Contracts Specialist (Project Funding & Agreements Coordinator) chez City of Seattle, WA

About the Department

Join us in shaping Seattle’s streets!

At the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT), we don’t just move people—we connect communities, build safer streets, and create a more sustainable city.

With a bold vision for the future, we’re tackling big challenges: making travel safer, cutting carbon emissions, and ensuring reliable, affordable transportation for everyone—no matter who they are or where they live.

Seattle is growing fast, and we’re growing with it. Thanks to a historic voter-approved $1.55 billion investment in transportation in 2024, we’re building sidewalks, fixing bridges, and improving transit connections to keep our city moving.

We’re a team of problem solvers, planners, engineers, communicators, and field crews—bringing purpose-driven work to life. Now, we need passionate, innovative talent like you. Let’s build a Seattle that works for everyone—together!

SDOT’s Contracts & Procurement group is a small, lively and collaborative team that helps SDOT secure the consultant contracts needed to deliver large and important projects such as bike lanes, sidewalks, and bridges for the City. This position is responsible for intaking all consultant invoices, logging and reviewing those invoices for compliance with contract terms and distributing them to project managers for detailed project review and approval to pay. Additionally, as a Contracts Specialist, you’ll play a critical role in keeping Seattle’s transportation projects moving by managing the lifecycle of consultant contracts selection processes through to contract execution.  

We anticipate hiring one specialist from this job posting. In our recruitment, we seek to hire passionate customer service-minded, knowledgeable and innovative talent like you!

Please note that while the position falls under the Finance Division, this position is specifically a consultant contracting role not a Buyer role.

Position Duties

In this role, you will:

• Work with staff and SDOT project managers to write, edit, and execute consultant contracts, amendments, and work authorization assignments.
• Manage the dedicated invoice inbox (CCAP) and respond to inquiries.
• Review invoices for compliance with consultant contract terms and policy; research and resolve issues; ensure Federal, State and local regulatory requirements are followed. Log invoices, enter information across systems, and distribute invoices to project managers for detailed review and approval to pay. Keep track of items in the approval pipeline for adherence to City of Seattle’s prompt pay initiative for payment within 30 days
• Learn and follow the processes for management of the contract group’s email inbox for assignments, questions, tracking logs and follow up communications as a backup to others.
• Work with staff and consultants to administer and process consultant annual rate and staff adjustments to existing contracts. Develop and implement staff and rate adjustment worksheets as a backup to others.
• Learn and understand consultant service pricing and serve as a subject matter expert in SDOT’s allowable costs.
• As a junior consultant contract subject matter expert, understand the City’s contracting thresholds, discuss contracting options, and provide expert guidance and customer service to project managers throughout the contracting process. 
• Understand government records retention requirements and archival processes and support requests for information as requested.
• Maintain familiarity with existing guidelines, checklists, ordinances, and department policies and procedures related to consultant contracting.
• Train and advise staff and consultants on policies and best practices, including federal, state, and city contracting requirements. Research laws, regulations and policies as applicable.
• Learn and use data platforms and maintain contract files in systems like the Citywide Contract Management System (CCMS) Masterworks, SDOT’s contract database (CCDB), the City’s financial system (PeopleSoft 9.2), Laserfiche, the City’s procurement platform OpenGov and other internal systems.
• Support diversity initiatives by promoting the City’s Women- and Minority-Owned Business Enterprise (WMBE) and Federal Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) programs.
• Contribute to ongoing improvements to our contract-related policies, procedures, templates, and training materials.

While this position helps to review invoices, this is not an accounting position. Knowledge of contracts and city, state and federal regulations review for compliance is essential to success in the position.

Minimum Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:
Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, finance, economics, English, or a similar field.

Experience:

• Two (2) or more years of professional experience in areas like contract administration, grant administration, inter-agency agreements, or related work. 

OR: An equivalent combination of education and experience that demonstrates the ability to perform the position duties.

Desired Qualifications:

• Prior experience with public sector contracts and following rules set by government agencies.
• Ability to handle several contracts, invoices, and tasks at the same time without missing important details. 
• Ability to explain processes and ideas in plain language – whether you’re writing or speaking and have excellent oral and written communication skills.
• You consider yourself a customer service provider and enjoy helping others navigate processes unknown to them
• You enjoy having your own specific workload while also working collaboratively within a team on larger process improvement work.
• You bring strategies to stay organized, meet deadlines and have excellent attention to detail.
• Tou effectively use tools like Microsoft Word, Excel, SharePoint, and Adobe Sign to get your work done.
• You can work effectively with a diverse customer base in a multi-cultural workplace.

Other Requirements:
Work Environment:

Work is performed in an office environment and partially at home. Per direction from the Mayor’s Office, City of Seattle employees currently report to office 3 days per week. Our office is in SDOT space at 800 Fifth Avenue next to the Seattle Municipal Tower in downtown Seattle. The rest of your work can be done remotely from home.  You’ll need to:

• Adapt to a flexible schedule based on the department’s needs and direction from the Mayor’s Office and SDOT leadership.
• Be comfortable navigating a fast-paced workplace while managing competing priorities.

Other Qualifications

Your application will not be reviewed if these items are missing or incomplete.

Hiring Process
Applications are reviewed after the posting closes. Qualified candidates must submit the following to be considered:

1. Completed NEOGOV online application.
2. Supplemental questionnaire responses
3. Cover letter describing how your skills and experience align with the stated job responsibilities and qualifications.
4. Current résumé indicating relevant experience and education.

Offers of employment are contingent on verification of information provided by the applicant as part of the application process, including a potential background check.
 
Please note this job advertisement is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

The City’s full salary range for this position is $45.74 – $53.27 hourly.

For more information regarding this recruitment, please contact: Ryan Jones at [email protected]. 

The City of Seattle offers a comprehensive benefits package including vacation, holiday, and sick leave as well as medical, dental, vision, life and long-term disability insurance for employees and their dependents. More information about employee benefits is available on the City's website at: https://www.seattle.gov/human-resources/benefits/employees-and-covered-family-members/most-employees-plans.

Who May Apply: This position is open to all candidates that meet the minimum qualifications. The City of Seattle values diverse perspectives and life experiences. Applicants will be considered regardless of race, color, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, marital status, disability, religious or political affiliation, age, sexual orientation, or gender identity. The Department encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, including people of color, immigrants, refugees, women, LGBTQ+ people, people with disabilities, veterans and those with diverse life experiences.

Accommodations for people with disabilities are provided on request.

The City is a Drug Free Workplace.