Contracts Specialist

State of Washington•Thurston County – Tumwater, WA

About The Position

The Office of the Secretary of State (OSOS) Operations Division is seeking a full-time, permanent Contracts Specialist. The position reports to the Budget and Procurement Manager and develops contracts and conducts procurements from initial program request through contract execution, while providing contract-administration support. The incumbent ensures compliance with applicable federal and state laws, rules, and regulations, as well as office and state procurement policies and procedures. This includes planning procurements; preparing solicitation documents and scopes of work; and negotiating, drafting, and executing complex contracts, grants, leases, and other transactional documents to provide or obtain services and goods. The specialist serves as a subject matter expert for contract development and procurement, collaborates with program staff to clarify requirements and support regulatory compliance, and provides training on contract drafting, solicitations, and procurement topics. The role also maintains contract resources and electronic records, contributes to policies and procedures, and administers procurement-related pages on the OSOS public website. Work is performed in a standard office environment and involves prolonged computer use, communication with internal and external customers, and occasional local travel to other office locations. Standard business hours are Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. The incumbent must represent OSOS professionally and maintain confidentiality. The position requires the ability to occasionally move and maneuver objects weighing up to 40 pounds, with or without reasonable accommodation.

Requirements

Three years of experience in developing or drafting government contracts; preparing competitive solicitations; negotiating, administering, or terminating government contracts; contract property management; contract cost or price analyses; or contract compliance administration.
Ability to efficiently use a personal computer and applicable software to perform the essential functions of the position.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor's degree in public administration, business administration, business law, commerce, economics, mathematics, statistics, or a closely related field; additional qualifying experience may substitute year for year for the required education.
Certification in Washington State Contracts and Procurement and Purchasing training.
Demonstrated experience developing contracts, statements of work, deliverables, payment terms, or other contract documents.
Experience preparing competitive solicitation documents and coordinating evaluation or award activities.
Demonstrated knowledge of contract law, principles of negotiation, and contract drafting.
Demonstrated ability to draft clear contract language, policies, and procedures.

Responsibilities

Analyze procurement rules and advise program staff on contracting and procurement options.
Consult with program staff to clarify business needs, scopes, deliverables, and appropriate procurement approaches.
Translate business requirements into scopes of work, measurable deliverables, acceptance criteria, performance expectations, and payment provisions.
Develop competitive solicitations, including scopes of work, specifications, and evaluation criteria, in coordination with program staff.
Coordinate solicitation processes, including preparing and posting documents, arranging and conducting vendor meetings, maintaining audit files, coordinating evaluations, announcing apparent successful bidders, administering complaints and protests, and contracting with successful bidders.
Draft and review basic and complex contracts and amendments for compliance and to minimize risk while meeting customer objectives.
Coordinate reviews of draft contracts and solicitations, incorporate approved revisions, and prepare complete contract packages for execution.
Conduct and document due diligence searches on contractors and vendors.
Consult and collaborate with program staff and the Attorney General's Office on contract terms, language, revisions, and legal matters.
Negotiate scope, deliverables, pricing, schedules, and other transaction terms with contractors, vendors, and other counterparties.
Ensure contracts and amendments are properly executed, notarized and recorded as appropriate, and finalized with necessary approvals, attachments, insurance documentation, database entries, filing, and distribution.
Maintain the list of authorized signatories and follow established conventions for electronic files on the Contracts drive.
Provide post-award technical support to contract managers and program representatives, help coordinate contract terminations, and support assessment and resolution of contractor claims and disputes.
Support assigned contract closeout activities and document required steps.
Attend trainings and seminars with partner agencies.
Serve as the office subject matter expert for development and procurement of contracts for goods and services.
Build collaborative relationships with division staff, conduct periodic visits to program facilities, and provide training on contract drafting, solicitation development, and emerging procurement topics.
Develop and maintain contract development checklists, systems, procedures, templates, and a library of pre-approved contract language.
Attend staff meetings and provide training refreshers to contract managers and division leadership.
Participate in preparing and drafting office policies and procedures.
Organize and maintain electronic files on the Contracts drive and in the Contracts Inbox, and manage files according to applicable retention requirements.
Participate in work groups to develop, update, or incorporate procurement forms, contract language, templates, and processes.
Update and administer the Forecasted Needs Report webpage on the OSOS public website and serve as backup for administrators of the Current Procurements and Interlocal Agreements webpages.
Coordinate with purchasing officers to review terms and conditions for prospective purchases of goods and services.