Vital Records Program Manager

This position offers a hybrid work arrangement, combining remote work with scheduled onsite work at our DOH facility in Tumwater, WA, approximately 2-3 days per week.

The Opportunity

As the Vital Records Program Manager, you will lead Washington’s statewide vital records operations, overseeing the registration, amendment, preservation, and issuance of certified birth, death, fetal death, abortion, marriage, and divorce records. You will manage three service areas and about 30 staff through their supervisors, ensuring records are accurate, secure, timely, and compliant with state law and policy. You will set the program’s strategic direction, interpret legislation, establish statewide policy, and make complex decisions about record access, corrections, and potential fraud. You will also guide improvements to the technology and processes behind vital records, including the Washington Health and Life Events System (WHALES). Partnering with local health jurisdictions and state and federal agencies, you will promote consistent practices statewide while balancing public access, legal requirements, and the security of sensitive information. Your leadership ensures Washingtonians can rely on the records they need to establish identity and parentage, get a passport, enroll children in school, and access public benefits. These records also supply vital data that informs public health decisions across the state.

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Lead statewide vital records operations, overseeing registration, amendments, preservation, and certification services to ensure accurate, timely, and legally compliant records.
• Direct program strategy, priorities, performance measures, and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen service delivery, efficiency, and long-term sustainability.
• Develop and implement statewide policies and standards that promote consistent vital records practices across the Department of Health and Washington’s 39 local health jurisdictions.
• Manage three service areas through their supervisors, setting performance expectations, allocating resources, and addressing workforce and operational needs.
• Interpret laws, regulations, and legislation to guide policy decisions, assess operational impacts, and recommend changes to improve vital records administration.
• Oversee vital records technology and system improvements, working with technology teams and vendors to maintain and enhance systems that support statewide operations.
• Protect the security and integrity of vital records by establishing safeguards, conducting security reviews, addressing suspected fraud, and coordinating with law enforcement when needed.
• Resolve complex and sensitive customer issues, appeals, and legal-risk matters while managing contracts, interagency agreements, and program resources.

The Ideal Candidate

You bring sound judgment, strategic thinking, and a practical approach to leading complex operations. You can navigate sensitive issues, interpret requirements, and make thoughtful decisions when the path forward is not always clear. You value consistent, equitable service and understand the importance of protecting confidential information while ensuring people receive the records they are legally entitled to access. You lead through others, build strong working relationships, and look for ways to improve systems and services while keeping the needs of Washingtonians at the center of your decisions.

Why You’ll Love This Role

This role offers the opportunity to shape statewide policies, improve essential services, and lead a program with a direct impact on people across Washington. Your work will help ensure Washingtonians have access to accurate legal records when they need them, while protecting the integrity of vital records and maintaining reliable data that government agencies and public health programs depend on.

Required Qualifications

There are multiple pathways to qualify for this position. You must meet one of the options provided and any additional criteria listed. Experience may have been gained through paid or unpaid activities. Please ensure any relevant experience defined below is outlined in your cover letter, resume, and/or applicant profile.

• Option 1: Eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience managing, administering, or providing senior-level support to complex programs or operations involving regulatory requirements, compliance, public services, records administration, or similarly complex functions.
• Option 2: Bachelor’s degree or higher in public administration, business administration, public health, health administration, law, social sciences, or a closely related field AND four (4) years of experience managing, administering, or providing senior-level support to complex programs or operations involving regulatory requirements, compliance, public services, records administration, or similarly complex functions.

Employee Benefits

We want you to have the support and benefits you need to do your best work while building a career that fits your life. As a DOH employee, you’ll have access to a comprehensive benefits package that supports your health, financial well-being, and work-life balance, with resources to support you now and help you plan for the future.

Working Conditions

The following describes the working conditions of this position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Work Setting: The position’s assigned duty station is in Tumwater, Washington, and requires frequent in-person attendance at the Tumwater Town Center. When not working on-site, the position may work from home, a DOH office, or an alternate location. The work involves an open cubicle office setting, with daily exposure to paper, dust, ink, solvents, and other products associated with paper records. The position requires repetitive computer work for the majority of the workday, with exposure to hazards typically found in office environments. Work may also be required in stressful emergency response conditions.