Contracts Unit Manager (WMS2)

The Employment Security Department (ESD) is seeking a collaborative, strategic, and experienced leader to serve as the Contracts Unit Manager.

The ideal candidate is an expert-level contracting professional who applies advanced critical thinking and independent judgment to navigate high-risk, potentially sensitive acquisitions. You are an inspiring mentor who fosters a healthy, inclusive team culture while modeling a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and supplier inclusion. Skilled at balancing strict legal compliance with exceptional customer service, you bring the calm confidence needed to facilitate sensitive negotiations, mitigate risk, and translate complex federal and state regulations into clear, actionable guidance.

As the Contracts Unit Manager, you will play a dual leadership and strategic role, supporting the Contracting Team, ensuring regulatory compliance, and delivering timely contract documents that meet customer needs. Reporting to the CAMP Director, you will collaborate with the Administrative Services Division (ASD) Leadership team to advance the agency’s strategic goals and dismantle barriers to equity for underserved groups. You will serve as the primary agency-wide authority on state procurement and contracting, providing expert consultation to internal and external partners on all goods and services, including IT. Additionally, you will act as the lead grant strategist for federal and non-federal grants, ensuring the agency reduces operational risk, prevents audit findings, and maintains its public confidence and delegation of authority.

Key responsibilities include:

• Lead and supervise the Contracts team, including hiring, mentoring, training, managing workload production, and resolving interpersonal or performance issues.
• Manage high-profile, high-dollar, and politically sensitive competitive procurements, solicitations, and contract awards without oversight.
• Serve as the subject matter expert on Federal CFR regulations and grant requirements, partnering with unit coordinators and Assistant Attorneys General (AAG) to ensure compliance.
• Develop and execute risk mitigation strategies and full risk analyses for grants and complex contracts to protect agency funding and reputation.
• Advance supplier diversity initiatives (Executive Order 22-01) by evaluating and promoting minority, women, and veteran-owned business participation.
• Negotiate and award complex, performance-based, and best-value contracts for IT and non-IT goods and services.
• Design and deliver training programs and internal reference manuals regarding procurement practices, templates, and grant contracting for staff agency-wide.
• Consult division managers and leadership on high-visibility acquisition plans, policy execution, and sensitive or contentious contract terminations.

To request a full job description, click here

Required Qualifications: 

Option 1: 

Seven (7) years of experience in public sector procurement and contracting, including IT goods and services, with demonstrated success in managing complex, high-profile solicitations and negotiations AND leadership experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a procurement or contracting environment. 

Option 2: 

• Associate’s degree in business administration, public administration, contract management, supply chain management, or a related field; AND 
• Five (5) years of experience in public sector procurement and contracting, including IT goods and services, with demonstrated success in managing complex, high-profile solicitations and negotiations AND leadership experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a procurement or contracting environment. 

Option 3: 

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, public administration, contract management, supply chain management, or a related field; AND 
• Three (3) years of experience in public sector procurement and contracting, including IT goods and services, with demonstrated success in managing complex, high-profile solicitations and negotiations AND leadership experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a procurement or contracting environment. 

Option 4: 

• Master’s degree in business administration, public administration, contract management, supply chain management, or a related field; AND 
• Two (2) years of experience in public sector procurement and contracting, including IT goods and services, with demonstrated success in managing complex, high-profile solicitations and negotiations AND leadership experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a procurement or contracting environment. 

Option 5: 

• Juris Doctor degree AND 
• One (1) year of experience in public sector procurement and contracting, including IT goods and services, with demonstrated success in managing complex, high-profile solicitations and negotiations AND leadership experience supervising, mentoring, and developing professional staff in a procurement or contracting environment. 

Required equity competencies: 

• The ability to take action to learn and grow. 
• The ability to take action to meet the needs of others. 

The required experience includes: 

• Leadership & Mentorship: Inspires, guides, and develops team members; fosters a collaborative and high-performance culture. 
• Expert Judgment & Critical Thinking: Applies advanced decision-making skills to resolve complex procurement and contracting issues independently. 
• Technical Expertise: Mastery of procurement processes, contract law, and industry-specific operational practices. 
• Negotiation & Influence: Skilled in negotiating favorable terms for high-value, high-risk contracts while balancing stakeholder needs. 
• Communication & Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional ability to convey complex information clearly to diverse audiences, facilitate consensus, and manage sensitive discussions. 
• Training & Knowledge Sharing: Designs and delivers effective training to staff; serves as the primary resource for procurement and contracting guidance agency-wide. 
• Problem Solving & Conflict Resolution: Anticipates challenges, develops creative solutions, and resolves disputes without escalation. 
• Organizational Awareness: Ability to understand agency’s mission, priorities, and socio-economic considerations in procurement decisions.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Professional certification such as Certified Professional Public Buyer (CPPB), Certified Public Procurement Officer (CPPO), or equivalent. 
• Experience with grant-related procurement requirements, grant contracts, and federally funded projects.
• Familiarity with enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems and e-procurement tools. 
• Juris Doctor (J.D.), Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA) or other field related to business, contracting and/or purchasing preferred Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration, Public Administration, or related field is preferred. 

Special Requirements/Conditions of Employment:

• Must be able to pass Unemployment Insurance (UI) & Paid Family and Medical Leave (PFML) claim and fraud check.

Please submit only the required documents as noted below and ensure all Personal Identifying Information (PII) such as Social Security numbers etc. are edited out of your materials for privacy. 

Additionally, we ask that you not include photographs or external links within your documents. Any documents uploaded through this platform will be securely transmitted electronically to support application review.

Please submit your Cover Letter* and Resume with your Online Application through the "Add Attachments" field. A resume will not substitute for the "work experience" section of the application or vice versa. Applications with blank fields, or supplemental question responses with comments such as "see attachments" may be considered incomplete.

Why work with us?

Our agency's mission and values drive every decision that we make, determine how we interact with others and are at the core of who we are. We value Access, Love, Belonging, Equity, and Stewardship.  We understand that a work environment that respects your work/life balance is key; that's why many of our positions are eligible for flexible work schedules and teleworking opportunities. Through support, value, and trust, our employees are empowered to grow and develop into their best self. 

Opportunity for All
We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, ethnic, racial, religious, sexual orientation, and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, people over 40 years of age, people with religious beliefs, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply.
 
The Employment Security Department is an equal opportunity employer/program.  Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities. 

If you are a person needing assistance in the application process, if you need this job announcement in an alternate format, or if you have general questions about this opportunity, please contact Katie Swanson (360-742-8208), the Talent Acquisition Team, or Washington Relay Service 711 prior to the recruitment closing. If you are having technical difficulties creating, accessing, or completing your application, please contact careershelp@des.wa.gov or (360) 664-1960 or toll free (877) 664-1960, Washington Relay 711.

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