About the Role
Title: Associate Education Ombuds
Location: Washington State. United States
Work Type: Hybrid
Job Description:
Please Note: The starting salary offer will be determined based on the successful candidates’ qualifications within the starting salary range of $65,000 – $85,000 annually. Please note that there is career salary growth beyond this starting range for the successful candidate.
Hybrid: We offer flexible work schedules and locations. This is a hybrid position where most of the work allows for telework. However, you will need to travel to in-person activities, meetings, and events according to business needs. Employees are required to live in Washington State.
Remote: The position is telework for conflict resolution, with in-person outreach, mandatory staff meetings, and other work as needed. Travel within WA expected, about 10% of time.
Why work for OEO?
The Office of the Education Ombuds (OEO) works with families, communities, and schools to address problems together so that every student can fully participate and thrive in Washington’s K-12 public schools. The OEO is a statewide agency within the Office of the Governor that:
- 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.
For more information, visit our website. We are committed to anti-racism, anti-ableism and have created a team and workplace that respects and values difference. We are also committed to equal opportunity employment.
The job opportunity
As an Associate Education Ombuds, you will support Office of the Education Ombuds’ three statutorily required functions: informal conflict resolution, outreach and trainings for the public, and leadership on state policymaking committees. The Associate Education Ombuds Ombuds is the first point of contact for the majority of OEO’s clients. The Associate Ombuds answers the mainline phone to do intake, triage, scheduling, and handle some cases by providing resources and referrals. This is a fast-paced job that requires attention to detail, understanding of public education, and a calm demeanor..
Duties
What you will work on:
- Co-leading OEO’s intake and triage process and in coordination with the other associate ombuds and in consultation with Senior Ombuds and Director..
- Answering the public phone line to receive intake calls, managing the appointment booking system, tracking, triaging and assigning of cases.
- Collaborate with other members of the OEO team, including on scheduling appointments, problem resolutions, resource and referral services and other activities.
- Providing information, referrals, coaching, and brief consultation for some cases..
- Perform policy and law research.
- Record-keeping of case concerns using OEO’s database.
- Preserve the confidentiality of communications.
- Generate reports about OEO data trends.
- Work on special projects as assigned by the Director to support OEO’s outreach and policy work.
Qualifications
What we need you to bring:
Required Qualifications
- Two years of experience in supporting K-12 public educational equity or social service programs.
- Proficient in the use of Microsoft applications (e.g. Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), and the ability to learn new software applications such as OEO’s current database ServiceNow.
This position also requires the following knowledge, skills, and abilities:
- 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, problem-solve in real time, and de-escalate conflict.
- Ability to:
- Interact with callers in a sensitive, respectful and responsive manner and adhering to confidentiality practices to protect client information.
- Talking to clients who may be in crisis or upset.
- Conduct independent research and present results in plain language with responsiveness to family and student needs and perspectives.
- Build collaborative and trusting working relationships with community groups, especially with communities of color, public school officials and families state-wide.
Desired Qualifications
- Multilingual, in a language common to our client communities. Preference for: Spanish, Chinese, Arabic, ASL or other languages commonly spoken in Washington State.
- Call center experience and customer service experience.
- Two years of experience conducting outreach to client communities such as the ones within our strategic plan.
- Knowledge of trauma informed care, conflict resolution and/or experience with communities of color.