Contracts Specialist 3 - Advertisement & Award

State of Washington; Tumwater (WA); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid remote work options

Flexible schedule

Job summary

Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) seeks a Contracts Specialist 3 to supervise the Contract Ad & Award Office in Tumwater. You will oversee advertising, bidding, and awarding up to 250 contracts yearly, while ensuring compliance with laws, policies, and the highest standards of integrity.

You will supervise Contract Specialists, develop prequalification criteria, and maintain manuals and guidance to support fair competition and timely project delivery.

Qualifications

• Ability to review and evaluate construction contracts, bids, proposals, specifications, estimates, and other contract documents.
• Ability to assess effects of contract addenda, project changes, and competing contracts on bid preparation and competition.
• Ability to represent the department professionally before contractors, industry reps, agency personnel, legal counsel, government officials, and the public while complying with laws and regulations.
• Ability to review bids and proposals, determine responsiveness, review award justifications, reject bids, and respond to bid protests.
• Skills in developing, revising, and maintaining manuals, forms, desk procedures, policies, and administrative guidance.
• Knowledge of applicable WAC, RCW, and other laws and regulations governing public works contracting.
• Ability to interpret laws, regulations, policies, and administrative rules and translate them into procedures.
• Ability to develop contractor performance evaluation procedures and review reports.
• Ability to evaluate contractor prequalification submittals for proposals.
• Strength in ethics and maintaining confidentiality, consistency, and fairness.
• Ability to identify opportunities to improve efficiency and quality in procurement and contract award processes.
• Demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth.
• Takes action to meet the needs of others.

Responsibilities

• Review contractor and project engineer comments and recommend bid opening schedules that support competition and account for addenda and other factors.
• Review contract addenda to determine impacts and time requirements for bid preparations or bid opening delays.
• Assist with public bid openings, receiving and publicly opening and reading bids in compliance with laws and rules.
• Review contract proposals and assist with determinations of responsiveness.
• Review bids deemed non-responsive and assist with bid rejections.
• Assist with bid protests and follow-up actions.
• Assist with legal reviews with the Attorney General’s Office.
• Recommend awarding contracts to the lowest responsive bidder and review justifications when low bid exceeds estimates.
• Develop and maintain manuals, forms, desk procedures, and guidance for contractor prequalification, advertisement, bidding, and award.
• Support legislation and administrative rule updates related to public works bidding and prequalification of contractors.
• Develop processes for evaluating contractor performance and tracking reports.

Skills

Contract evaluation

Analytical judgment

Professional representation

Bid administration

Policy & procedure development

Regulatory knowledge

Regulatory interpretation

Contractor performance

Prequalification

Ethics & objectivity

Confidentiality

Continuous improvement

Growth mindset

Service oriented

Job description

About WSDOT

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) is a multimodal agency with a global reputation for excellence. Our dedicated workforce plans, designs, builds, and operates an integrated transportation system that safely and efficiently moves people and goods throughout the state. In addition to maintaining over 20,000 lane miles of state highway and 4,100 bridges, WSDOT leads an award-winning Active Transportation Plan, manages the world's longest floating bridge, and operates the largest ferry system in the nation!

The Opportunity

WSDOT is currently seeking a Contracts Specialist 3 to serve as a unit supervisor in the Contract Ad & Award (CAA) Office in Tumwater, WA. In this role, you will help oversee the advertisement, bidding, and award of WSDOT highway, ferry terminal, and facility projects statewide—up to 250 contracts each year. You will exercise judgment on complex contracting matters, help develop and implement policies and procedures, and represent WSDOT with contractors, industry representatives, agency personnel, legal counsel, government officials, and the public. You will also supervise Contract Specialists and help ensure contracting practices are consistent, transparent, and compliant with applicable laws and rules.

What to Expect

Among the varied range of responsibilities held within this role, you will:

• Review contractor and project engineer comments and recommend bid opening schedules that support competition and account for addenda, competing contracts, project office feedback, and other factors.
• Review contract addenda to determine impacts and time requirements for bid preparations or the bid opening delays.
• Assists with public bid openings, receiving and publicly opening and reading bids in concert with all applicable laws and rules.
• Review contract proposals and assist with determinations of responsiveness.
• Review all bid that are determined to be non-responsive and assists with bid rejections.
• Assist with bid protests, recommendations of merit, and carrying out appropriate follow up actions.
• Assist with legal reviews through the Attorney General’s Office.
• Recommend awarding contracts to the lowest responsive bidder, and assist with soliciting and reviewing justifications for award when low bid exceeds engineer’s estimates.
• Develop and maintain manuals, forms, desk procedures, policies, and guidance related to contractor prequalification, advertisement, bidding, and award.
• Support legislation and administrative rule and updates related to public works bidding and prequalification of contractors.
• Develop processes for evaluating and tracking contractor performance, review performance reports, and assist with corrective action.
• Review contractor financial information, work histories, applications, references, and other submittals to recommend prequalification levels, work classifications, maximum bidding capacities, and related adjustments.
• Review plans, specifications, and estimates to recommend work classes or combinations of work classes for contractor prequalification.

Qualifications

To be considered for this opportunity, the following competencies are required:

• Contract Evaluation: Ability to review and evaluate construction contracts, bids, proposals, specifications, estimates, and other contract documents.
• Analytical Judgment: Ability to assess the effects of contract addenda, project changes, competing contracts, and other factors on bid preparation and competition.
• Professional Representation: Ability to represent the department professionally before contractors, industry representatives, agency personnel, legal counsel, government officials, and the public while conducting processes in compliance with laws and regulations.
• Bid Administration: Ability to review bids and proposals, determine responsiveness, review award justifications, reject bids, and respond to bid protests.
• Policy and Procedure Development: Skills in developing, revising, and maintaining manuals, forms, desk procedures, policies, and administrative guidance.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Knowledge of applicable WAC, RCW, and other laws and regulations governing public works contracting and contractor prequalification.
• Regulatory Interpretation: Ability to interpret laws, regulations, policies, and administrative rules and translate them into operational procedures and guidance.
• Contractor Performance: Ability to develop contractor performance evaluation procedures, review performance reports, and recommend corrective action.
• Prequalification: Ability to evaluate contractor prequalification submittals in support of granting or denying proposals.
• Ethics and Objectivity: Strength in ethics and ability to maintain objectivity, confidentiality, consistency, and fairness.
• Confidentiality: Ability to maintain confidentiality and protect sensitive and confidential bid and financial information.
• Continuous Improvement: Ability to identify opportunities to improve efficiency, consistency, and quality within procurement and contract award processes.
• Growth Mindset: Actively demonstrates a commitment to learning and growth.
• Service‑Oriented: Takes action to meet the needs of others.

It is preferred that qualified candidates also demonstrate:

• WSDOT Contracting Knowledge: Knowledge of WSDOT standard plans, standard specifications, contract requirements, templates, and contract administration procedures.
• Competitive Contracting: Knowledge of state and federal competitive bid statutes, administrative codes, regulations for public works contracts, and state procurement regulations and rules.
• Advertisement and Award: Knowledge of WSDOT contract advertisement and award procedures and related manuals and guidance.
• Prequalification: Knowledge of WSDOT’s contractor prequalification process, procedures, and tools.
• Web Content Management: Knowledge of web content management and website development.

Important Notes

• This recruitment may also be used to fill additional positions per business needs.
• This position offers flexible/hybrid remote work options.
• In addition to base salary, employees may be entitled to other forms of compensation depending on the type, duties, or location of the position. For union-represented positions, more information on other forms of compensation can be found in the applicable Collective Bargaining Agreements. Information on other compensation types for non-represented positions can be found in Chapter 357-28 of the Washington Administrative Code.
• WSDOT 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.

Why WSDOT

• Work‑Life Balance – We are committed to ensure that our staff experience the reward of public service, while also sustaining a routine that suits each individuals’ lifestyle. As such, there are a number of flexible schedule options available, including telework options for eligible positions.
• Paid Leave – In addition to 12 paid holidays, full‑time employees may earn up to 25 paid vacation days per year!
• Tuition Assistance – Permanent employees have several options for assistance with education expenses, including tuition reimbursement programs, government discounts at participating colleges throughout the state, and eligibility for federal student loan forgiveness.
• Plan For Your Future – WSDOT offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes a variety of healthcare options. Employees also have their choice of state retirement programs, and much more. Go to State Benefits for more information.

Check out this video to learn more: Why WSDOT?

Contact Us

For inquiries about this posting, you may contact the assigned Recruiter at [e-mail]. Please be sure to reference 26DOT-HQ-05226 in the subject line.