Accessibility & Language Access Systems Analyst

Senate Profile

The Washington State Legislature is a bicameral body comprised of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Legislature meets annually on the second Monday in January in the Capitol Building in Olympia. Regular legislative sessions take place January through March in even-numbered years and January through April in odd-numbered years. Special legislative sessions occur as needed. Permanent staff work year-round supporting the Senate and legislative members.

Position Profile

The Washington State Senate seeks a collaborative, forward thinking, proactive Accessibility & Language Access Systems Analyst to serve as a facilitator and bridge between legislative processes and communities participating in legislative proceedings. The future of accessibility and language access in the Legislature is exciting. There are existing technologies to be implemented in the short-term and emerging technologies that will create more opportunities for accessibility. 

The Systems Analyst will have a deep understanding of legislative processes and connections to impacted communities and will be proactive in identifying barriers and working on technological and process solutions to eliminate those barriers. This position will be part of Senate Administration and will support all workgroups on public facing accessibility and language access issues and will collaborate closely with the rest of the systems analyst team. 

This position reports to the Secretary of the Senate. 

Position Responsibilities

•         Serve as the Title II ADA Coordinator for the Senate. 

•         Coordinate with Senate Committee Services, individual member offices, and the caucuses to arrange spoken language and ASL interpretation and CART captioning services for committee hearings and other legislative meetings. 

•         Evaluate Senate systems and processes to identify barriers and proactively engage in efforts to eliminate those barriers.  

•         Manage contracts with vendors for interpretation, CART captioning, and translation services.

•        Collaborate with the House and legislative agencies on broader legislative accessibility initiatives.

•         Work with LEG-TECH on systems and applications, bridging internal users and external constituencies.

•         Collaborate with the systems analyst workgroup to identify areas of need related to systems and develop improvements to address those needs. 

•         Collaborate with the HR Office, provide trainings and resources to staff and members to promote accessibility of Senate meetings, proceedings, and publications.

•         Gather, organize, review, and analyze data on pertinent IT accessibility issues. Explore possible solutions to problems and goals, define options, prioritize requirements, and assess risks associated with system changes, and explore, suggest, or recommend best course of action.

•         Serve on various technical and advisory groups regarding legislative information systems, processes, and decisions.

Requirements

Critical Skill & Abilities

•         Understanding of the legislative and committee process.

•         Experience working with disability and other impacted communities.

•         Experience with or familiarity with accessible IT technology, practices, and policies.

•         Ability to employ business analysis and change management principles.

•         Excellent communication and presentation skills with the ability to convey complex information in a manner that informs diverse audiences.

•         Ability to work under time constraints to meet deadlines as necessary.  

•         Ability to work collaboratively and effectively interact with others who have diverse backgrounds to promote trust.

•         Ability to work in a nonpartisan capacity.

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree AND two years of related work experience OR an equivalent combination of experience and education.

Note: Diverse backgrounds in education and experience could be successful in this role and will be considered. Candidates with any combination of lived and professional experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the work will be considered.

Additional Requirements

• Long and irregular hours are required during the legislative session, including evening and weekend work. When the Legislature is not in session, flexible schedule options are available.
• This position works in-person in Olympia during the legislative session. When the Legislature is not in session, in-state remote work is supported for 3-4 days a week, except when needed to be in-person for training or legislative meetings.
• This position is full-time and exempt from civil service.

Benefits

Salary Range

RCW 49.58.110 requires employers to provide a full salary range in job postings. The full range for the position is $5,904 - $10,231 monthly. The initial salary offered will consider internal equity and will be based on relevant knowledge, skills, and experience.

Employee Benefits

The Senate offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, life and long-term disability insurance; vacation, sick, military, bereavement, and civil leave; 12 paid holidays per year; a state retirement plan; deferred compensation; healthcare flexible spending account; dependent care assistance; infant at work policy, optional credit unions and savings bonds; and tuition reimbursement.

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the Senate Human Resource Office at [email protected].

The Washington State Senate is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, creed, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, age, physical, sensory, or mental disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the use of a service animal by a person with a disability.