Learning Solutions Operations Manager (WMS2)

Description

Schedule:  This overtime exempt position’s scheduled hours are Monday – Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. with opportunities for telework. There may be occasional travel, flexible hours, and a requirement to report to the office as needed.

Who We Are:
The Department of Enterprise Services (DES) provides centralized business services to state government agencies; to other public entities such as cities, counties and tribes; and to Washington residents. DES’ mission is to strengthen the business of government for a sustainable and just future. Learn more about DES.

The Equity and Employee Development Division (EED) helps agencies create a healthy work culture by acting as a central source for agencies to receive enterprise training, and services in finding talent, job/career development. The mission of EED is to help attract and retain a highly motivated, engaged, and skilled workforce. EED embeds a DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) lens into all of our work, grounding our services in an anti-racist and intersectional equity lens.

What you'll be doing:
In this position, you'll have a supervisory role that will strengthen Washington’s public workforce by leading training programs that build essential skills for state employees. This role supports DES by ensuring agencies receive high-quality, cost-effective learning that improves public service delivery. Working with a dedicated team, you will oversee classes in leadership, communication, diversity and inclusion, wellness, and more. You’ll ensure training is accessible, aligned with agency needs, and grounded in equity and inclusion, helping create workplaces that are skilled, inclusive, and prepared to meet evolving challenges. You will also curate, deliver, and continuously improve learning programs that support career growth, leadership development, and operational excellence across Washington State government. These programs comply with state laws and policies, including the Revised Code of Washington (RCW), Executive Orders (EO), Washington Administrative Code (WAC), and State HR Directives, and are tailored to agency goals and needs. In addition, the manager creates and leads strategic plans for Learning Solutions, using data, feedback, and collaboration to guide long-term direction, drive innovation, and ensure offerings remain relevant and impactful.

This position has full authority over how statewide training is planned, delivered, and improved. You'll decide which courses to offer, how they’re delivered, and ensure everything meets legal and agency standards. You'll hire and support staff and vendor facilitators, set priorities for time and budget, and manage the statewide training calendar. You’ll respond to agency needs, keep programs compliant, and make changes as needed. These decisions directly shape the quality, access, and impact of workforce development across Washington State.

Duties

This Manager needs to stay current on training-related laws and policies, use tools like LMS and Zoom comfortably, and support inclusive learning practices. They manage budgets, help with cost recovery, and may represent DES in statewide meetings or policy discussions.

What you will enjoy doing includes:

• Develop and guide the long-term strategy for Learning Solutions to meet the evolving needs of Washington’s workforce. Embed adult development principles into strategic planning to support lifelong learning, career mobility, and measurable improvements in customer and team satisfaction.
• Identify workforce learning needs and curate impactful training programs that build skills, support career growth, and reflect agency priorities. Design content that is relevant, inclusive, and grounded in adult learning theory, with a focus on improving satisfaction and reducing barriers for diverse learners.
• Provide leadership, coaching, and operational oversight to ensure the Learning Solutions Team delivers high- quality, learner-centered training services statewide. Ground team practices in adult development theory, emphasizing autonomy, mastery, purpose, and measurable team satisfaction. 
• Oversee daily operations of the statewide Training Center to ensure seamless delivery, responsive service, and full compliance with regulatory standards. Apply principles of adult learning by fostering psychologically safe environments, minimizing barriers to access, and ensuring logistical reliability that supports learner readiness and engagement. 
• Monitor training performance and support vendor facilitators to meet participation goals and maintain high learner satisfaction. Use adult learning metrics to evaluate engagement, relevance, and impact, and apply process improvements to increase efficiency and outcomes. 
• Embed accessibility and equity principles into all aspects of learning operations, ensuring offerings are inclusive and responsive to diverse learner needs across Washington’s workforce. 
• Maintain a high-performing facilitator network through evaluation, coaching, and targeted support. Foster a community of practice that reflects adult learning values of autonomy, collaboration, and continuous growth.
• Ensure training programs remain relevant, cost-effective, and aligned with customer expectations through market research and strategic pricing. Apply adult learning principles by tailoring offerings to real-world needs and learner motivations.
• Establish clear governance structures, SOPs, and documentation to support consistent, transparent, and scalable learning operations. Apply process improvement strategies to increase efficiency, reduce risk, and enhance stakeholder trust.

Qualifications

Required Education, Experience, and Competencies:
Bachelor’s degree from an accredited (CHEA approved) college or university. 

AND

• 5 years of management experience in customer service, operations, or a training/HR environment with a broad range of customers with diverse needs.
• 3 years of solid foundation and knowledge of adult learning and development principles.
• 5 years of experience managing a large budget and/or profit and loss.
• 3 years of experience improving processes that measurably improved customer and team satisfaction.
• 3 years of experience monitoring and managing contracted vendors.
• Demonstrated ability to facilitate problem solving in diverse situations with influential customers for successful outcomes.
• At least 5 years of leadership experience. 
  • You may not have "leader, manager, or supervisor" in your title, but this is different than just supervisory experience. It is focused on leading teams where you may not have had positional authority but engaged and inspired a team to reach a common objective.

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Competencies
Incumbents to this position must possess and demonstrate the following competencies:

• Able to learn and understand the language and concepts of our DES DEI culture and commit to being a part of creating and maintaining a diverse, equitable, respectful and inclusive workplace.
• Demonstrate a commitment to growth, learning and self-awareness when provided training and opportunities to participate in improving our work environment.
• Participate and behave in a manner that creates trust and builds working relationships, promoting teamwork and collaboration in the work environment.
• Demonstrate the understanding that all people are valued; contribute to an equitable, inclusive, and respectful environment when working with members of the group, team, organization, or community.
• Commit to being an active participant in continually evaluating and improving strategies that promote equity and inclusion in our organization.

Find the full DEI competencies and their descriptions here.

Preferred/Desired Education, Experience, and Competencies:

• Commitment to implementation and integration of diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices to facilitate a respectful and inclusive work environment.
• Experience developing and applying technology and assessment to measure the effectiveness of services and products.
• Experience in monitoring net revenue after expenses for a department or organization, directly influencing how resources are allocated.
• Experience in monitoring profit and loss and correcting business practices for a balanced budget.
• Experience in marketing products or services for a better business outcome.
• Experience developing or implementing quality assurance for program effectiveness.
• Experience facilitating or managing learning and development in an organization or consulting firm.
• Experience developing curriculum that advances leadership, DEI, supervisory, and managerial skills.
• Experience applying learning methodologies and instructional design.

Core Competencies:

• Strategic Planning and Future Thinking: Builds long-term plans that support career growth, lifelong learning, and workforce needs. Uses data, feedback, and planning tools to guide direction, improve satisfaction, and shape statewide learning strategy.
• Designing Inclusive and Effective Training: Creates and improves training programs using adult learning principles and feedback from learners. Focuses on real-world relevance, accessibility, and continuous improvement to meet workforce needs.
• Leading and Coaching for Team Success: Supports the team through coaching, clear goals, and smart planning. Uses adult development principles and satisfaction data to build a strong, inclusive, and high- performing team culture.
• Running Reliable and Learner-Friendly Operations: Keeps training sessions running smoothly by managing logistics, solving problems, and ensuring compliance. Creates safe, welcoming environments that help learners stay engaged and ready to learn.•Tracking Performance and Improving Delivery: Monitors attendance, satisfaction, and facilitator support to meet training goals. Uses data and budget insights to improve delivery methods and make sure offerings stay effective and efficient.
• Making Learning Accessible and Equitable: Designs training that works for everyone by removing barriers and applying inclusive practices. Builds tools and standards that support accessibility and reflect the needs of diverse learners.
• Supporting Facilitators and Building Community: Evaluates and coaches facilitators to improve session quality and learner engagement. Builds onboarding tools and peer learning spaces that reflect adult learning values and support continuous growth.
• Keeping Training Relevant and Sustainable: Uses market research, budget planning, and learner feedback to keep training programs up to date and cost-effective. Designs new formats and pricing strategies that reflect real-world needs and motivations.
• Building Clear Systems and Trustworthy Processes: Creates SOPs, workflows, and governance structures that support consistent, transparent operations. Uses process improvement and risk monitoring to increase efficiency and build stakeholder trust.

Supplemental Information

How to Apply:
Interested? We would love to hear from you! Click “Apply” at the top of this page to start your application. You can save the application and come back to it, if needed. Be sure to complete the application fully to include a full work history and responses to the supplemental questions.
  
Please attach the following documents to be considered for the position. Failure to do so may result in you not being considered for the position:

1. A letter of interest that shows your personality and voice to describe why you are the successful candidate and how you meet the specific qualifications for this position.

2. A current resume detailing your experience and education.

3. A list of at least three (3) professional references with current contact information (attached or available to provide at the time of interview)

**Do not attach any documents that include photos or private information (social security number, year of birth, etc.)
  
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. 

Background Check Notice:

Prior to any new appointment into the Department of Enterprise Services, a background check including criminal record history will be conducted.  Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment, but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

Opportunity for All:
The Department of Enterprise Services celebrates our differences and we are committed to a workplace that supports equal opportunity employment and inclusion regardless of race, religion, color, national origin, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity diversity, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics. We will also consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable federal, state and local laws.
  
 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 Information:
For questions about this recruitment or to request a reasonable accommodation in the application process, contact Angie Anderson at jobs@des.wa.gov. 

Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.