Program Specialist 5

State of Washington$69K — $93K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 8 years of experience in planning and coordination, including supervisory experience.
  • Associate's degree and 6 years in planning and coordination with supervisory duties.
  • Bachelor's degree and 4 years in planning and coordination with supervisory duties.
  • Experience managing budgets and contracts at a division level.
  • Demonstrated ability in supervising, coaching, and performance management of staff.

Responsibilities

  • Manage the application of administrative functions and EED budget oversight.
  • Conduct complex purchasing projects with significant fiscal impact.
  • Evaluate supply usage and develop specifications for procurement.
  • Ensure compliance for grants and interagency agreements.
  • Lead the recruitment and hiring process, including scheduling interviews and assessments.
  • Oversee the division's vehicle fleet management and equipment procurement.
  • Supervise administrative and support staff to meet agency standards.

Benefits

  • Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
  • Tuition reimbursement for career development courses.
  • Flexible work schedules and remote work opportunities.
  • Onsite exercise facility and wellness program reimbursements.
  • Infants at Work program to promote parent-infant bonding.
Full Job Description
Salary : $69,744.00 - $93,804.00 Annually
Location : Thurston County - Olympia, WA
Job Type: Full Time - Permanent
Remote Employment: Flexible/Hybrid
Job Number:
Department: Liquor and Cannabis Board
Division: Enforcement and Education
Opening Date: 05/11/2026

Description
Your opportunity at a glance
The WSLCB Enforcement and Education Division (EED) is announcing an exciting opportunity for aProgram Specialist 5 (PS5) positioninOlympia, WA. This position reports directly to the Deputy Chief of Administration (DCA) and is part of the EED's management team. This position exercises independent judgment regarding a wide range of essential issues, interests, and activities within the organization with statewide impact. This position makes recommendations regarding organizational change, process improvement, and policy development based on the EED business operational plans and functional resources.

The incumbent manages the application of the administrative functions in the EED division and has direct oversight of the Division's budget, estimating over $52 million per biennium. Additional responsibilities consist of contract and grant proposals, negotiations, procurement, and purchasing in accordance with State statutes; accountable for managing, billing, and completion of all awards, including evaluating contractor performance.

This position oversees the Division's statewide recruiting and hiring process. Schedules various preliminary employment examinations, such as Psychological, Medical, and Polygraph assessments and serve as the first point of contact for all new hires and coordinates onboarding schedules with new employees.

The incumbent also manages the division vehicle fleet consisting of approximately 150 vehicles, coordinates and issues all officer and office equipment, and is the divisional asset coordinator.

This position supervises an Office Assistant 3, an Administrative Assistant 2, and two Program Specialist 3's.
If you have an interest in working with internal and external customers and being a Program Specialist 5, we encourage you to apply to be a part of the WSLCB team!

WSLCB provides a modern work environment and excellent benefits including:
  • A comprehensive (including but not limited to Medical/Dental/Vision, Long Term Disability, Life Insurance etc.)
  • Paid
  • (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)
  • - 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

Duties

Some of the duties you will perform are:

  • Serves as the EED Asset Coordinator to ensure EED Assets are properly tracked, transferred, maintained, and reported.
  • This position has delegated authority to take independent action and to conduct highly complex purchasing projects involving unique services and/or technical commodities purchasing, Exercises authority to independently make decisions with a significant fiscal impact.
  • Evaluates supply and equipment usage data; determines stock levels and economic order quantities. Activities include developing specifications for large, complex, or unusual procurement projects. Researches purchase-specific items that involve unique or customized material requirements. Place appropriate paperwork for all divisional purchasing needs with the HQ Supply section.
  • Works with the DCA, Contracts Manager, and the Finance division to ensure all grants and interagency agreements are in compliance and ready for signature. Oversees contract tracking of hours worked and ensures all paperwork is submitted, including "Before and After Action Reports", Activity Reports, and Overtime Reports, creates invoices, and ensures payroll matches with reported hours. Ensures that the process complies with the language of the contract.
  • Works closely with the Finance division ensure guidelines are met to secure contracts regarding venues/facilities, guest speakers and trainers.
  • Oversees the Public Safety Testing site that shows all 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 divisions recruitment and hiring process; Schedules interviews, prescreens applicant's files and testing, conducts scoring, compiles applicant files, is the liaison between the background investigators and the hiring authority, meets with applicants for the conditional offer made by the DCA, schedules polygraphs and phycological appointments, arranges for medical evaluations, hearing test appointments, and is the conduit throughout the process between the DC and the applicant.
  • Communicates an overview of the agency's culture, the division's structure, and the expectations of the role to potential candidates via an in-person meeting to help the candidate understand what an enforcement officer encounters on a day-to-day basis. Schedules onboarding for all enforcement hires and coordinates vehicle and equipment issues/or replacements.
  • Maintains recruitment efforts by scheduling Job Fairs and by having oversight of the recruiting team. Ensure staff receive the hiring incentive pay for referring applicants. Creates new strategies for recruiting.
  • Supervises the divisions Administrative Assistant 2 (AA2), who handles inventory management, and the Office Assistant 3 to ensure incoming enquiries are met to agency standards.
  • Oversees the supervision of the division fleet. Meets with the AA2 on a weekly basis to ensure the divisional vehicle fleet expectations are being met. Reviews the vacant pool car list, coordinates, and forecasts upcoming vehicle replacements and special vehicle needs, such as reasonable accommodations, coordinates with the Deputy Chiefs for vehicle replacement needs, and compiles justification to meet unit needs and the ordering of vehicles.
  • Works with the DCA to assess the needs of the division regarding equipment. The position has oversight over all equipment ordering and issuance,
  • Supervises the Office Assistant 3 (OA3), this position serves as the customer service representative for the division statewide. This position receives stakeholder complaints via website, email, and phone. Directs relevant actions to the appropriate staff. Explores solutions for new upcoming items that pertain to general inquires, new laws, project changes, keg book distributions, forms and signage requests.
  • Sets performance expectations and provides evaluation of work. Provides coaching and counseling; recommends hiring and disciplinary actions to the DCA.

Qualifications
Required Qualifications:
Eight (8) years of experience in planning, coordination, and consultation with a variety of public and private agencies, organizations, and/or levels of government and this should include 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 and this should include 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 and this should include supervisory experience.
Must have demonstrated experience in the following areas:

Supervising, coaching/counseling/mentoring, and performance management of staff.

Recruiting and hiring of staff.

Budget and contract management at a division or agency level.

Delegated purchasing authority and invoice processes (i.e., purchasing card and supply ordering).

Fleet and asset management.

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:

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.

Required Equity Competencies:
The ability to take action to learn and grow

This equity competency identifies people who are curious about themselves and others, who take responsibility for knowing their own strengths and weaknesses, and who use their learning to make government programs and processes more efficient and effective to serve all in Washington.

The ability to take action to meet the needs of others

This equity competency identifies people who are flexible, adaptable, customer-service focused, and willing and able to empathetically respond to the unique needs of the people they work with and serve.

Competencies:
  • 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, sometimes of a complex nature or involving competing priorities, to produce work products that are accurate, thorough, and on time. Accept own role when expectations are met and respond quickly to resolve issues with others.

    • 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. Identify key facts in an array of data. Recognizes when pertinent facts are incorrect, missing, or require supplementation or verification. Distinguishes information that is not pertinent to a decision or solution. Breaks down data into component parts to understand the nature and relationship of the parts. Recognizes underlying principles, patterns, or themes in an array of related information, and determines whether additional information would be useful or necessary. Judges or infer appropriate responses to a set of information on the basis of clear guidelines or procedures. Form accurate conclusions regarding actions to be taken.

    • Build and Maintain Relationships: Earn the trust, respect, and confidence of coworkers and customers through consistent, honest, and professional interactions. Build and maintain working relationships characterized by mutual acceptance and cooperation. Contribute to an environment that honors diversity and users' diverse perspectives to meet the agency's mission and goals.

    • Computer Skills: Displays working knowledge of program or agency computer system(s), which include Microsoft Office suite programs. Ability to utilize electronic resources, including the internet and SharePoint. Accurately document and/or update information in electronic form to maintain complete records.
    Customer Focus: Listens attentively, identifies issues, provides

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