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Contract Specialist Assistant
Summary
King County's Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) provides equitable opportunities for people to be healthy, happy, and connected to community.
DCHS is looking for a skilled, knowledgeable, highly motivated, and enthusiastic team player to collaboratively help support the Contracts & Procurement Unit, which develops, implements, and oversees compliance with county and department contracting and procurement processes. This includes supporting program staff and managing processes for various human service programs.
The Contract Specialist Assistant is a professional classification that reports directly to the DCHS Contract & Procurement (C&P) Manager and plays a key role in supporting staff in implementing efficient and effective procurement processes for human service programs across DCHS, working with other C&P and staff and program managers. The desired candidate has significant experience in routine contracting activities. The ideal candidate will also prioritize social justice and equity and will commit to creating forward progress in transforming the health of the population in King County.
WHO MAY APPLY: This position is open to all qualified candidates who meet the minimum qualifications. Interviews for this selection process will take place on or around 6/1/2026.
APPLICATION PROCESS
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process, or if you have questions, please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
The following items are required to be considered for this vacancy:
- NeoGov Job Application (The responses on your job application should be thorough and complete, and will be used in the screening process)
- Supplemental Questions (The responses to the supplemental questions should be thorough and complete, and will be used in the screening process)
Your application may be rejected as incomplete if you do not include the relevant information in the application. Cover letters and/or resumes are not accepted in lieu of a completed application. Applications and/or Supplemental Questionnaires that state "see my resume" or "see my personnel file" are considered incomplete and will not be accepted.
This selection process may also be used to create a pool of candidates for current and future career service, term-limited temporary, and special duty opportunities. The pool will be active for 6 months.
WORK SCHEDULE/CONDITIONS: This position is scheduled to work 40 hours per week, Monday - Friday, 8 am - 5 pm. This position meets the provisions of the Fair Labor Standards Act and is overtime eligible with supervisory pre-approval. This position is represented by Protec17.
MISSION CRITICAL POSITION STATUS: This position has been designated Non-Mission Critical. Unless otherwise directed by the County Executive, department director or agency head, all employees, regardless of designation, are expected to report to work or request leave during an emergency or inclement weather. For more detailed information, please visit HR Policy County Operations During Emergency Situations and the King County Guidelines for Workforce Management in an Emergency.
TELEWORKING REQUIREMENT: DCHS works in a hybrid model, with days in the office as well as telecommuting. The ratio of remote to onsite work will be dependent on business needs and is subject to change. The primary onsite location is the Chinook Building at 401 Fifth Avenue, Seattle, WA 98104.
Employees must reside in Washington state and within a reasonable distance to their King County worksite to respond to workplace reporting requirements.
King County has a robust collection of tools and resources to support working remotely. The individual selected for this opportunity will join an innovative and progressive team that is redefining how we work as we transition to the department's hybrid environment. Employees will be provided with a County-issued laptop and must maintain a home workspace with an internet connection where they can reliably perform work and remain available and responsive during scheduled work hours.
RECRUITER: Greg Mallory, grmallory@kingcounty.gov
Job Duties
- Respond to procurement and contracting-related inquiries from internal and external customers.
- Support Contract Specialists in preparing requests for proposals for publicly advertised contracts, including development and review of bid specifications, tabulations, solicitation documents, scope of work, technical specifications, and contract terms and conditions.
- Input data and maintain multiple databases and third-party software applications in a timely and accurate manner.
- Compile electronic procurement and contract documentation to ensure complete and accurate files.
- Gather information for vendor disputes and respond to public disclosure requests.
- Update standard work documents, including procurement and contract templates, user guides, and other resources maintained by the C&P unit.
- Participate in process improvement projects to streamline operations and make processes more effective and efficient.
- Assists with the coordination of program, finance, evaluation, and administrative teams to support procurement and contract processes.
- Respond to inquiries from internal and external customers.
- Perform other related duties as assigned.
Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Knowledge of general procurement policies, rules, regulations, and best practices
- Two or more years of office or administrative support experience, preferably in a complex setting, such as the human services, legal, or medical fields.
- Demonstrated initiative and accountability in work products and service, and the ability to follow through on issues to completion. Must be dependable and willing to assist coworkers as needed.
- Demonstrated ability to maintain electronic documents and files, databases, and logs, and accurately enter and track data.
- Demonstrated ability to provide excellent customer service to interested parties both within and outside the organization.
- Experience streamlining work processes, improving operations, and decreasing turnaround time in procurement and contracting processes.
- Demonstrated experience prioritizing workloads, working successfully under pressure with tight timelines, changing priorities, and ambiguous information.
- Proven ability to work collaboratively with program staff and to interface effectively with County officials and senior management.
- Demonstrated proficiency with the MS Office suite.
Desired Experience, Qualifications, Knowledge, Skills
- Basic understanding of the public procurement and contracting processes for delivering human service programs.
- Knowledge of equity and social justice principles and practices, and understanding of the effects of place, race, and policy and systems-based inequities on marginalized communities and populations.
- Experience working collaboratively on a team.
Supplemental Information
Forbes named King County as one of Washington State's best employers.
Together, with leadership and our employees, we're changing the way government delivers service and winning national recognition as a model of excellence. Are you ready to make a difference? Come join the team dedicated to serving one of the nation's best places to live, work and play.Guided by our "True North", we are making King County a welcoming community where every person can thrive. We value diversity, inclusion, and belonging in our workplace and workforce. To reach this goal, we are committed to workforce equity. Equitable recruiting, support, and retention is how we will obtain the highest quality workforce in our region; a workforce that shares and will help advance our guiding principles - we are one team; we solve problems; we focus on the customer; we drive for results; we are racially just; we respect all people; we lead the way; and we are responsible stewards. We encourage people of all backgrounds and identities to apply, including Native Americans and people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+ individuals, people living with disabilities, and veterans.
King County is an Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) Employer
No person is unlawfully excluded from employment opportunities based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), age, genetic information, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Our EEO policy applies to all employment actions, including but not limited to recruitment, hiring, selection for training, promotion, transfer, demotion, layoff, termination, rates of pay or other forms of compensation.
To Apply
If you are interested in pursuing this position, please follow the application instructions carefully. If you need this announcement in an alternate language or format, would like to request accommodation or assistance in the application or assessment process or if you have questions please contact the recruiter listed on this job announcement.
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