Contracting Manager (COM 4)

State of Washington•Multiple Locations Statewide, WA

7d•Remote

About The Position

At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places. Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact. Let’s build what’s next, together. The Local Government Division (LGD) partners with local governments, nonprofits, and others to strengthen the ability of all forms of local governments and community-based organizations to fund and develop critical services to their citizens. The division provides leadership in local government finance and statewide infrastructure initiatives that help create and retain jobs. We also provide grants, loans, and planning and technical assistance to local governments for community development needs, infrastructure improvements, and economic development opportunities. The Public Works Board (PWB) assists local governments and other eligible applicants in meeting critical infrastructure needs by providing technical assistance, training, and low-interest loans and grants for public infrastructure, including water, sewer, solid waste, stormwater, roads/streets/sidewalks/bridges, and broadband. This position supervises project managers and contracting operations to ensure compliance with state and federal requirements and alignment with Board policy. The role coordinates with program staff to provide technical assistance to local governments, elected officials, private entities, the public, technical experts, federal and state program partners, and Federally Recognized Indian Tribes in support of Washington communities. The position also works closely with Commerce and the Central Contracting Office to ensure consistency with contracting standards and to advance program needs. This position serves as the primary project management, compliance, and program operations lead for PWB programs. The position takes primary responsibility for developing, negotiating, implementing, and monitoring complex infrastructure funding agreements in alignment with RCW 43.155, the applicable Washington administrative code(s), Board policy, Commerce requirements, and best practices. This role provides supervision, training, guidance, and support to project managers to ensure consistent application of program requirements, effective project execution, and establishment and adherence to processes and procedures. The position leads and ensures the integrity of the full contract lifecycle, including contract development, negotiation, administration, and compliance monitoring. It creates and refines program processes, procedures, and tools that support consistent contract management and monitoring, corrective action implementation, and contractual accountability. In addition, the position advises on key infrastructure issues, provides technical and policy expertise to internal and external stakeholders, and contributes to the development, implementation, and ongoing refinement of policies and procedures governing PWB programs, including rulemaking, funding methodologies, compliance frameworks, and infrastructure finance.

Requirements

Federal/state infrastructure financing and grant and loan administration
Two (2) or more years’ experience administering federal or state programs.
Demonstrated technical/legal knowledge and aptitude of multiple state and federal requirements in infrastructure contracting and financing.
Education involves business, public administration/policy, urban planning, environmental services, contract or project management or related field.
Qualifying education post High School or equivalent may be substituted year for year for experience.
Intermediate skill level in the Microsoft Office suite products including OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, Excel, Word, and Outlook.
Excellent interpersonal skills and the demonstrated ability to build trusting relationships and loyal partnerships with customers, employees, and executive management.
Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, under pressure and to participate multi-stakeholder processes.
Accountability--Meets commitments, works independently, accepts accountability, handles change, sets personal standards, stays focused under pressure, and meets attendance/punctuality requirements.
Integrity — demonstrates a sense of responsibility and commitment to the public trust through statements and actions. Honors commitments and promises.
Leadership--Leads through change and adversity, makes the tough call when needed, builds consensus when appropriate, motivates and encourages others.
Teamwork--Meets all team deadlines and responsibilities, listens to others and values opinions, helps team leader to meet goals, welcomes newcomers and promotes a team atmosphere.
Communication--Communicates well both verbally and in writing, creates accurate and punctual reports, delivers presentations, shares information and ideas with others, has good listening skills.

Nice To Haves

Experience using state agency/government accounting and finance database systems such as the Commerce Contract Management System (CMS) and reading and analyzing reports from AFRS.

Responsibilities

Lead the development, negotiation, and monitoring of complex public infrastructure funding agreements, ensuring adherence to federal, state, and program specific requirements.
Provide subject matter expertise on program design, policy impacts, and operational considerations relating to contracting.
Serve as the primary point of escalation for project managers on complex technical, policy, and compliance issues.
Develop and maintain contract processes, procedures, templates, training, and tools to support consistent and compliant contract administration across PWB programs.
Conduct internal reviews and quality assurance activities to evaluate program adherence to established policies, procedures, and compliance standards related to contracting.
Coordinate with program and/or Agency leadership as appropriate to manage contract issues, exceptions, and policy interpretation.
Participate in rulemaking, funding methodology development, and updates to program governance.
Provide technical assistance to local governments, tribal governments, and other eligible applicants regarding program requirements, project planning, and infrastructure funding options.
Develop and contribute to program reports, data summaries, dashboards, and briefing materials for PWB leadership and oversight bodies.
Assign, direct, and monitor project manager workloads to ensure effective and compliant program delivery.
Mentor and support project managers to build competence in project management, contract oversight, and compliance monitoring.
Participate in hiring processes and make staffing recommendations.
Provide coaching and feedback, set performance expectations, conduct employee evaluations, and implement corrective action as needed.
Approve timesheets, leave requests, and travel reimbursements.
Oversee onboarding and training to ensure new staff understand program policies and procedures.
Foster effective communication and support a workplace culture grounded in equity, inclusion, and belonging.
Develop, negotiate and monitor complex contracts with applicants, including agreements that involve outcomes such as housing development, climate resilience, or disaster recovery as key outcomes of the improvements financed by the PWB.
Support the development of program contract templates and resources.