Child Welfare Contracts Specialist (CS3) - Olympia

Our vision is to ensure that “Washington state’s children and youth grow up safe and healthy—thriving physically, emotionally and academically, nurtured by family and community."

Job Title: Contracts Specialist (CS3)
Location: Olympia, WA.
Closes: Tuesday May 14, 2024
Salary:  $64,092.00 - $86,208.00 Annually
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The Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), Contracts and Procurement Office is looking for an analytical, detail-oriented individual who is passionate about serving Washington State children and families, to join our team as a Contracts Specialist 3.

 Click here to learn more about DCYF.
 
 The Opportunity:
In this role as a Contracts Specialist 3, you will act as the contract office liaison and subject matter expert regarding Child Welfare Programs. This job supports the agency’s needs to obtain client services, procurements, professional services, and goods essential to DCYF functions. The Contracts and Procurement Office functions under overarching principles for the Finance and Business Services Division. We are looking for someone who can envision incorporating these principles in their daily work. If you have experience with government contracts and a desire to positively impact the lives of families and children, we encourage you to apply today.

1. We serve the mission: Finance is fundamental to the agency achieving its strategy, so our work starts with the work that supports the people we serve. We work across silos to ensure every program is financially enabled to drive great results.

2. We are great partners and focused on the work that matters so we drive great results: Great partnership starts with having the right people at the table, having all relevant stakeholders involved in the conversations early and often so that we stay focused and aligned, reducing the need to revisit or change plans. Great partnerships are sustained by ongoing communication, aligned priories and a basic understanding and orientation to each other’s work and perspectives.

3. We are the finance team/employer of choice: Our inspiring mission and commitment to capacity development attracts the best and brightest people and they are inspired to stay. We will be respectful and create a positive work environment without judgements.

4. We are curious and continue to learn: Mistakes happen in a fast-moving, constantly changing environment. We see mistakes as an opportunity to better understand where things need to change. We celebrate and preserve what works course-correct rapidly, letting go of what no longer works based on new learning. This keeps us agile and relevant.

5. We are future focused: We understand that things change but we stay focused on serving those who serve our mission (strategic outcomes). By staying focused on that shared future state, work is easily prioritized, plans stay streamlined and agile, and roles are clear, despite the inevitable fires that tempt us to take us off course. We will end the burnout.

Some of what you will do:

• Administer, negotiate, and prepare contracts, agreements, leases, and letters of understanding for the agency.
• Coordinate with stakeholders and customers to define contract requirements.
• Independently plan, manage, and conduct solicitations for low, medium, and high complexity contracts, focusing on best value awards. These duties include:
  1. Providing guidance on applicable agency policies and state and federal law.
  2. Appropriate contract language.
  3. Contract deliverables.
  4. Create professional. technical, and legally compliant documents following RCW, policy, procedure and guidelines.
  5. Perform analysis of proposals for technical requirements and cost factors.
  6. Consult with customers and vendors to achieve business objectives through understanding markets, commodities, and applying best value procurement concepts.
• Resolve contract disputes, protests, defaults, liquidated damages, appeals, and contract issues.
• Advise agency executive management and take action within delegated authority on initiating action on specific contract issues that include:
  1. Early termination.
  2. Incorrect payment.
  3. Enforcement of contract terms and conditions.
  4. Replacement of a resource under the contract.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to agency staff on contract interpretation.
• Represent DCYF in negotiations and coordinate with programs for contract needs.
• Ensure compliance with federal and state laws and agency policies.
• Oversee facilitation of competitive procurements and professional service contracts.
• Provide oversight and reporting on DCYF staff training for procurements, contracts, and purchasing.
• Actively participate in reviewing and monitoring program policies, procedures, and guidelines for improvement, moving change forward proactively.

Required qualifications:
A Bachelor's degree involving major study in business administration, public administration, business law, commerce, mathematics, statistics, economics, or a closely allied field.
AND
Three years of experience in negotiating, administering, or terminating government contracts, contract property management, contract cost or price analyses, or contract compliance administration.

A Master's degree in one of the above academic disciplines may substitute for one year of experience.

Additional qualifying experience may substitute, year for year, for the education.

Degree must be obtained from an accredited college or university whose accreditation is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), or foreign equivalent verified by a NACES-approved organization at naces.org.
 
Foreign Equivalency certification must be attached to the application for degrees obtained outside the U.S. Incomplete applications may be screened out of the recruitment process.

In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following: 

• Experience interpreting and applying state government contracting rules, policies, state and federal laws.
• Experience in accountability and sound management.
• Experience working with customers from varying backgrounds.
• Experience adapting to changing work environments, work priorities and organizational needs.

How do I apply?
Complete your applicant profile and attach the following documents:

• Letter of interest describing how you meet the specific qualifications for this position.
• Current resume detailing experience and education.

Supplemental Information:
The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is committed to Washington’s children and youth growing up safe, healthy, and thriving. We invite all candidates to join us in our mission to create a diverse and equitable workplace that reflects the communities we serve.  If you are excited about this role but you believe that your education and/or experience might not align perfectly with every qualification in the job posting, we encourage you to apply anyway.

The Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of age, sex, marital status, sexual orientation, race, creed, color, national origin, honorably discharged veteran or military status, or the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability or the use of a trained service animal by a person with a disability.

Prior to a new hire, a background check including criminal history will be conducted. Information from the background check will not necessarily preclude employment but will be considered in determining the applicant's suitability and competence to perform in the position.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

This position is in a bargaining unit represented by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). For more information: https://wfse.org/.

If you have any questions pertaining to this recruitment or if you would like to request an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, contact David Ozment (Talent Acquisition Specialist) at david.ozment@dcyf.wa.gov If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at (855)524-5627 or email support@neogov.com.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call (360) 902-2276 or the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at (800) 833-6388.

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