Senior Education Ombuds

• Listen to concerns and address questions about the K-12 public education system.
• Use informal conflict resolution tools to support collaborative problem-solving and promote education justice.
• Provide coaching facilitation and training about family and community engagement and systems advocacy.
• Collect data and identify trends to guide our education policy recommendations.

What you will work on:

• Provide informal mediation facilitation and coaching to families students educators to resolve complaints problems and inquiries about K-12 public education.
• Carry an independent caseload aligned with OEOs strategic plan.
• Deescalate tense or stressful situations to support resolutions.
• Perform policy and law research and understanding how to interpret laws as it relates to student experiences.
• Provide recordkeeping of case concerns using OEOs database.
• Preserve the confidentiality of communications.
• Create and deliver presentations either remotely or in person.
• Host or coordinate community events with partners such as clinics outreach events or workshops.
• Create new tools materials webinars and publications for OEOs website and other channels of information dissemination.
• Support intake and case triage by answering the main office phone responding to emails as well as intake submissions handling non-strategic population cases and scheduling appointments for senior ombuds.
• Attend policy meetings as required by the agency.

What we need you to bring:

Required Qualifications

• Extensive experience in WA K-12 public education system.
• Documented experience with conflict resolution facilitation mediation and/or problem-solving skills.
• Strong interviewing and interpersonal skills and the ability to work under pressure with clients in crisis to listen actively help callers frame issues and questions and de-escalate conflict.
• Independent and proficient in the use of Microsoft applications (i.e. Word Excel Outlook etc.) and the ability to learn new software applications including OEOs current database ServiceNow.
• Experience and track record of project planning and independent prioritization skills.
• Ability to build collaborative and trusting working relationships with clients community groups public school officials and families across the state.
• Experience working with communities represented within OEOs strategic plan (e.g. Black Indigenous People of Color students out of school immigrants or with limited English fluency experiencing homelessness trans and- non-binary juvenile justice involved in foster or kinship care WISe/CLIP involved).

• Documented work experience in Washingtons public K-12 education special education law social services or a related field.
• Multilingual fluency desired languages: Spanish Chinese Arabic Somali Vietnamese Tagalog or ASL.

What we offer:
At OEO we foster a culture of integrity innovation inclusion and belonging. We value both learned and lived experiences believing that diversity makes us stronger. To support your health and well-being we offer a variety of benefit programs for our employees.

Please visit our Recruitment Pagefor a full list of benefits available to employees. Heres a quick glance at some of the unique benefits that OFM offers:

• An environment of diversity equity inclusion and belonging
• Medical Dental Vision and Life Insurance
• 12 paid holidays 14 paid vacation days (minimum) and 12 days of sick leave per year
• State retirement programs

• Cover letter: describing your qualifications for this specific position
• Resume: that details your applicable experience and education.
• References:atleast three professional references and their phone numbers.

Questions: OEOs Staff ASL interpreter is available to all deaf and hard of hearing applicants. For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application or interview process please email us at.

The Governors Office of the Education Ombuds 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 of disability persons over 40 years of age and disabled and Vietnam-era veterans are encouraged to apply.