Senior Policy & Legal Officer (Remote-Friendly)

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries; Washington; Hybrid; USD 92,000 - 135,000; Full time

Job summary

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries seeks a Senior Policy Advisor/Chief Policy and Legal Officer (CPLO) to lead division-wide policy development, legislative strategy, and rulemaking for CSCPS. You will coordinate with Governor’s Office, Legislature, labor and business groups, and multiple program teams to ensure consistent interpretation and statewide implementation of policy and law.

The role oversees 19 FTEs, provides strategic guidance, and communicates with executive

Qualifications

• Active member in good standing with a State Bar Association.
• Five or more years leading policy, legislative, legal, or regulatory initiatives in a complex public-sector environment.
• Demonstrated experience with rulemaking, statutory interpretation, and/or customer engagement across labor and/or public safety domains.
• Extensive knowledge of administrative law, statutory interpretation, legislative processes, regulatory development, judicial decision-making, and legal risk management.
• Demonstrated experience working with attorneys, the Attorney General's Office, litigation matters, appeals processes, and implementation of complex legal and regulatory requirements.
• Ability to analyze and interpret complex legislation, case law, legal opinions, and regulatory requirements and translate them into operational policy and statewide implementation strategies.
• Proven portfolio, project, and performance management skills; ability to set metrics and deliver results.
• Superior communication skills: executive briefings, decision memos, plain-language guidance.
• Ability to navigate sensitive, high-profile issues with discretion, equity focus, and solution orientation.
• Must possess a valid, unrestricted driver’s license.
• Ability to travel statewide for customer engagement and legislative/rulemaking activities.
• Availability during peak legislative and rulemaking periods for extended hours.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the division’s Senior Policy Advisor to the Assistant Director and executive leadership for CSCPS programs (Public Safety and Compliance programs).
• Provide authoritative policy interpretation and guidance to program leadership and staff; issue policy directives, decision memos, and implementation toolkits that ensure consistent customer service and enforcement.
• Provides strategic oversight and supervises the CSCPS Legal Services program, including the Firm Appeals Program Manager.
• Lead complex customer engagement with the authorizing environment (Governor’s Office, Legislature, labor and business associations, community-based organizations, local governments), ensuring timely, accurate, and consistent information sharing.
• Advise on sensitive and high-profile matters, facilitate resolution pathways, and develop options that mitigate operational, legal, reputational, and equity risks.
• Direct the division's legal and policy strategy for implementation of enacted legislation affecting statewide compliance and public safety programs, ensuring consistent interpretation and operational execution across all CSCPS offices and programs.
• Serve as principal advisor to the Assistant Director and executive leadership regarding legal risks, statutory authority, regulatory compliance obligations, litigation trends, and emerging case law affecting division operations.
• Accountable for accurate, balanced, and actionable executive recommendations grounded in data, legal sufficiency, and customer input.
• Accountable for coordinating with AGO attorneys to ensure division actions, policies, rules, and enforcement activities remain legally defensible and aligned with statutory authority.
• Influences fiscal notes, decision packages, and implementation budgets tied to legislation and rules.
• Establish division-wide standards for legal interpretation and policy application in consultation with AGO attorneys and agency legal leadership.
• And more!

Skills

Policy leadership

Legislative analysis

Regulatory compliance

Statutory interpretation

Rulemaking

Legal risk management

Executive briefings

People management

Driver's license

Job description

Washington State Department of Labor & Industries seeks a Senior Policy Advisor/Chief Policy and Legal Officer (CPLO) to lead division-wide policy development, legislative strategy, and rulemaking for CSCPS. You will coordinate with Governor’s Office, Legislature, labor and business groups, and multiple program teams to ensure consistent interpretation and statewide implementation of policy and law.

The role oversees 19 FTEs, provides strategic guidance, and communicates with executive