Program Specialist 5

State of Washington•Thurston County – Olympia, WA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Washington State Liquor and Cannabis Board (WSLCB) is seeking a Program Specialist 5 (PS5) for its Enforcement and Education Division (EED) in Olympia, WA. This position reports to the Deputy Chief of Administration (DCA) and is a key member of the EED management team. The PS5 exercises independent judgment on statewide issues and makes recommendations for organizational change, process improvement, and policy development. Key responsibilities include managing the EED's administrative functions, overseeing a budget of over $52 million per biennium, managing contracts and grants, and directing the division's statewide recruiting and hiring process. This includes scheduling preliminary employment examinations (Psychological, Medical, Polygraph), serving as the first point of contact for new hires, and coordinating onboarding. The role also manages the division's fleet of approximately 150 vehicles, oversees equipment issuance, and acts as the divisional asset coordinator. The position supervises an Office Assistant 3, an Administrative Assistant 2, and two Program Specialist 3s. The WSLCB emphasizes a strong work ethic, excellent customer service, teamwork, and quality performance, fostering a culture of excellence, open communication, transparency, accountability, data-driven decisions, and continuous process improvement. The agency is committed to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB) and encourages participation in various business resource groups.

Requirements

Eight (8) years of experience in planning, coordination, and consultation with a variety of public and private agencies, organizations, and/or levels of government, including supervisory experience.
OR An Associate's degree AND Six (6) years of experience in planning, coordination, and consultation with a variety of public and private agencies, organizations, and/or levels of government, including supervisory experience.
OR A Bachelor's degree AND Four (4) years of experience in planning, coordination, and consultation with a variety of public and private agencies, organizations, and/or levels of government, including supervisory experience.
Demonstrated experience in supervising, coaching/counseling/mentoring, and performance management of staff.
Demonstrated experience in recruiting and hiring of staff.
Demonstrated experience in budget and contract management at a division or agency level.
Demonstrated experience in delegated purchasing authority and invoice processes (i.e., purchasing card and supply ordering).
Demonstrated experience in fleet and asset management.
Ability to take action to learn and grow (curious about self and others, takes responsibility for knowing strengths/weaknesses, uses learning to make government programs/processes more efficient and effective).
Ability to take action to meet the needs of others (flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, willing and able to empathetically respond to unique needs).
Accountability: Accepts personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of work; can be relied upon to achieve excellent results with little need for oversight; effectively organizes multiple assignments to produce accurate, thorough, and timely work products; accepts own role when expectations are met and responds quickly to resolve issues.
Analysis: Uses data and information in a clear and rational thought process to assess and understand issues, evaluate options, form accurate conclusions, and make decisions; identifies key facts, recognizes missing/incorrect facts, distinguishes pertinent information, breaks down data, recognizes patterns, judges appropriate responses, and forms accurate conclusions.
Build and Maintain Relationships: Earns trust, respect, and confidence through consistent, honest, and professional interactions; builds and maintains working relationships characterized by mutual acceptance and cooperation; contributes to an environment that honors diversity and users’ diverse perspectives.
Computer Skills: Displays working knowledge of program or agency computer system(s), including Microsoft Office suite; ability to utilize electronic resources, including the internet and SharePoint; accurately documents and/or updates information in electronic form.
Customer Focus: Listens attentively, identifies issues, provides options, fulfills services, and/or exercises knowledge of laws and regulations to assist others and/or resolves complaints or conflicts; builds and maintains internal and external customer satisfaction; treats customers with courtesy and sensitivity; builds positive rapport; makes extra effort to satisfy customer needs; follows up with customers; keeps customers informed; assesses problem situations and initiates effective service interventions.
Effective Communications, General: Conveys clear, timely, persuasive messages that positively influence thoughts and actions; expresses ideas and information clearly through written and spoken word using appropriate language; keeps supervisor and co-workers informed; practices active listening.
Effective Communications, Writing Skills: Composes clear, straightforward, and technically correct documents; proofreads and edits information for clarity, organization, content, and correctness; independently composes written responses to emails and letters; extracts and compiles data to prepare reports.
Ethics & Integrity: Earns trust, respect, and confidence through consistent honesty, forthrightness, and professionalism; follows through on commitments.
Initiative: Seeks and assumes additional responsibilities and tasks when appropriate.
Interpersonal Skills: Establishes effective relationships; displays a positive outlook and pleasant manner; contributes to building team spirit; interacts appropriately with coworkers; gives and welcomes feedback; employs expertise, credibility, and partnering to help clients identify, evaluate, and resolve complex or sensitive issues; effectively influences others; diffuses sensitive or difficult customer situations.
LEAN Expectation: Ability to work in a continuous process improvement environment, continually seeking ways to eliminate waste and improve quality.
Organizational Skills: Ability to organize self and others; ability to handle multiple priorities and work under short timeframes; manages time effectively.
Research Skills: Can integrate multiple lines of data; contrast conflicting data; analyze and evaluate accuracy of data; create data gathering processes; propose/formulate new processes; design new organizational systems; logically defend outcomes/results.
Stress Tolerance: Performs well under pressure; demonstrates good judgment; handles unexpected situations with composure; responds to difficult, stressful, or sensitive situations in ways that reduce or minimize potential conflict and maintain good working relationships.

Nice To Haves

Recruiting and hiring of staff for a law enforcement or public safety agency.
A Master’s or Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, or a similar field.

Responsibilities

Serves as the EED Asset Coordinator, ensuring EED assets are properly tracked, transferred, maintained, and reported.
Exercises delegated authority for independent action and conducts highly complex purchasing projects involving unique services and/or technical commodities.
Evaluates supply and equipment usage data, determines stock levels, and economic order quantities.
Develops specifications for large, complex, or unusual procurement projects and researches purchase-specific items with unique or customized material requirements.
Processes all divisional purchasing needs with the HQ Supply section.
Works with the DCA, Contracts Manager, and Finance division to ensure grants and interagency agreements are in compliance and ready for signature.
Oversees contract tracking of hours worked, ensures submission of all required paperwork (e.g., 'Before and After Action Reports', Activity Reports, Overtime Reports), creates invoices, and ensures payroll matches reported hours.
Ensures contract processes comply with contract language.
Works with the Finance division to ensure guidelines are met for securing contracts regarding venues/facilities, guest speakers, and trainers.
Oversees the Public Safety Testing site for applicants interested in becoming an LEO.
Secures interview panels and works with HR to ensure all required documents are in place before interviews are scheduled.
Serves as the lead for the division's recruitment and hiring process, including scheduling interviews, prescreening applicant files and testing, conducting scoring, compiling applicant files, liaising between background investigators and hiring authority, meeting with applicants for conditional offers, scheduling polygraphs and psychological appointments, arranging medical evaluations and hearing tests, and acting as the conduit between the DCA and the applicant.
Communicates an overview of the agency's culture, division structure, and role expectations to potential candidates.
Schedules onboarding for all enforcement hires and coordinates vehicle and equipment issues/replacements.
Maintains recruitment efforts by scheduling Job Fairs and overseeing the recruiting team.
Ensures staff receive hiring incentive pay for referring applicants and creates new strategies for recruiting.
Supervises the division's Administrative Assistant 2 (AA2) for inventory management and the Office Assistant 3 to ensure incoming inquiries are met to agency standards.
Oversees the supervision of the division fleet, meeting weekly with the AA2 to ensure fleet expectations are met.
Reviews the vacant pool car list, coordinates and forecasts upcoming vehicle replacements and special vehicle needs, and compiles justification for vehicle ordering.
Assesses division needs regarding equipment with the DCA and oversees all equipment ordering and issuance.
Supervises the Office Assistant 3 (OA3), who serves as the customer service representative for the division statewide, handling stakeholder complaints via website, email, and phone, and directing relevant actions.
Explores solutions for new upcoming items pertaining to general inquiries, new laws, project changes, keg book distributions, and forms and signage requests.
Sets performance expectations and provides evaluations of work.
Provides coaching and counseling, and recommends hiring and disciplinary actions to the DCA.

Benefits

A comprehensive benefits package (including but not limited to Medical/Dental/Vision, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance etc.)
Paid Vacation, Leave, and Holidays
Tuition Waiver (enrollment in courses at state universities/colleges on a space availability basis - all or a portion of the tuition/fees may be waived for state employees)
Tuition reimbursement (courses taken with prior approval in order to further employee’s career development with the WSLCB)
Training and career development programs (including online courses and LinkedIn Learning)
A healthy work/life balance (this may include flexible/alternative work schedules and telework/remote work opportunities, when possible)
Employee Assistance Program - confidential program created to promote the health, safety and well-being of public service employees
Generous wellness program (we offer reimbursements for certain fitness related activities)
Onsite exercise facility (for employees working at WSLCB Headquarter Building in Olympia)
Infants at Work Program to promote parent and infant bonding, parental well-being and healthy infant development. Depending on your job duties, work location and supervisor approval, eligible employees who are new mothers, fathers or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when they return to work.
Free parking