Division Chief - Torts Division (Hybrid)

The Office of the Attorney General seeks an attorney with significant management and legal experience to lead the Torts Division (https://www.atg.wa.gov/torts).

Attorneys in the division, working with teams of professional staff, defend claims and cases for money damages against all state agencies, boards, commissions and their employees in state and federal court. The work of the Torts Division is demanding, yet stimulating, and rewarding. Lawyers who enjoy working on challenging legal issues thrive here. The collegial team environment, the dedicated professional support staff, and litigation resources provided by the Torts Division, including investigation, discovery, early resolution, and appellate experts, enhance the challenges of this defense work.

Duties:
The Division Chief is responsible for the overall management of the division's people and work. The position ensures delivery of high quality legal services to the range of client agencies and employees, and leads the attorneys and professional staff (185 positions (63 attorneys and 122 staff for which the division is budgeted) in four office locations (Tumwater, Tacoma, Seattle, and Spokane) across the state. The Division Chief serves as legal advisor on risk management issues related to the work of agencies, boards, and commissions and may be called upon to advise the Attorney General and the Governor's Office on issues within the scope of the division's work. The Division Chief is also a member of the Leadership Team of the Attorney General's Office, and is responsible for contributing to and supporting the overall mission of the office. The position may be located in any of the four office locations where the division has a presence, plus additional travel around the state is expected.

Qualifications:
In addition to meeting the requirements to serve as an Assistant Attorney General, the successful candidate will have:

• Significant experience in civil litigation defense and risk management client advice, especially as it relates to defense of government agencies and the liabilities unique to government agency programs;
• Demonstrated leadership skills and competence in mentoring and supervising other attorneys and professional staff;
• An affinity for working in a highly collaborative team environment that includes other Torts Division attorneys, litigation support and investigative staff, the client agencies and agency Risk Managers, and the Office of Risk Management;
• Demonstrated competence executing the litigation responsibilities inherent in civil defense work, including conducting trials in state and/or federal courts;
• Excellent problem solving skills, strong attention to detail, and strong time management skills;
• Excellent judgment;
• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills;
• Experience and poise in interacting with high level client representatives; and
• Interest in, and ability to work well with, people who have diverse backgrounds, experiences, and communication styles.