Community Services Contracts and Procurement Manager

About the role

The Department of Community and Human Services (DCHS) values diverse perspectives and life experiences. DCHS encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+, people with disabilities, veterans, and those with lived experience. DCHS manages a portfolio of government funds with complex funding sources, including federal, state, and local funding, in various community services programs.

Responsibilities

• Provide vision and leadership to continually improve the effectiveness, efficiency, and equitable outcomes of DCHS’ procurement and contracting processes within the limits of local, state, and federal laws and regulations.
• Collaboratively create and maintain department-wide procurement, contracting, and contract management policies and procedures and engage effective change management and communication techniques to ensure they are implemented.
• Support the development and implementation of trainings for all staff involved in solicitations and contract development to improve quality and consistency.
• Supervise and mentor Contract Specialist and Project Program Management staff, including planning work assignments and supporting employee development and performance evaluation.
• Makes recommendations to the Director of Impact and Data Strategy regarding personnel actions.
• Take the lead in establishing a collaborative partnership with King County’s Procurement & Payables Group, Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and Office of Risk Management to update and maintain contract practices, and address issues as they arise.
• Review and determine appropriateness of exceptions to DCHS standard procurement and contracting practices.
• Research, interpret, and summarize local, state, and federal laws and regulations to provide guidance to DCHS leadership on risk mitigation, novel approaches, etc.
• Partner with Public Health contracts and procurement staff, including their Equity Contracting Process Improvement Manager, to align and advance practices where possible.
• Serve as backup capacity for Contract Specialists in leading solicitations and developing contracts.
• Provide extra support for complex and/or high-profile solicitations and contract negotiations.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated understanding and experience with the principles, practices, and terminology typically used in public sector procurements.
• Deep experience and knowledge of services contract development and negotiations.
• Experience developing and managing contract templates, including standard terms and conditions and statements of work.
• Knowledge of insurance requirements related to public procurements and contracting.
• Understanding of principles and approaches to post-award contract management and administration.
• Experience writing contracts that facilitate both performance management and organizational capacity building over time.
• Experience streamlining work processes, improving operations, decreasing turnaround time, meeting deadlines, and working cooperatively to provide high quality, seamless customer service.
• Values getting to the rule, not being beholden to a process – i.e. can confidently respond to anyone asking “why” we are using a particular process and be willing to come up with other options if needed to accomplish program goals.
• Developed skills in development and documentation of policies and procedures.
• Strong change management, communication, and team building skills.
• Demonstrated knowledge and reduction of how business processes and policies contribute to inequities, including the role of structural racism and bias in exacerbating and/or perpetrating these inequities.
• Strong management and supervisory experience; including hiring, supervision, staff development and performance management.
• Dedication to sharing power and authority, whenever possible.
• Ability to delegate and effectively manage the workloads of direct reports in a highly variable environment and provide oversight to ensure on-time and quality performance by staff.
• Demonstrated ability successfully working collaboratively on a team and in a virtual work environment.
• Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office suite, including Teams, SharePoint, and Planner.

Benefits

King County offers a highly-competitive compensation and benefits package designed to meet the diverse needs of our employees and support their health and well-being. Eligible positions receive excellent medical, dental, and vision coverage options, life and disability insurance, retirement plans, and other programs.