologies.
  • Experience managing inserting, mailing, or customer communications operations.
  • Lean Manufacturing, Six Sigma, or Continuous Improvement certification.
  • Experience supporting financial services, healthcare, government, or large enterprise customers.
  • Prior experience in commercial print production, statement processing, direct mail, or customer communications management environments.

Supplemental Information
How to apply:
Please provide the following documents in order to be considered; failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:

  1. A letter of interest, describing how you meet the qualifications for this position as outlined in the job posting;
  2. A current resume, detailing experience, and education; and
  3. A current list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

NOTE: By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed. A resume will not substitute for completing the "duties summary" section or supplemental questions of the application. Please do not "refer to resume" for detail, or your application may be disqualified.

You are welcome to include the name and pronoun you would like to be referred to in your materials and we will honor this as you interact with our organization.

Contact us:

For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact Angie Anderson at [email protected].
Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388 or access the Washington Relay Service.
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:

About State of Washington

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