Digital Accessibility Manager

Monday - Friday 8am - 5pm

Telework

This employment opportunity will remain open until filled. The hiring manager reserves the right to close the recruitment at any time. To ensure consideration for this position, please submit your application as soon as possible. The first review of applicants will begin on July 6, 2023.

Our Enterprise Technology Solutions (ETS) IT shop is not just another team in a government agency. We are a customer driven technology division that provides innovative solutions that connects people and simplifies work. Our technology solutions impact other state agencies, counties, cities, and the people of Washington. As a member of the ETS team you will have direct influence on Enterprise IT solutions. We innovate, we collaborate, we challenge, and we respect new ideas.

If you are looking for a Challenging and Meaningful career, a place where your talents make a difference in the lives of Washingtonians, ETS is the place for you.

At ETS, we are committed to providing an environment in which all employees can feel respected, included, and empowered to bring unique ideas and experiences to the work. Our diversity and inclusion efforts include embracing different cultures, backgrounds, and viewpoints while encouraging growth and development. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans and their spouses, as well as people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.

What you will be doing:

In this role, you will help create the digital accessibility strategic framework for the agency for all technology related solutions including but not limited to custom built in house, software as a service, and those procured in partnership with the equity officer. This position will provide strategic and tactical insights that inform design, development and ensures that digital access and inclusion is at every step of the solution development process.

Why you would want this job:

If you enjoy working in a fast-paced environment with a high performing team, and love the idea of being a leader, constantly challenging yourself, and learning new things. If you enjoy staying busy, but like a variety of duties, we promise you won't get bored. If you want to work in a place that truly values you and your ideas to improve processes and allow us to exceed our customer expectations, this job is for you.

The Department of Enterprise Services offers:

A great total compensation and benefits package
Paid Vacation, Leave, and Holidays
An agency-wide commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion and respect, and leaders who encourage all employees to bring their authentic selves to work
Access to several state business resource groups including the Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network, Veteran Employee Resource Group, Latino Leadership Network, Blacks United in Leadership and Diversity, Disability Inclusion Network, and Washington Immigrant Network
Supported growth and development opportunities
Opportunities to serve your community through meaningful work

Duties

Some of the duties include:

Formulate strategy for near term and long-term success of digital accessibility:

Create, maintain, and sustain accessibility roadmap
Design, manage, steward, and assess the State's digital equity plan and programs against the agency’s plans
and success measures
Responsible for Identifying agency wide digital accessibility training needs and develop training plans to meet those needs
Partner with ETS managers, Business partners, DES executives, DES Accessibility Manager and the state equity and accessibility office including but not limited to other state accessibility officers to define digital accessibility roadmap and inform current and new agency policy related to digital accessibility
Participate and advocate in strategic solution creation, research and analysis, always striving to support and understand the customers using our products
Serve as an advocate and educator for Digital Accessibility across the agency, championing the effective and appropriate use of services across all lines of business
Drive Innovation to include accessibility features in products and services to solve unanticipated problems with applications, software services, user documentation

Digital accessibility expert and mentor:

Be the subject matter expert in the agency for digital accessibility. Build support for accessibility among staff members and stakeholders through presentations, training facilitation, and consultation on accessibility-related topics
Lead and participate in improvement projects agency wide and professional development for ETS and agency staff
Provide coaching and mentoring to team members and internal customers to enhance accessibility competencies
Identify opportunities, define, and implement processes to improve team execution and delivery including figuring out actual or potential gaps in resourcing for projects
Provide inputs in defining performance standards, technological accommodations, and other opportunities to ensure that accessibility is included in the forefront of the customer (internal and external) touch point
Work with procurement staff to ensure accessibility requirements are incorporated into DES procurement processes

Improve technical skills and professional growth:

Synthesize research and create narratives to frame problems and identify use cases and user types for software rollouts, application frameworks
Enhance user experience by creating seamless navigation through various digital programs and interfaces within the agency
Combine interface design concepts with digital design and establish milestones to encourage cooperation and teamwork
Stay current with digital accessibility standards and understand the technical trends in the accessibility space
Comprehend the complexities involved in digital accessibility and the impact it has on the business and recommend strategies to mitigate
Recommend best practices for digital accessibility for new and existing technologies
Facilitate the accessibility exceptions process (not all software will be 100% accessible, so an exception process is needed to accommodate the use of necessary tools that may not be accessible to everyone. For example, Microsoft Visio diagrams, alternates like Braille, audio transcription etc.)
Develop and maintain policies, procedures, guidelines, and tools that meet the requirements of state and federal regulations
Develop and implement processes for the public and staff members to report digital accessibility issues.
Strong passion for making products more accessible and expertise required to include understanding how AT works for end users with web, desktop, and mobile products and services

Develop strong digital accessibility standards and support:

Participate in the development and delivery of materials, and job aids to increase team knowledge in the area of digital accessibility
Consult stakeholders on integration of ASL interpretation and captioning into recordings and virtual/onsite requests.
Record and report data, goals, and outcomes including agency benchmarks and improvements
Establish a successful partnership with DES Equity officer to develop DES digital accessibility strategies, equity goals and implementation plans
Partner with the DES Accessibility Manager to provide written and oral updates to stakeholders including the executives of the agency on digital inclusion activities and progress
Design differentiated technical communications (content focus, style, presentation, etc.) for various internal and external audiences based on an understanding of their differing levels of familiarity with technical language

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

A Bachelor’s degree in a compliance-related program, computer science, human factors, educational technology. Five plus years of relevant experience with demonstrable expertise in accessibility (WCAG/508) analysis and strategy definition/adoption of progressive professional IT experience to include:

Five plus (5+) years of strategic planning expertise and supervisory experience
Four (4) years of experience working with Assistive Technology software JAWS, NVDA, Voice Over, Dragon, ZoomText, Fusion, etc.
Strong understanding of WAI - ARIA & accessibility in Windows
Four (4) years of Relevant work experience in UX and research
Creating prototype using HTML5, CSS and JavaScript React JS
Experience maybe concurrent

OR

An Associate’s degree in compliance-related program, computer science, educational technology, human factors OR equivalent Two (2) years of vocational training in a technical field and 7 years of progressive professional experience to include:

Four (4) years experience creating prototype using HTML, CSS and JavaScript React JS
Three (3) years experience in JAWS scripting and other assistive technology software
Four (4) years experience with UX and research
Three (3) years experience as a lead, supervisor or manager with experience in creating roadmap, training and presenting materials to leadership and mentoring teams
Experience maybe concurrent

Additional qualifying experience may be substituted for education on a year-for-year basis

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

Master’s degree in Educational Technology, computer science or related field, Active Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification or Web Accessibility Specialist (WAS) or ADA Coordinator Training Certification Program (ACTCP) or Certified Professional in Web Accessibility (CPWA) certification
ASL fluency and knowledge of working with Deafblind individuals
Experience with JAWS scripting and or similar tools
Eight plus (8+) years applied experience leading or managing enterprise or largescale programs
Lived experience utilizing accessibility technology

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.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $101,196.00 - $136,092.00 per year

Benefits:

401(k)
Dental insurance
Flexible schedule
Health insurance
Health savings account
Life insurance
Paid time off
Parental leave
Vision insurance

Schedule:

8 hour shift

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Olympia, WA 98501