Contracts & Procurement Unit Manager

King County, WA; Seattle (WA); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Healthcare options

Pension plan

Paid leave and holidays

Transit/Orca program

Flexible schedules

Job summary

King County in Seattle, WA seeks a Contracts & Procurement Unit Manager to lead a critical team delivering procurement, contract administration, and compliance support. Reporting to the CFO, you will guide two supervisors and potential growth, driving anti‑racist, equitable practices across the division.

You will partner with Finance leadership and other divisions to ensure services are delivered with unity and excellence for the residents of King County.

Qualifications

• Advanced experience with WA state construction, architecture, and engineering contracts.
• Advanced experience with WA state goods, services, and technology contracts.
• Experience monitoring vendor compliance with prevailing wage, Davis Bacon, and related requirements.
• Supervision or leadership experience.
• Experience with large government agencies.

Responsibilities

• Facilitate procurement, contract administration and compliance.
• Coordinate with FBOD and other departments to support unit work.
• Ensure Finance provides exceptional service to partners and colleagues across WTD.
• Build and invest in the unit team, including hiring, training, and performance management.
• Lead change management to reassign contracting/purchasing work to unit staff.
• Stay updated on County code, state law, and federal funding requirements.
• Work with the Project Control Officer to ensure contract compliance.

Skills

Procurement management

Contract administration

Vendor compliance

Team leadership

Government procurement experience

Job description

This role represents an important organizational shift– creating a dedicated unit and manager for procurement and contracting activities in recognition of the exponential growth in our capital program, changing needs of our operations & maintenance partners, as well as the Countywide priority of compliance and financial stewardship. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to influence long‑term change, limit risk, protect county resources, and lead a high‑functioning team in ongoing process improvement.

About The Role

The Contracts & Procurement Unit Manager position leads a critical team responsible for ensuring effective, efficient, and timely support to agency procurement and contract administration as well as contract compliance. You will serve in a key Finance & Administration leadership role that reports to the Chief Financial Officer and collaborates with other Finance unit managers and supervisors to ensure the suite of Finance services are provided with unified and coordinated excellence.

This position will have two direct reporting supervisors with the potential for additional team growth. This includes a Capital Procurement & Work Order Team, as a well as a Goods, Services, and Technology Contracts & Procurement team. This is an opportunity to serve the people that live, work, and play in King County by leading the Contracts & Procurement Unit for one of the largest wastewater utilities on the west coast. You will lead the way through active engagement with staff to foster an anti‑racist, pro‑equity workplace where everyone can thrive, and work with Finance leadership and Division partners to ensure services are equitably provided to the residents of King County. You will foster relationships, collaboration, and teamwork across units and the division, so the division functions as "One King County."

Job Duties

• Work with the team supervisors to facilitate procurement, contract administration and compliance
• Coordinate with other King County departments such as the Finance and Business Operation Division (FBOD) as needed to support the work of this unit, resolve issues, and represent WTD initiatives and interests
• Ensure Finance provides exceptional service to our partners and colleagues across WTD
• Build and invest in the unit team including hiring, training, facilitating resources for career advancement opportunities, and performance management and evaluation (providing guidance, support, identifying development needs, resolving issues)
• Lead change management efforts to identify and reassign appropriate contracting/purchasing/procurement bodies of work from teams outside of finance to appropriate unit staff
• Stay apprised of relevant changes to County code, state law, and federal funding requirements on procurement
• Work closely with the Project Control Officer to ensure contract compliance

Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills

• Advanced experience with procuring and administering WA state construction, architecture, and engineering contracts
• Advanced experience with procuring and administering WA state goods, services, and technology contracts including purchased services
• Experience monitoring for vendor compliance with prevailing wage, Davis Bacon, and other relevant requirements
• Supervision or leadership experience
• Experience with large government agencies

Competencies you bring

Customer Focus: Building strong customer relationships and delivering customer‑centric solutions

Decision Quality: Making good and timely decisions that keep the organization moving forward

Strategic Mindset: Seeing ahead to future possibilities and translating them into breakthrough strategies

Manages Conflict: Handling conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise

Plans and Aligns: Planning and prioritizing work to meet commitments aligned with organizational goals

Working Conditions

• Work Location: The team works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs. The primary onsite location is the collaboration space at King Street Center, 201 S. Jackson, Seattle, Washington 98104. Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements. King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County‑issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
• Work Schedule: This full‑time position works a 40‑hour work week. This position is exempt from the overtime provision of the Fair Labor Standard Act (FLSA) and is not overtime eligible
• Union Representation: This position is represented by Local 117 WTD Section & Assist Mgr Union

Benefits

• Excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options: King County provides eligible employees with options, so they can decide what’s best for themselves and their eligible dependents
• Life and disability insurance: employees are provided basic coverage and given the opportunity to purchase additional insurance for both the employee and eligible dependents
• Retirement: eligible King County employees may participate in a pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems and a 457(b) deferred‑compensation plan
• Transportation program and ORCA transit pass
• 12 paid holidays each year plus two personal holidays
• Generous vacation and paid sick leave
• Paid parental, family and medical, and volunteer leaves
• Flexible Spending Account
• Wellness programs
• Onsite activity centers
• Employee Giving Program
• Employee assistance programs
• Flexible schedules and telecommuting options, depending on position
• Training and career development programs

For additional information about employee benefits, visit our Benefits, Payroll, and Retirement Page.

This is a general description of the benefits offered to eligible King County employees, and every effort has been made to ensure its accuracy. If any information on this document conflicts with the provisions of a collective bargaining agreement (CBA), the CBA prevails.

NOTE: Benefits for Term Limited Temporary (TLT) or Short Term Temporary (STT) positions, including leave eligibility and/or participation in the pension plan through the Washington State Department of Retirement Systems, will vary based upon the terms and details of the position. Short Term Temporary positions are not eligible for an ORCA transit pass.

King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer

No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on sex, race, color, national origin, ethnicity, religious affiliation, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age except by minimum age and retirement provisions, pregnancy, status as a family caregiver, parental status, marital status, military status or status as a veteran who was honorably discharged or who was discharged solely as a result of the person's sexual orientation or gender identity or expression, citizenship or immigration status, genetic information, or other protected class. However, to the extent that distinction or differential treatment on the basis of citizenship or immigration status is authorized by either federal or state law, regulation, or government contract, it is not an unfair practice.