Contracts Specialist 2 (CS2) – Tacoma

State of Washington; Tacoma (WA); Hybrid; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

The State of Washington, Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF) seeks a Contract Specialist 2 to oversee regional child welfare contracts, ensuring compliance with DCYF policies, state laws, and procurement standards. This hybrid Tacoma-based role involves contract management, provider record-keeping, and on-site reviews to protect the state's children and strengthen families.

Responsibilities include background checks, contract oversight, consultation with regional staff, and

Qualifications

• Six years of combined education and experience or a bachelor’s degree with two years of government-contract related experience.
• Ability to interpret contract language and apply contracting policies and regulations.

Responsibilities

• Process background checks received by contractors.
• Establish and maintain provider records in the child welfare case management system.
• Establish and maintain records in the contract management system for their assigned contracts.
• Manage and provide oversight of regional contracts.
• Provide consultation to regional field staff regarding existing contracted services and service needs.
• Research and resolve regional contract disputes and keep the Regional Team Supervisor informed.
• Responsible for planning, developing, initiating, scheduling, attending, and conducting on-site contract compliance reviews.
• Responsible for development, planning, scheduling and conducting follow-up reviews to on-site compliance reviews.
• Provide consultation, technical assistance, and training to regional field staff and contractors on best practices, rules and regulations of all contracts.
• Answer questions regarding Administrative Policies, SOP's, RCW's WAC's, and other rules on contracts.

Skills

Contract negotiation

Contract administration

Policy interpretation

Microsoft Office

Education

Bachelor’s degree in public administration or closely allied field

Six years combined education/experience

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Job description

Job Title: Contract Specialist 2 (CS2) Tacoma

Location: Tacoma WA, Pierce County (Flexible/Hybrid)

Closes: September 29th, 2026

Salary: $59,760.00 to $80,496.00 Annually

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

The Contract Specialist 2 helps to manage regional Child Welfare contracts and ensures services and providers meet DCYF requirements, policies, and state regulations. Through effective contract management and compliance, this role helps support quality services that protect children, strengthen families, and help children and youth grow up safe, healthy, and thriving.

The Opportunity:

This position is responsible for regional contract management and contract compliance activities within the Department of Children, Youth, and Families (DCYF), assigned to work mainly with Child Welfare Programs. This includes administering and managing regional contracts to ensure that contracted terms and conditions, and all applicable regulations, laws and policies as outlined with DCYF contracts are followed. This position ensures contract adherence by implementing all DCYF Contracts and Procurement Office Standard Operating Procedures (SOP's), DCYF Administrative Policies, and contracting policies for the State of Washington. Thus, ensuring services provided to DCYF clients contribute to the protection of children, so that children and youth grow up safe and healthy, in strong families and environments that flourish.

Some of what you will get to do:

• Process background checks received by contractors.
• Establish and maintain provider records in the child welfare case management system.
• Establish and maintain records in the contract management system for their assigned contracts.
• Manage and provide oversight of regional contracts.
• Provide consultation to regional field staff regarding existing contracted services and service needs.
• Research and resolve regional contract disputes and keep the Regional Team Supervisor informed.
• Responsible for planning, developing, initiating, scheduling, attending, and conducting on-site contract compliance reviews.
• Responsible for development, planning, scheduling and conducting follow-up reviews to on-site compliance reviews.
• Provide consultation, technical assistance, and training to regional field staff and contractors on best practices, rules and regulations of all contracts.
• Answer questions regarding Administrative Policies, SOP's, RCW's WAC's, and other rules on contracts.

Required Qualifications:

Equivalent combination of education and experience totaling six years.

OR

Bachelor’s degree involving major study in public administration, business administration, business law, commerce, economics, mathematics, statistics or closely allied field.

AND

Two (2) years’ experience in negotiating, administering or terminating government contracts, contract property management, contract cost or price analysis, contract compliance administration or conducting activities such as inspections, investigations, enforcement of policies/regulations/laws.

AND

• The ability to take action to learn and grow.
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience in interpreting contract language and applying contracting policies, procedures, state and federal laws.
• Experience working with customers/clients with varying backgrounds and experience(s).
• Experience assuring compliance with policies, procedures, laws, regulations or contracted terms and conditions.
• Computer skills: Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite (or equivalent).
• Ability to write clearly and concisely.
• Ability to deal with change effectively.
• Maintain confidentiality in and outside of the workplace.
• Work within a team environment, utilizing excellent interpersonal skills.

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.

This recruitment may be used to fill multiple vacancies.

For more information about this position or if you need an accommodation throughout the application/interview process, please contact DCYF recruiter. If you're experiencing technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, call NEOGOV toll-free at [phone] or email [e-mail]. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may call the Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TDD) at 360-664-1960.

DCYF participates in the federal E-Verify program. The selected candidate must provide proof of identity and authorization to work in the United States, consistent with E-Verify requirements, on their first day of employment.