Salary : $69,348.00 - $93,288.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:Department: Dept. of Agriculture
Division: Administrative Services - Contracts and Purchasing
Opening Date: 07/22/2026
Closing Date: 8/5/2026 11:59 PM Pacific
DescriptionThe OpportunityThis position serves as the Assistant Contracts Administrator and supports WSDA with procurement and contract development. preparation, review and management, of new and existing contracts or agreements for the agency, modifying contracts when conflicts arise. This position resolves issues that arise during contracting processes including disputes, protests, appeals, etc. This position oversees the negotiations, administration and termination of all contracts, agreements, leases and letters of understanding the agency enters into.
The
Assistant Contracts Administrator plans, coordinates, and performs procurement of services, supplies, materials, parts and equipment for the agency in accordance with state laws and requirements. Additionally this position maintains inventory and accountability functions of purchased items or services. This position analyzes bids for products and services, resolving vendor performance problems.
Important Notes:WSDA is recruiting for a full-time permanent Contracts Specialist 3 position within the Administrative Services Division. This position is located in Olympia, Washington. This is a non-represented position.
The base pay offered will take into account internal equity and may vary depending on the preferred candidate's job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The typical starting salary for this position is:
Range 59 $69,348 - $91,104annually. Duties What to ExpectSome of the various responsibilities within this role:
Contract Administration- Communicate to agency personnel policies, procedures, and regulations for developing and processing bids, contracts, and statements of work (SOW).
- Perform contracts administration to include bid preparation, bid awards, contract negotiation and drafting, securing signatures, post signature administration through contract close out, enter data into contracts management system, technical contract support, price analysis, and assist programs in managing contract compliance with state or federal funding.
- Determine that specifications are adequate for commodities used and determines which vendors available best meet agency needs.
- Maintain electronic files for contracted services.
- Plan, coordinate and perform annual renewals for contracts.
- Coordinate and prepare solicitations when appropriate.
- Facilitate and/or evaluate bids and proposals, and award bids.
- Review contract terms and recommended processes and MOU language.
- Oversee or prepare the review, negotiation and approval of new and existing contracts or agreements for agency programs, and modify contracts when conflicts arise for assigned contracts.
- Oversee the negotiation, administration, and termination of contracts, agreements, leases and letters of understanding for assigned contracts into which agency programs the agency.
- Share responsibility with Contracts and Procurements Program Manager for development of and interpretation of law, regulation, policy, procedure, and task for the preparation and management of leases, acquisitions, contracts, and orders.
- Assist Programs to assure compliance with contract terms and conditions.
- Assist staff with interpreting and ensuring compliance with federal requirements when contracting with federal finds.
- Ensure new staff who need contract training take appropriate course levels.
- Run quarterly contracts training report to verify training compliance.
- Maintain data for agency WEBS and ECMS users.
- Participate in agency electronic signature projects.
- Ensure documents get routed and fully signed via electronic signature platform.
Purchasing Administration- Communicate to agency personnel policies, procedures, and regulations for developing and processing Purchase Requests, Supply and Equipment Orders (POs) for equipment, furniture, supplies, goods and services.
- Oversee and process agency staff's purchase requests within WSDA's automated Supply & Equipment System (S&E) into Purchase Orders (POs).
- Interact with agency Division Coordinators and other agency staff to clarify procurement needs.
- Apply and enforce WSDA's procurement policies and procedures for all purchasing actions and provide input when policies and procedures need to be updated.
- Maintain agency signature (Expenditure Authority) list of authorized purchases across the agency.
- Utilize knowledge of agency signature (Expenditure Authority) policy, authorized order approvers, and proxies when processing purchase requests.
- Review purchase request and supporting documents for accuracy, completeness, and adherence to State purchasing policies and procedures.
- Confirm the appropriate use of Department of Enterprise Services' state mater contracts for procurements.
- Recommend alternative purchasing options when appropriate.
- Coordinate with Department of Enterprise Services', Department of Corrections, and State Printer while procuring goods and services to ensure correct purchasing policies and procedures are followed.
- Make sourcing decisions based on knowledge of procurement and supply practices.
- Verify state contract pricing, bid pricing, or competitive pricing is accurate for POs.
- Issue POs for goods and services using S&E system, purchasing charge cards, and vendor's online ordering system.
- Contact vendors regarding order status, damaged shipments, and any other irregularities, resolve issues and negotiate acceptable settlements including revisions to invoices, as needed.
- Conduct research for new sources of supply and contact potential vendors for product information.
- Identify whether purchased goods are inventoried per WSDA's inventory policy and procedure, and assign asset tag numbers to fixed assets, as needed.
- Work with programs to complete equipment inventory forms.
- Coordinate and complete physical inventory count of agency assets at least every two years to maintain compliance with OFM requirements.
- Ensure all division asset counts balance with agency accounting records.
- Update CAMS records to reflect new, disposed, and changed assets.
- Monthly reconciliation report on agency inventory totals based on depreciation.
- Reconcile purchasing charge cards to bank statements and vendor invoices on a weekly basis and alert finance if any fraudulent activity is suspected.
- Remain current on procurement laws, rules, regulations, best practices, and trends.
- Interact across all levels of the agency and escalate issues to manager level as needed.
- Write and maintain procedures manual for work duties.
- Provide input and comment on drafts of purchasing policies and procedures.
- Prepare and conduct internal purchasing training on purchasing process, inventory, and other related procurement topics.
- Maintain staff training database on required procurement training through WA State Learning Center.
Services and Goods Coordination/Policy Coordination- Develop and implement strategies needed to assure that goods and services are available.
- Attend or facilitate pre-bid session and document key elements of the negotiation and agreement in the contract file.
- Coordinate the procedures and tasks for the preparation of efficient solicitations and acquisitions.
- Review and update Contracting and Procurement Policies.
- Coordinator with DES, OMWBE and other agencies to improve supplier diversity. Ensure bidding opportunities are available to diverse vendor communities.
Program Compliance Support- Serve as a backup to the Contracts and Procurement Manager when out of the office.
- Provide limited administrative and budget support to Financial Services and Facilities staff in relation to janitorial contracts.
- Share responsibility for yearly contract reporting.
- Consult and communicate with AAG's as necessary.
- Participate in developing contract management strategies in collaboration with AAG's.
Qualifications Who should apply?Professionals with:- A Bachelor of Arts degree involving major study in business administration, public administration, business law, commerce, mathematics, statistics, economics, or closely allied field.
OR- A Master's degree in one of the above academic disciplines may be substituted for one (1) year of experience. A law degree from an accredited college or university approved by the Washington State Bar Association may be substituted for two (2) years of experience and education.
OR- Additional qualifying experience may be substituted year for year, for education.
AND- Three (3) years of experience in negotiating, administering or terminating government contracts, contract property management, contract cost or price analyses or contract compliance administration.
Preferred/Desired Qualifications:- Basic proficiency using Microsoft Office software applications and products including Word, Excel, and Outlook; able to creat, edit, modify, save, and delete documents and spreadsheets.
- One of the following professional certifications:
- Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB)
- Certified Public Purchasing Officer (CPPO)
- Certified Purchasing Manager (C.P.M)
- Certified professional in Supply Management (CPSM) or other related certifications.
Supplemental InformationEmployee Benefits- A healthy work/life balance, which may include flexible work schedules, and teleworking.
- WSDA provides an excellent benefits package beyond traditional benefits. State employment offers Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave; click here for more information.
- 12 paid Holidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.
- All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.
How to apply You must complete your careers.wa.gov profile and answer the supplemental questions. In addition to completing the online application, and supplemental questions applicants must attach the following documents to their profile to be considered for this position:
• A resume detailing experience and education• A cover letter describing how you meet the specific qualifications for this position• Three professional references By submitting these materials, you are indicating that all information is true and correct. The state may verify information. Any untruthful or misleading information is cause for removal from the applicant pool or dismissal if employed.
If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please call NEOGOV toll-free at (855) 524-5627 or email
The initial screening will be solely based on the contents and completeness of your application and the materials submitted. All information may be verified, and documentation may be required. Applications received via e-mail will not be accepted in lieu of applying through the state's on-line recruitment system.
WSDA uses a I-9 formto determine Employment Eligibility and Verification, once hired. This document is the authorization of an individual's ability to be hired for employment within the United States. Applicants must be eligible to work in the United States.
