Contracts Specialist 2 (CS2/DLS)

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

4d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Contract Specialist 2 brings experience in procurement and contracts to meaningful work supporting health care programs for Washington residents, managing complex solicitations and contracts for Medicaid and clinical programs. This role covers the full contracting lifecycle, from drafting RFPs and statements of work to negotiating terms, managing evaluations, and securing final approvals. The position is based in Olympia, WA and offers telework flexibility, opportunities for growth, and a comprehensive benefits package. All HCA employees will apply an equity lens to their work, which may include but is not limited to all analyses of core business and processes. Within HCA, the Division of Legal Services (DLS) provides centralized legal and administrative support to all HCA divisions at all employee levels to mitigate risks, comply with changing state and federal laws, and assist HCA in accomplishing its goals. DLS supports all programs within HCA. This position reports directly to the Contracts and Procurements Manager, the Medicaid Programs/Clinical Quality and Care Transformation (CQCT) divisions and will at times take direction directly from the Contracts Administrator/Contract Managers as needed. This position performs complex and/or politically sensitive activities related to contracts and procurements primarily within these divisions but may also support other programs throughout HCA on an as-needed basis. This position is eligible to telework and is typically not required to report on-site. The default assigned work location of all Health Care Authority (HCA) positions – both on-site and telework eligible positions – is within the State of Washington. This position reports to Olympia, WA. Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs. All agency employees are required to report on-site in Olympia on their first and last days of employment to pick up and return state-issued equipment, regardless of telework status or location.

Requirements

Master’s degree involving major study in public administration, business administration, business law, commerce, economics, mathematics, statistics, or closely related field and one (1) year of the experience below
Bachelor's degree in a field listed above and two (2) years of the experience below
Associate degree in a field listed above and four (4) years of the experience below
Six (6) years of the experience below
One (1) year as a Contracts Specialist 1 (CS1) in State Government or equivalent role performing duties and responsibilities in the experience listed below
A law degree from an accredited college or university approved by the Washington State Bar Association may be substituted for the experience and education requirement.
Negotiating, administering, or terminating government contracts, contract property management, contract cost or price analyses, or contract compliance administration.
The ability to take action to learn and grow.
The ability to take action to meet the needs of others.

Nice To Haves

Demonstrated ability to negotiate terms, conditions, and alternative proposals pertaining to contractual agreements.
Advanced knowledge of contracting/procurement terminology, development, procedures and work practices.
Knowledge of contracting laws (RCWs), Department of Enterprise Services’ contracting/procurement policies and guidelines, as well as knowledge of related regulations that govern the delivery of client services.

Responsibilities

Assists in negotiation of final contracts (language, deliverables, time frames, and costs) verbally and in writing by interacting with vendors, internal staff, and other state agency staff to award contracts for needed services.
Develops final contract and manages process for securing required internal and external reviews and approvals.
Prepares contract and amendment documents, as well as other technical contractual documents such as solicitation documents, score sheets, and scoring methodology.
Determines the type of contract that best meets HCA business needs.
Monitors HCA processing of contracts/amendments, ensuring timeliness of the process; obtains contractors’ signatures on contractual documents.
Collaborates with HCA program/project management staff on developing the contents for competitive contracts.
Independently writes, and or provides technical advice for RFP’s, RFQ’s, RFQQ’s, etc.
Determines and manages appropriate procurement method.
Includes management and oversight of all elements of the procurement (including working with oversight agencies including DES on any procedural or reporting requirements).
Completes the advertising/posting requirements for the solicitation.
Consults with HCA program/project management staff and stakeholders to develop performance-based Statement of Work (SOW) and other contract documents for program/project staff and external constituents.
Review statements of work and payment terms in relation to best practices and performance-based contracting.
Provides technical assistance regarding contracting issues.