Weatherization Program Manager (COM 3)

About the Department

Weatherization Program Manager (COM 3)
At the Department of Commerce, we’re reimagining what’s possible in government. We’re builders, thinkers, and change-makers, working at the intersection of innovation, community, and impact. From unlocking critical funding to fueling inclusive economic growth, we’re turning big ideas into real-world solutions that uplift people and places.

Our agency’s strength lies in the diversity of our workforce and the breadth of the lived experiences and perspectives employees bring to the work. We believe equity is not just a value but a practice, which is reflected in how we design programs, engage communities, and deliver outcomes. We foster a workplace culture where curiosity is encouraged, bold thinking is welcomed, and collaboration drives our impact.

This job is a commitment to reshape systems so they work better for everyone. If you’re ready to challenge the status quo and build meaningful connections, we want to meet you.

Let’s build what’s next, together.

The Energy Division (Energy) partners with diverse energy stakeholders to create a clean, affordable, and equitable energy future.

This position works within the Weatherization Unit of the Energy Division. This position advances the agency’s priority to help low-income families live in healthy, safe, and affordable housing by providing advanced-level technical expertise and program administration for low-income weatherization assistance programs. This position ensures the federal and state weatherization assistance programs are designed and deployed effectively and efficiently, optimizing internal operations and leveraging external relationships with funders, service providers, utilities, and other stakeholders.

Position Duties

Grant Management: Program management, budget, contracts, policies, and evaluation
Tasks include:
• Works and meets with weatherization funders to allocate funding and follow policy, creates and manages contracts using pass-through allocation formulas, develops weatherization plans, and budgets for local weatherization providers.
• Maintain expertise on federal and state statutes, rules, policies, standards, methods, and protocols regarding energy efficiency and weatherization.
• Monitors grantee expenditures, compliance with deliverables, and reporting to ensure projects are implemented on time and within budget.
• Conducts competitive grant application and procurement process, which includes solicitation of applications, convening subject matter experts and key stakeholders to assist with application review, reading, and evaluating and scoring applications, organizing and conducting review meetings, and making recommendations to management for application awards.
• Conducts complex program implementation, evaluation, and oversight of processes and policies, ensuring compliance with relevant state and federal laws and regulations.
• Plans, develops, and tracks program goals and objectives, seeking input from internal and external subject matter experts and stakeholders as needed.
• Identifies and solves program related problems with effective solutions. Identifies information needed to clarify a situation and seeks information from appropriate sources. Takes the initiative to seek input from peers and supervisor to help with problem solving.
• Organizes, leads, and solicits input from program advisory groups, technical experts, and external stakeholders to advance program goals.
• Strengthens relationships with clients, stakeholders, utilities, and co-workers.
• Processes subgrantee invoices to Commerce using the Contract Management System (CMS) monthly.
• Serves as a technical specialist for assigned grant programs.
• Develop and manage program and personal service contracts that define clear performance expectations and maintain fair and equitable funding allocations, influenced by the accomplishment of performance measures.
• Develops, updates, and maintains grant-specific contracts, scopes of work, and budget documents.

Manage continuous improvement functions
Tasks include:
• Serve as a technical expert for the weatherization program, including researching best practices, collecting and analyzing performance data, and creating and implementing work plans to improve program quality and monitor program performance.
• Collaborate with field monitors and section staff to ensure compliance and common understanding.
• Analyze program performance and provide advanced technical assistance and training to local agencies, necessary to determine both compliance and opportunities for improvement.
• Develop performance expectations and measures to be incorporated into weatherization grants with local agencies, ensuring alignment with agency goals.
• Contribute to grant and data information management, collection, and reporting, including advancing online systems.
• Independently negotiates and resolves complex programmatic issues, engaging with supervisor to assist with navigating complex issues as necessary.
• Recommend policy and program changes to the supervisor to improve service delivery based on data and tangible evidence.
• Employ short- and long-range strategic planning for assigned programs.
• Craft focused work plans, with performance benchmarks, that improve program quality.

Develop, strengthen, and maintain strong working partnerships with stakeholders
Tasks include:
• Collaborate with federal and state agencies, peers, and advocates, including grantees and sub-grantees in Washington, partners at DOE, HHS, NASCSP, NEUAC, NCAP, BPA, IREC, and utilities to improve the Washington weatherization program.
• Contribute and support the unit and division’s strategic plan, strengthening partnerships and public trust.
• Develop and present timely, accurate, and insightful information to grantees and advisory groups.
• Participate in regional and national advisory and advocacy organizations.
• Serve as program representative to Federal and state authorities, the public, and interested parties.

Cross-division and agency collaboration
Tasks include:
• Participate in division and agency-wide project workgroup opportunities, including outcome measures, contracting risk workgroup, strategic breakthrough initiatives, steering committees, and other opportunities that align with the duties of this position.
• Provide regular updates to division staff and management on the work of these cross-agency initiatives.

Minimum Qualifications

Required Position Qualifications:
Seven (7) years of combined experience and/or education as described below:
Experience includes:
Three years (3) of professional level experience in community, trade or economic development with focus in the following:
o Program management experience
o Procurement
o Grant making processes
o One (1) year experience managing projects or working in the energy sector
o One (1) year experience navigating and complying with federal and state procurement

Education involves studying in business, public administration, or related field. Qualifying education post High School/GED may be substituted year for year for experience.

Examples of how to qualify:
• 7 years of experience
• 6 years of experience and one year of education
• 5 years of experience and two years of education
• 4 years of experience and three years of education
• 3 years of experience and four years of education
• 2 years of experience and five years of education
• 1 year of experience and six years of education

Preferred/Desired Qualifications:
• Three years’ experience managing energy projects or working in the energy sector. Solid knowledge of renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies.
• Two years’ experience navigating and complying with federal and state procurement, contracting, and budgeting policies and practices.
• Experience collaborating with marginalized communities, Tribal communities and vulnerable populations
• Advanced level proficiency in project management software, MS Office Suite, contract management databases, cloud-based productivity tools.

Required Position Competencies:
• Strong communication skills, demonstrating an ability to clearly convey information and ideas to individuals and groups through a variety of communications modes, including formal presentations and informal discussions. Practices attentive and active listening.
• Develops challenging but achievable goals, has excellent follow-through, approaches challenging tasks and obstacles with a “can-do” attitude. Works with honesty and integrity, keeps commitments, takes ownership of work and one’s own actions, and seeks opportunities for improvement
• Stays focused under pressure, performs duties with minimal supervision, uses time efficiently and effectively to accomplish priorities. Motivates and encourages project team members to persevere through change and adversity, skillfully negotiates competing needs and priorities, and facilitates consensus-based decision-making when appropriate.
• Operates within the organization's formal and informal structures, builds allies and relationships across the division and agency, seeks to understand others' roles and perspectives, and navigates organizational structure with diplomacy and goodwill.
• Effectively adjusts to changes in work processes and environment and alters behavior to align with evolving situations. Openly receives new ideas and accepts other perspectives.
• Skilled in the use of computers and database applications. Learns new technology quickly, keeps abreast of changes, use computers to improve productivity.

To be considered for this position the following are needed:

• A complete and detailed online application.
• A cover letter (enter online).
• At least three professional references (enter online).

For questions about this recruitment, please contact our recruitment team via email: [email protected] - please reference the job number in your message.

Other Qualifications

Work from Anywhere in Washington State 
This position may be located anywhere within Washington State though occasional travel to a Commerce office building or in-state travel to attend events or meetings may be required. If selected, you will need to travel to pick up equipment and receive instruction. Many Commerce employees work remotely or have a hybrid schedule.

This recruitment may be used to fill future vacancies over the next 60 days.

Technical support is provided by NEOGOV, 855-524-5627 (can't log in, password or email issues, error messages). DES job seeker support may answer general questions regarding the recruiting system at [email protected].
 
Our Commitment to Equal Opportunity 
The Washington State Department of Commerce is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to create a working environment that includes and respects cultural, racial, ethnic, sexual orientation and gender identity diversity. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, persons of disability, persons over 40 years of age, veterans or people with military status, and people of all sexual orientations and gender identities are encouraged to apply. Persons needing accommodation in the application, testing, or interview process or this job announcement in an alternative format may email Human Resources at [email protected].  Applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing may call through the Washington Relay Service by dialing 7-1-1 or 1-800-833-6388.
               
Department of Commerce also offers a competitive benefits package including: medical and dental insurance benefits, retirement and deferred compensation plans, 11 paid holidays each year, 14-25 vacation days per year (depending on length of employment), 8 hours of sick leave per month (if full time employed), bereavement leave, an employee assistance program, as well as other benefits. Please see the Benefits Tab for more details.

Benefits

More than Just a Paycheck!
Employee benefits are not just about the kind of services you get, they are also about how much you may have to pay out of pocket. Washington State offers one of the most competitive benefits packages in the nation.

We understand that your life revolves around more than just your career. Like everyone, your first priority is ensuring that you and your family will maintain health and financial security. That's why choice is a key component of our benefits package. We have a selection of health and retirement plans, paid leave, staff training and other compensation benefits that you can mix and match to meet your current and future needs.

Read about our benefits:
The following information describes typical benefits available for full-time employees who are expected to work more than six months. Actual benefits may vary by appointment type or be prorated for other than full-time work (e.g. part-time); view the job posting for benefits details for job types other than full-time.

Note:  If the position offers benefits which differ from the following, the job posting should include the specific benefits. 

Insurance Benefits
Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance. There are multiple medical plans with affordable monthly premiums that offer coverage throughout the state.

Staff are eligible to enroll each year in a medical flexible spending account which enables them to use tax-deferred dollars toward their health care expenses. Employees are also covered by basic life and long-term disability insurance, with the option to purchase additional coverage amounts.

To view premium rates, coverage choice in your area and how to enroll, please visit the Public Employees Benefits Board (PEBB) website. The Washington Wellness program from the Health Care Authority works with PEBB to support our workplace wellness programs.

Dependent care assistance allows the employee to save pre-tax dollars for a child or elder care expenses.

Other insurance coverage for auto, boat, home, and renter insurance is available through payroll deduction.

The Washington State Employee Assistance Program promotes the health and well-being of employees.

Retirement and Deferred Compensation
State Employees are members of the Washington Public Employees' Retirement System (PERS).  New employees have the option of two employer contributed retirement programs.  For additional information, check out the Department of Retirement Systems' web site.

Employees also have the ability to participate in the Deferred Compensation Program (DCP).  This is a supplemental retirement savings program (similar to an IRA) that allows you control over the amount of pre-tax salary dollars you defer as well as the flexibility to choose between multiple investment options.

Social Security
All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems. The state and the employee pay an equal amount into the system.

Public Service Loan Forgiveness
If you are employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, and meet the qualifying criteria, you may be eligible to receive student loan forgiveness under the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program.

Holidays 
Full-time and part-time employees are entitled to paid holidays and one paid personal holiday per calendar year.

Note: Employees who are members of certain Unions may be entitled to additional personal leave day(s), please refer to position specific Collective Bargaining Agreements for more information.

Full-time employees who work full monthly schedules qualify for holiday compensation if they are employed before the holiday and are in pay status for at least 80 nonovertime hours during the month of the holiday; or for the entire work shift preceding the holiday. 

Part-time employees who are in pay status during the month of the holiday qualify for the holiday on a pro-rata basis. Compensation for holidays (including personal holiday) will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status in the month to that required for full-time employment, excluding all holiday hours. Pay status includes hours worked and time on paid leave.

Sick Leave 
Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month. Overtime eligible employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month, earn a monthly proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Overtime exempt employees who are in pay status for less than 80 hours per month do not earn a monthly accrual of sick leave. 

Sick leave accruals for part-time employees will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment. Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

Vacation (Annual Leave)
Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA). Full-time employees who are in pay status for less than 80 nonovertime hours in a month do not earn a monthly accrual of vacation leave.

Part-time employees accrue vacation leave hours in accordance with WAC 357-31-165(1) or the applicable collective bargaining agreement (CBA) on a pro rata basis. Vacation leave accrual will be proportionate to the number of hours in pay status, in the month to that required for full-time employment.

Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.

As provided in WAC 357-58-175, an employer may authorize a lump-sum accrual of vacation leave or accelerate the vacation leave accrual rate to support the recruitment and/or retention of a candidate or employee for a Washington Management Service position. Vacation leave accrual rates may only be accelerated using the rates established WAC 357-31-165.  

Note: Most agencies follow the civil service rules covering leave and holidays for exempt employees even though there is no requirement for them to do so. However, agencies are required to adhere to the applicable RCWs pertaining holidays and leave.

Military Leave
Washington State supports members of the armed forces with 21 days paid military leave per year.

Bereavement Leave 
Most employees whose family member or household member dies, or for loss of pregnancy, are entitled to five (5) days of paid bereavement leave. In addition, the employer may approve other available leave types for the purpose of bereavement leave.

Additional Leave
Leave Sharing
Parental Leave
Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)
Leave Without Pay

Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.

Updated 01-07-2026

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Agency Information

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View Job Posting for Location, Washington, 98504 Website http://www.careers.wa.gov