Product Analyst (Management Analyst 4) - Olympia/Telework

State of Washington Employment Security Department; Olympia (WA); Hybrid; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible work schedule

Teleworking opportunities

Job summary

The State of Washington Employment Security Department seeks a thoughtful Product Analyst (Management Analyst 4) to translate complex policy and user insights into clear product direction. You will collaborate with product managers, UX designers, and agency partners to ensure intuitive, efficient public-facing services across Paid Leave and WA Cares programs.

We value user-centered thinking, strong analytical rigor, and the ability to navigate ambiguity while balancing program goals with

Qualifications

• Define and refine customer personas and journeys to drive product development and meet performance goals.
• Measure customer satisfaction and observe usage patterns to improve products.
• Synthesize research findings into actionable insights for stakeholders and product strategy.

Responsibilities

• Define and refine customer personas and journeys to drive product development and meet or exceed customer service performance goals.
• Measure customer satisfaction and observe how customers use products; analyze behaviors and trends.
• Analyze and synthesize research findings into actionable insights to optimize product performance and communicate data-driven recommendations.

Skills

Customer research

Data synthesis

Product strategy

Cross-functional collaboration

Policy analysis

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Associate degree

Job description

This role offers a flexible hybrid work arrangement, with occasional on-site presence as needed but no pre-assigned in-office days.

The ideal candidate for this Product Analyst (Management Analyst 4) role is thoughtful and people-centered and is driven by improving customer experience across Washington’s Paid Leave and WA Cares programs. They bring a strong ability to translate complex policy, operational needs, and user insights into clear product direction.

This candidate excels at customer research, synthesizing data, and transforming findings into actionable recommendations that guide product strategy, prioritization, and design. They are comfortable navigating ambiguity, asking the right questions, and collaborating closely with product managers, UX designers, and cross-agency partners to ensure products are intuitive, efficient, and aligned with program goals. They communicate clearly, anticipate customer pain points, and advocate for solutions that improve both service delivery and user satisfaction.

They thrive in a mission-driven environment and demonstrate strong judgment, professionalism, and the ability to balance technical understanding with human-centered thinking. Whether refining workflows, evaluation product performance, or shaping future enhancements, they consistently bring curiosity, analytical rigor, and commitment to continuous improvement. Above all, they care deeply about building public-facing products that make a meaningful difference in people’s lives.

As the Product Analyst (MA4), this position will represent the customer’s perspective in the development of product strategy, design, and feature roadmaps and investigate customers and their requirements to add context and insight into the process of designing the customer experience for the division as directed by the Product Manager.

Some of your duties may include but are not limited to:

• Define and refine customer personas and journeys to drive product development and meet or exceed customer service performance goals. Create and maintain visualizations of the customer experience related to specific persona types that reflect their interactions with the program.
• Measure customer satisfaction, the key influencers of it and make recommendations to the Product Manager to improve customer satisfaction. Observe how customers use products and analyze their behaviors. Track usage patterns, identify trends and make inferences about customers’ preferences, needs and behaviors.
• Analyze and synthesize research findings into actionable insights to optimize product performance and communicate data-driven recommendations to key stakeholders.

Qualifying candidates will meet one of the following criteria options:

Option 1:

• Eight (8) years of equivalent education/experience that includes conducting research and analyzing policies, laws, rules or regulations.

Option 2:

• Associates degree in business administration, public administration, law, public health, health administration, or a related field AND
• Six (6) years of experience conducting research and analyzing policies, laws, rules or regulations.

Option 3:

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, law, public health, health administration, or a related field AND
• Four (4) years of experience conducting research and analyzing policies, laws, rules, or regulations.

Option 4:

• Comparable combination of graduate education and experience totaling eight (8) years.

The required experience includes:

• Analytical Skills: Ability to evaluate complex business or technology needs.
• Problem-Solving Skills:Proficiency in diagnosing operational challenges.
• Advisory Expertise:Ability to propose viable solutions and recommendations.
• Collaboration Skills:Proficiency in aligning departmental priorities with executive goals.
• Coordination Expertise:Ability to align business unit needs with technological capabilities.

Required equity competencies:

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge of division product suite, customer journeys, legal requirements, and business processes.
• Experience collaborating and partnering with peers in product, design, and software engineering.
• Experience working in an agile development environment.
• Self-motivated and can work independently; escalating blockers when needed.
• Experience articulating user identity through personas, journey maps and scenarios.
• Experience with business process design and mapping.
• Strong communication skills – both verbally and written.
• Ability to be responsive to evolving and changing user needs.

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to pass an Unemployment Insurance (UI) and Paid Family Medical and Leave (PFML) claim and fraud check.

Why work with us?

Our agency's mission and values drive every decision that we make, determine how we interact with others, and are at the core of who we are. We value Access, Love, Belonging, Equity, and Stewardship. We understand that a work environment that respects your work/life balance is key; that's why many of our positions are eligible for flexible work schedules and teleworking opportunities. Through support, value, and trust, our employees are empowered to grow and develop into their best self.

Opportunity for All

We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people over 40 years of age, people with religious beliefs, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

The Employment Security Department is an equal opportunity employer/program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.

If you are a person needing assistance in the application process, if you need this job announcement in an alternate format, or if you have general questions about this opportunity, please contact Lydia White or at 360-819-6996 or the Talent Acquisition Team, prior to the position closing. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact [e-mail] or [phone] or toll free [phone], Washington Relay 711.

This recruitment may be used to fill additional agency-wide positions in accordance with Article 4 of the WFSE Collective Bargaining Agreement.

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