Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
Job Title: Program Coordinator
Location: Olympia, WA
Closes: July 8th, 2026, at 11:55 p.m. PDT
Travel: This position may require you to travel including occasional overnight as needed to accomplish assignments.
This position is eligible for hybrid telework but is frequently required to report on-site to meet business needs. The default assigned work location of all Parks positions – both on-site and telework eligible positions – is within the State of Washington. Frequency of onsite work will vary based on business and operational needs. Parks may choose, but are not required, to support out-of-state telework on a case-by-case basis.
Note: Washington State has approved a 2% COLA salary increase effective July 1st, 2026.
Washington State Parks is looking to fill one (1) full-time, permanent,
Program Coordinator for the SW Capital Program
within Parks Development Unit located in Olympia, Washington. Working hours are generally Monday- Friday 8:00am – 4:30pm. This position allows for both flexible and hybrid schedule options where you can do effective work from home and in office. In some cases, the program coordinator accompanies project teams to parks within the region and gets a taste of what capital development looks like in real time.
This position supports State Parks mission by planning, organizing, and overseeing varied and extensive projects. Plan and organize extensive processing related central office activities in the Region office. Provides direct support to the Capital Region Manager (CRM) in the daily operations of the Capital Program and represents supervisor for staff communication and serves as back-up and support for central office activities and the department/unit. If you're interested in a dynamic career that allows you to showcase your program management talents, please apply and become part of our dynamic team.
About the position:
In this role, you will provide program process facilitation and coordination of the capital team as it strives for efficient and effective delivery of the Capital Work Plan while supporting the agency’s dual recreation and conservation mission and the four C’s messaging (
Communicate-early, often, and with everyone who needs to know, Collaborate-work constructively together across disciplines and divisions, Conserve-Protect nature, culture, and history, and Connect-create place based recreation experiences).
The SW Region Capital Team is a collection of engineers, project coordinators, environmental and parks planners and you. This position also allows you to develop a large network of colleagues in both Parks' Headquarters and regional Operations staff, which helps you develop a broader perspective of how State Parks operates as an agency.
Working for the Southwest Capital team means contributing to lasting impacts for Parks that are, in some cases, right in your backyard or your community. As a program coordinator, this position allows you to see how the different pathways of capital development, historical preservation, and FEMA rehabilitation all play significant roles in the health of our State Parks. The work we do really does translate into real-world improvements that we can see every single day.
Required qualifications:
Qualified candidates will meet the following criteria:
Option #1
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Three (3) or more years of professional experience involving planning, organizing, and coordinating work in a business office AND a valid driver’s license.
OR
Option #2
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Associates degree* involving study in business administration or a closely related field AND one (1) year of experience involving planning, organizing, and coordinating work in a business office AND a valid driver’s license.
- Additional qualifying experience can substitute year-for-year education.
CORE COMPETENCIES:
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Program Coordination: handles CRM (Customer/Contract Relationship Management), central office activities, meeting scheduling, arranging travel, coordinating information for staff and team operations.
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Time Management & Priority Setting: the ability to distribute mail, manager contracts and the purchasing of goods and services, and timesheets, that are all time sensitive.
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Procedural Compliance: the ability to be disciplined and follow established government/ contractual and financial protocols.
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Attention to Detail - is the ability to achieve thoroughness and accuracy when accomplishing tasks by carefully monitoring processes, spotting errors or inconsistencies, and ensuring work is complete and precise.
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Communication and Stakeholder Engagement: clearly communicates technical information in both written and verbal formats; engages effectively with internal and external stakeholders, including government agencies, contractors, and consultants.
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Analytical Thinking and Problem Solving: applies logical and innovative approaches to systematically work through information, identify key issues and cause-effect relationships, and use data to identify issues and make informed deductions.
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Take action to learn and grow: consider and incorporate new information and different perspectives. Adapt to change and apply new approaches. Takes responsibility for learning and adapting, rather than relying on others to fill gaps.
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Ability to take action to meet the needs of others: collaborating with others to overcome challenges and find solutions. Asking questions to understand and meet the needs of others.
Preferred Qualifications:-
Knowledge of state government and Parks rules and regulations.
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Knowledge of office organization and efficient office methods and management principles coordinating comprehensive processes and understanding of day-to-day operations within the construction environment.
How to apply:
To ensure consideration, please complete the online job application and profile at www.careers.wa.gov.
You must attach in your application the following:-
Letter of Interest specifically addressing how you meet the qualifications listed in this announcement.
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Current resume.
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Three professional references.
**All requested materials must be submitted. Incomplete or late application materials will not be accepted. Failure to follow the application process may disqualify you from further consideration. **
The information provided in your application must support your selected answers to the application questions. Answers will be verified, and documentation may be required. Responses not supported in your application will disqualify you for consideration of employment from this recruitment.
This position is covered by the Washington Federation of State Employees (WFSE). Once the listed positions are filled, this recruitment announcement may also be used to fill additional positions for up to sixty (60) days. For more information: https://wfse.org/
About Parks:
Want to join a great organization? The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission manages one of the largest, most diverse-and most beautiful—parks systems in the country. With more than 120,000 acres, the system includes 124 developed parks, including 19 marine parks, 11 historical parks, 35 heritage sites, 13 interpretive centers and approximately 500 miles of long-distance recreation trails. Parks is staffed with nearly 1,000 employees (summers), who are some of the most passionate employees you'll find anywhere.
For more information on Washington State Parks, click here.
Diversity Policy Statement:
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is an equal opportunity employer. We strive to build a workplace culture that is welcoming and inclusive in which all employees feel respected and empowered to bring their unique ideas to the agency. At State Parks, we believe that embracing diverse backgrounds and experiences is essential to growing a strong workforce. We encourage applicants underrepresented in natural resources and outdoor recreation fields to apply, including but not limited to women, Black, Indigenous and people of color (BIPOC), individuals with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, disabled and Vietnam era veterans, persons over 40 years of age, and individuals who identify as a part of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this job announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resources office at (360) 902-8565. 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.
For information about recruitment and the hiring process, please contact Wendy Vandel at [email protected] or call 360-902-8688.
For information about this position, please contact Brian Yearout at [email protected] or call (360) 725-9763.
All applicants with a legal right to work in the United States are encouraged to apply.
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