Salary: $52,620.00 – $70,800.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County – Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time – Non-Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number: 2023-10601
Department: Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
Division: Communications
Opening Date: 08/15/2023
Closing Date: 8/30/2023 11:59 PM Pacific
Salary Information: The high end of the salary range, Step M is typically a longevity step
Description
GENERAL SERVICE
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Web Content Strategist
$52,620 – $70,800 annually
Recruitment closes: August 30, 2023
This position is non-permanent and is funded through September 30, 2024, with the goal of obtaining permanent funding.
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill the role of Web Content Strategist. This full-time position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position may be eligible for partial telework. Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. We encourage interested candidates to visit the to gain insight into our agency.
About OSPI and our initiatives
OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K-12 education in Washington state. Working with the state’s 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:
- We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
- We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
- We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.
Vision, Mission, and ValuesVision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.
Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.
Values: Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child
Equity
Each student, family, and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefits their peers, educators, and schools. Ensuring educational equity:
- Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.
- Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.
Position Overview
This position is a key member of the Communication & Digital Media team and provides leadership, guidance, and support to various content experts on the OSPI team, as well as to other members of the Communications team. This position works to strategize, create, review, and revise content on the OSPI website; reviews updates made to the agency’s intranet; serves as the agency’s web accessibility coordinator; and supports the creation of content on OSPI’s social media pages, blog, and intranet. This position oversees, directs, and approves the creation of new webpages and reorganized web content; provides leadership, training, and guidance to website contributors on best practices for writing and displaying engaging content; supports agency staff in adhering to web accessibility requirements; ensures OSPI’s digital content adheres to style and brand standards; and utilizes creativity, project management skills, excellent customer service, and critical thinking to maintain digital content that meets the needs of our customers. This position is part of a team that values equity, diversity, and inclusion, and understands the importance of keeping Washington’s students, their families, educators, and school employees at the center of our work.
Key Responsibilities
- Serve as one of the primary Editors on the website and intranet who have permissions to review and publish page updates submitted by web contributors.
- Ensure all web updates follow OSPI’s governance, brand guidelines, Style Guide, Culturally Responsive Style Guide, and Plain Talk standards.
- Maintain and update OSPI’s website and intranet governance standards as needed.
- In coordination with the Website Administrator, create and maintain training materials related to the website for OSPI staff, including for required quarterly check-ins with OSPI’s web contributors.
- Serve as the agency’s primary point of contact for web accessibility.
- Prepare and provide regular trainings for OSPI staff on web accessibility, as well as troubleshoot and research solutions when staff need additional assistance making files accessible.
- Develop, write, and publish OSPI news articles and stories, including conducting interviews with internal and external subject matter experts, writing culturally responsive stories with a high commitment to ethical journalistic practices, and distributing final publications via OSPI’s communication channels.
- Serve as an active team member by bringing forward ideas to produce better outcomes, improve and streamline team processes, and better serve our customers.
- Participate in intentional learning efforts that build capacity for anti-racist leadership, understanding and dismantling institutional racism, and building cultural competency.
Required Qualifications:
- Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field. Additional experience in communications-type work can be substituted, year-for-year, for education.
- Three (3) years of demonstrated communication experience including writing and editing engaging content in Plain Talk.
- Ability to make web pages and content accessible, including creating communications that are compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
- Ability to work as part of a multidisciplinary team requiring significant collaboration, including bridge-building with different groups and stakeholders to achieve common goals.
- Motivated to take on challenges and to engage in solution-finding when encountering barriers.
- Experience providing high-quality customer service to diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrated effectiveness in planning, organizing, and carrying out short- and long-term projects.
- Understanding and commitment to leading with equity and using a racial equity lens.
- Ability to multi-task and remain organized, even during periods of frequent interruptions.
- Ability to use decision-making to prioritize competing tasks, adapt to changing needs, and take direction from and work with multiple layers of management and stakeholders.
Desired Qualifications:
- Experience providing training, coaching, and/or mentoring to peers.
- Experience developing and maintaining guidance documents, standards, policies, and procedures.
- Experience using Drupal or other content management systems.
- Bilingual and biliterate in English and another language.
- Skilled in the Adobe Creative Suite.
- Understanding of current best practices in strategic web communications and commitment to continuous improvement.
- Experience working in state government or for an elected official.
- Experience working in K-12 education.
Compensation
The annual compensation for the position is $52,620 – $70,800 per year and depends upon experience, educational background and qualifications. Geographic differentials may be applied based on work location of successful candidate. Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental and life insurance, retirement and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visit for information regarding health benefits and the for retirement plan information. This is a general service position. This position is not represented by a bargaining unit.
Application Process
Those interested in this position must apply through Applications must include the following documents in MS Word and PDF format only:
- Three professional writing samples, not to exceed 500 words each
- A letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in this announcement;
- A current résumé, and;
- A list of three or more professional references.
Please address any questions to:
Human Resources
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
600 Washington Street Southeast
Olympia, Washington 98504-7200
360-725-6066:
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 725-6270 or (360) 725-6066, or e-mail
New Jobs Alert Service
OSPI offers a subscription service, which regularly notifies subscribers of new OSPI employment opportunities on careers.wa.gov. Subscribers are notified via text or email alert. If you are interested in this service, then please subscribe at
OSPI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity. OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. If you would like, please include your name and gender pronouns in your application, to ensure we address you appropriately throughout the application process. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resource consultant listed in “Application Process.”
More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.
We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That’s why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.
Read about our benefits:
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 (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.
Note: If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits.
Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.
Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.
To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.
Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.
Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.
The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.
Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees’ Retirement System (PERS). New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs. For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems’ web site.
Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP). This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.
Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.
Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.
Holidays
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.
Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.
Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday.
Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.
Sick Leave
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave.
Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
Vacation (Annual Leave)
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.
Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with (1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.
Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
As provided in , an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.
Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.
Military Leave
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.
Bereavement Leave
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, are entitled to three (3) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.
Additional Leave
Leave Sharing
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay
Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.
Updated 12-31-2022
01
Please select the option that best describes your education/experience background.
- I have a Bachelor’s degree in communications, public relations, journalism, or related field AND three (3) years or more of demonstrated communication experience including writing and editing engaging content in Plain Talk.
- I have a combination of education and experience totaling seven (7) years or more of demonstrated communication experience including writing and editing engaging content in Plain Talk.
- I have seven (7) or more years of demonstrated communication experience including writing and editing engaging content in Plain Talk.
- None of the above.
02
Can you meet all of the conditions of employment with our without reasonable accommodation as outlined in the recruitment announcement?
- Yes
- No
03
Did you attach the required documents (Three professional writing samples, cover letter, resume, list of references)?
- Yes
- No
04
Do you currently have a relative working in our agency?
05
How did you hear about this job opportunity?
- Careers.wa.gov
- OSPI Jobs Page
- OSPI Employee Referral
- Military Outreach Event
- Career Fair
- Other
Required Question