Employment

Position Announcement: Associate Legislative Assistant to Representative Drew Hansen

Associate Legislative Assistant to Representative Drew Hansen, Washington State House of Representatives

Mission:  To assist Legislators in successfully fulfilling their public obligations by providing support services in the areas of administration, office management, communication, research and public relations

Reports to:  Representative, Legislative Assistant Staff Director, Chief Clerk

Location:  This position is based in Olympia. Occasional travel to the district may be required.

Job Type: Exempt

Salary: Associate Legislative Assistant salary starts at $42,732/year and increases depending on a combination of prior work experience and higher education attendance. House staff will receive a 3% cost of living adjustment on July 1, 2021.

Salary determination for Associate Legislative Assistant, Legislative Assistant, Executive Legislative Assistant and Senior Legislative Assistant positions is formula based and includes previous paid, related work experience and (up to) four years of higher education attendance.

Benefits: This position is a full-time, benefited position. All legislative employees are State Employees.

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.

Benefits include: medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance and FSA/HSA for qualifying plans. Legislative employees are also offered ample paid leave options, including: Annual Leave, Granted Leave, Sick Leave and a Personal Holiday. Additionally, employees of the House are entitled to paid leave on recognized state holidays, unless such holiday falls during a legislative session, in which case, the hours will be added to accumulated granted leave. Most legislative staff are also offered flexible work schedule options during the legislative session interim.

Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and have the option to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program.

State Employee salary increases, and cost of living adjustments are subject to appropriation in the state biennial budget.

COVID-19 Alert: Due to operational changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, until further notice, all House staff are authorized to telework.

To apply:  Please send your cover letter and resume in one document to jobs.hdc@leg.wa.gov by May 20, 2021. Please include how you heard about this position. Interviews will take place using a video conferencing platform.

PREFERRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Minimum 1-2 years of prior paid work history
• Prior office management and administrative support experience
• Strong writing, editing, and oral communication skills, including knowledge of standard format and protocol for professional correspondence
• Highly organized and able to perform multiple detailed tasks accurately and efficiently under time constraints
• Experience conducting complex and detailed scheduling, making travel arrangements and managing office budgeting/reimbursement procedures
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Outlook and Teams, with the ability to work with speed and accuracy in these programs
• Experience scheduling meetings using video conference technology including Microsoft Teams and Zoom
• Knowledge of legislative process and state and local government structure, functions, and services
• Flexibility to travel to requested locations to attend meetings and provide staff support to the member
• Ability to work independently, exercise professional judgment, and maintain confidentiality
• Candidates with non-traditional backgrounds encouraged to apply

TYPICAL ASSIGNMENTS

Office Management:

• Manage daily operation of Olympia and/or district office
• Create and maintain electronic and physical filing and organizational systems for office operations, committees, task forces, and ongoing projects
• Maintain office records in accordance with the Washington State Public Records Act
• Answer phone and act as first point of contact for all callers and visitors, observing formal professional protocol in all external communications

Scheduling:

• Manage the Representative’s calendar with a high level of accuracy, including complex scheduling assignments, individual appointments, group meetings, public events, and travel arrangements
• Respond to staff, constituent, and stakeholder appointment requests
• Plan and organize virtual and in-person town hall meetings
• Coordinate meeting preparation materials when needed
• During session, attend meetings with constituents on member’s behalf, as needed

Bill Management:

• Track advancement of bills throughout drafting and legislative process to ensure that timelines and deadlines are met.  This includes maintaining detailed bill tracking spreadsheets and drafting bill and budget request letters to committee chairs

Correspondence & Writing:

• Draft responses on behalf of the Representative to constituent emails, letters, and phone calls. Manage a high volume of constituent inquiries
• Draft correspondence to agencies and other elected officials
• Coordinate between Communications staff and the Representative to prepare articles, newsletters, press releases, speeches, and talking points

Casework & Constituent Service:

• Facilitate communication between constituents and government agencies, assisting constituents in accessing services, and researching and solving complex problems
• Serve as a liaison between the Representative and constituents of the Legislative District; exercising independent judgment and providing high level customer service

Expense Reimbursement:

• Submit detailed and timely accounting reports for member travel and expense reimbursement, according to House policy
• Budget member expense account to ensure that funds are available for planned expenses
• Maintain organized records of expenses and reimbursements

The Washington State House of Representatives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities needing assistance in the application process or who need an application in an alternative format may call 360-786-7750 or TTD 1-800-635-9993.

Position Announcement: Caucus Staff Assistant

Caucus Staff Assistant, Washington State House of Representatives, Democratic Caucus

Reports to:  Deputy Chief of Staff

Location:  Olympia

Job Type: Exempt. Full Time/Limited Duration. This position is anticipated to be funded through December 31, 2021

Salary: Caucus Staff Assistant salary starts at $42,732/year. Salary determination for this position is formula based and considers previous paid, related work experience and (up to) four years of higher education attendance

Benefits: This position is a full-time, benefited position. All Legislative Employees are State Employees

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.

Benefits include: medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance, and FSA/HAS for qualifying plans. Legislative employees are also offered ample paid leave options, including: Annual Leave, Granted Leave, Sick Leave, and a Personal Holiday. Additionally, employees of the House are entitled to paid leave on recognized state holidays. Legislative staff are also offered flexible work schedule options during the legislative interim.

Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS) and have the option to the participate in the Deferred Compensation Program.

COVID-19 Alert: Due to operational changes in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, until further notice, all House staff are authorized to telework.

To Apply: Please send your cover letter and resume in one document to jobs.hdc@leg.wa.gov. Priority application date is Friday, April 23, 2021. Position is open until filled. Please include how you heard about this position. Interviews will take place using a video conferencing platform.  

PREFERRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE AND ABILITIES

• Prior office management and executive-level administrative support experience
• Strong writing, editing, and oral communication skills, including knowledge of standard format and protocol for professional correspondence
• Highly organized and able to perform multiple detailed tasks accurately and efficiently under time constraints
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Outlook and Teams, with the ability to work with speed and accuracy in these programs.
• Experience conducting complex and detailed scheduling, including scheduling meetings using Microsoft Teams and Zoom
• Knowledge of legislative process and state and local government structure, functions, and services
• Ability to work independently, exercise professional judgment, and maintain confidentiality

TYPICAL ASSIGNMENTS

Senior Staff Assistance:

• Provide scheduling assistance to Chief of Staff and Deputy Chief of Staff
• Administrative support for the Legislative Assistant hiring process
• Update and maintain rosters and other internal staff resources
• Special project administrative and logistical support

Communications and Policy Staff Assistance:

• Monitor out of office email inboxes for communications and policy staff
• Clip daily news stories in local media outlets
• Assist caucus staff with conference room reservations (after return to in-person work)
• Assist with large scheduling projects
• Special project administrative and logistical support

Member Office Assistance:

• Provide overflow casework services for member offices
• Provide limited member office coverage when Legislative Assistant is on leave

General Caucus Support (after return to in-person work):

• Perform general receptionist duties, acting as a resource for the public and staff
• Stock and organize copy rooms and mail areas for all HDC office areas
• Other duties as assigned

The Washington State House of Representatives is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons with disabilities, persons over 40 years of age, veterans, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons with disabilities needing assistance in the application process or who need an application in an alternative format may call 360-786-7750 or TTD 1-800-635-9993.