Contracts Specialist 2 w/in-training | Financial Services Division | Tumwater

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

Benefits offered by this job

King County Location Pay 5%

Dual Language Requirement Pay 5%

Job summary

State of Washington, Office of the Attorney General in Tumwater, seeks a Contracts Specialist 2 in the Financial Services Division. The role handles contract monitoring, negotiation, and administration across diverse contracts including litigation-related and interagency agreements.

The position offers pathways for in-training from Contracts Specialist 1 and includes a benefits package with work-life balance and professional development opportunities.

Qualifications

• Proven ability to negotiate, administer, or terminate government contracts.
• Experience with contract auditing, compliance, and terminations.
• Familiarity with state procurement laws and policies.

Responsibilities

• Serve as primary contact for contracts, amendments, terminations, invoicing, and closeouts.
• Negotiate modifications and ensure compliance with contract terms.
• Oversee contract tracking in ECMS/Law Manager and other systems.
• Develop and deliver agency-wide contract management training.
• Respond to contract issues and advise on OFM/DES regulations.

Skills

Negotiation

Contract management

Regulatory compliance

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business administration/public administration/business law/economics

Two years of government contracts experience

Tools

ECMS

Law Manager

Job description

Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at [e-mail]. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

Position and Salary

The Attorney General’s Office is recruiting for a permanent full time Contracts Specialist 2 in the Financial Services Division. This position is located in Tumwater, Washington, and is not union-represented. Note: There is the possibility of an in‑training from the Contracts Specialist 1 level.

Contracts Specialist 2 Salary range (53): $59,760 - $80,496 annually
Contracts Specialist 1 Salary range (47): $51,600 - $69,348 annually

The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate’s job‑related knowledge, skills, and experience.

The following stipends may apply based on position requirements:

• Incumbents assigned to our Seattle office location receive an additional 5% King County Location Pay stipend.
• Incumbents assigned to a position designated as requiring dual language skills will receive a 5% Dual Language Requirement Pay stipend.

The AGO provides a workplace that is understanding of work‑life balance and promotes advancement by offering a wide variety of professional development and growth opportunities.

Excellent benefits

Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation, including Medical/Dental/Vision for employees & dependent(s); Vacation, Sick, and Other Leave; 11 Paid Holidays per year; Public Employees Retirement System (PERS) plans; and Life Insurance. Beyond these traditional benefits, we offer Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave, and more. With the goal of employee health and wellness, we also offer:

• Flexible schedules and part‑time/hybrid telework options;
• A Wellness Program, an Infants in the Workplace Program, and the Employee Assistance Program, which provides counseling, webinar, and other cost‑free support resources;
• Numerous employee‑driven affinity groups to foster community and connection, including Bereavement, Elder Care, Parenting, POC, LGBTQ+, Veterans and more. The AGO is a place to belong and make a difference!

About the Financial Services Division

The Financial Services Division (FIS) provides accountability for the AGO’s financial, budgetary and accounting practices. The division ensures financial records are complete, accurate and accessible to oversight agencies for state and federal compliance. FIS is responsible for agency budget development and monitoring, accounting, payroll, contracts, grants, and purchasing functions. FIS contains three main units: Accounting; Contracts and Grants; Budget.

The Accounting Services Unit is responsible for all accounting, purchasing, payroll, travel, legal services billing and timekeeping functions. Related responsibilities include: depositing and distributing divisional settlements and recoveries; purchasing goods and equipment for the Office; paying Office invoices; processing payroll; reconciling timekeeping and producing the monthly legal services bill; negotiating our federal indirect rate; preparing the agency statewide cost allocation plan; and preparing the comprehensive annual financial report.

The Contracts and Grants Unit is responsible for the centralized management and oversight of all AGO procurements, contracts, and grants. This includes a variety of activities such as posting all competitive solicitations, managing the entire lifecycle of a contract (creation, execution, renewal and closeout); negotiating contractual terms and conditions; ensuring compliance of all grants and contracts; applying for new grant opportunities; monitoring grantees; reporting; training to AGO staff and grantees; and creating policies, procedures and forms. This unit is also responsible for the AGO’s Special Assistant Attorney General program: contracts with outside law firms to assist client agencies when there is a need for specialized expertise or when a conflict arises.

The Budget Unit is responsible for all agency budget functions which includes requesting funding from the Governor’s Office of Financial Management and the Legislature; setting the billing rates for the Office; monitoring expenditures, monitoring fund cash balances; forecasting fund balances and revenue; projecting Office and Division expenditures and staffing usage and needs; reviewing legislative bills and assessing and articulating the impacts to the Office.

Duties and Essential Functions of a Contracts Specialist 2

This position reports to the AGO Assistant Contracts Administrator and works as a part of a team that is responsible for contract monitoring, reporting and administration for the entire AGO. The AGO utilizes a variety of contracts, with the largest category of contracts being litigation related contracts – expert witnesses, litigation consultants, court reporters, and special assistant attorney general contracts. The AGO also executes contracts from DES’s statewide contracts, as well as interagency agreements, professional services contracts, agreements related to federal and state grants, and a variety of external contracts for other goods and services. While it varies, the AGO has approximately 2,500 to 3000 active contracts. As a result, we have a great team of subject matter experts in the Contracts Unit to assist with the various types of AGO contracts.

Duties may include, but are not limited to:

• Serve as main point of contact for contracts, amendments, terminations, invoicing, and closeouts
• Negotiate with parties on modification requests to contract terms and conditions. Assure compliance with the terms of contracts and resolves problems concerning the obligations.
• Oversee the tracking of contracts in a central location and input contract data into the State’s Enterprise Contracts Management System (ECMS), Law Manager, or other tracking tools.
• Training and Contract Resources: Assist with developing and executing agency‑wide training on contract management. Create and maintain templates for contracts.
• Respond to, research, resolve and provide consultation agency wide regarding contract issues or concerns, or interpretation of OFM and DES regulations, policies or procedures. Advise and assist division staff and outside entities on the contract processes from initiation to completion.
• Following state and agency regulations and guidelines, DES procurement policies, Washington State Procurement Law RCW 39.26 and other applicable laws and policies;
• Developing, negotiating, and administering contracts with other state and federal agencies and private vendors for goods and services;
• Guiding staff on use of DES Statewide Contracts and serving as a resource for all contract related needs or functions;
• Assisting with the monitoring and maintenance of the contracts email box;
• Using critical thinking and good judgment to form conclusions and make decisions regarding contracts, including requests to modify standard contract language;
• Responding to, researching, resolving and providing consultation regarding contract issues or concerns, or interpretation of regulations, policies or procedures;
• Advising departmental divisions and staff members on procedures involved in contracting for goods or services.

This recruitment announcement may be used to fill multiple open positions for the same classification, in addition to the position(s) listed in this announcement.

In-Training Defined

An in‑training is on‑the‑job instruction designed for candidates with less experience than the required goal classification to learn and grow into a higher‑level role. In this job posting, we are open to considering those eligible at the Contracts Specialist 1 level who are interested in learning on‑the‑job with the goal of moving into the Contracts Specialist 2 role. You’ll gain the competencies and skills needed to successfully perform your duties while being supported by your supervisor, manager, and coworkers. Upon successful completion of your training and demonstrating knowledge of the position requirements, you will be promoted into the Contracts Specialist 2 level.

Required Qualifications

To qualify at the Contracts Specialist 1 level:

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

AND

One year 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 be substituted for one year of experience.
• A law degree from an accredited college or university approved by the Washington State Bar Association may be substituted for the experience and the education.
• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted, year for year, for the education.

To qualify at the Contracts Specialist 2 level:

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

AND

Two 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 be substituted for one year of experience.
• A law degree from an accredited college or university approved by the Washington State Bar Association may be substituted for the experience and the education.
• Additional qualifying experience may be substituted, year for year, for the education.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with information technology (IT) contracts.
• Experience leading competitive procurement solicitations, including RFPs, RFQQs, and RFIs.
• Knowledge of procuring goods and services through DES statewide contracts.

About the Washington State Office of the Attorney General

The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) touches the lives of every resident in this state. We serve more than 230 state agencies, boards, commissions, colleges and universities, as well as the Legislature and the Governor. The Office is comprised of nearly 700 attorneys and 800 professional staff, all working together to deliver the highest quality professional legal services to Washington state officials, agencies, and entities. This includes:

• Economic justice and consumer protections (safeguarding consumers, protecting youth, seniors, and other vulnerable populations)
• Social justice and civil rights (addressing discrimination, environmental protection, and veteran and military resources)
• Criminal justice and public safety (investigative and prosecutorial support, financial crimes)
• And many more!

Our agency also has national reach, representing the State of Washington before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals and trial courts in all cases that involve the state’s interest. If you want to make a difference, we may be the perfect fit for you! Learn more about the AGO here.

Commitment to Diversity

Diversity is critical to the success of the mission of the AGO. This means recognizing, respecting, and appreciating all cultures and backgrounds— and fostering the inclusion of differences between people. Appreciating, valuing and implementing principles of diversity permits AGO employees to achieve their fullest potential in an inclusive, respectful environment.

One recent measure of the AGO's commitment to diversity can be found in its nomination for Rainbow Alliance and Inclusion Network's "Outstanding Agency Award" in 2019. Our commitment to employee wellness is reflected in earning the 2024 Zo8 Washington Wellness Award.

Read the Following Information Completely

• Carefully review your application for accuracy, spelling and grammar before submitting.
• You may not reapply to this posting for 30 days.
• The initial screening of applications will solely based on the contents and completeness of the “work experience” and “education” sections of your application in www.careers.wa.gov, completeness of the application material submitted, and responses to the supplemental questionnaire.
• A resume will not substitute for completing the “work experience” section of the application.
• All information may be verified and documentation may be required.
• The Washington State Office of the Attorney General does not use the E-Verify system; therefore, we are not eligible to extend STEM Optional Practical Training (OPT). For more information, please visit www.uscis.gov.

Equal Employment Opportunity and Accommodations Requests

Honoring diversity, equity and inclusion means that as an agency, and as individuals, we are committed to ensuring that all employees and volunteers enjoy a respectful, safe and supportive working environment. Only by fostering the inclusion of people from all backgrounds, cultures and attributes, can AGO employees and volunteers achieve their fullest potential and best advance the goals and mission of the AGO.

The AGO is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, marital status, sexual orientation/gender identity, age, disability, honorably discharged veteran or military status, retaliation or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. Persons requiring reasonable accommodation in the application process or requiring information in an alternative format may contact the recruitment team at [e-mail]. Those with a hearing impairment in need of accommodation are encouraged to contact the Washington Relay Service at 1-800-676-3777 or www.washingtonrelay.com.

For questions regarding this recruitment or assistance with the application process, please contact the recruitment team at [e-mail]. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at [phone] or [e-mail].