Responsibilities

• Strategic Planning and Implementation: Develop and implement a strategic plan to increase exports of Washington State's agricultural and food products in collaboration with business and industry stakeholders.
• Program Operations: Administer overall program operations and ensures plan, program, activities, and policies are effectively carried out. Establish priorities for staff and contractors and ensure program activities and events are run efficiently and effectively, including but not limited to outbound and inbound trade missions, trade shows, international trade representative visits, agricultural promotions, incoming government delegations, outreach, and export education.
• Budget Management: Prepare and oversee the program's budget, allocate resources, and seek additional funding to address program needs.
• Management of International Trade Representatives: Responsible for procuring and managing contracted international trade representatives to help Washington agricultural companies facilitate export, conduct matchmaking and promotional activities, and help resolve trade barrier issues. Collect stakeholder feedback on needs and markets of interest, coordinate and manage the Request for Proposals (RFP) process in alignment with state procurement rules and ensure that hired trade representatives fulfill contract obligations.
• Grant Procurement and Management: Seek and obtain outside financial resources and grants, including USDA MAP, RAPP, AFTPP, SCBGP, FSMIP and other grants; Administers grants in accordance with grant requirements.
• Collaboration: Work on trade issues and agricultural marketing activities in collaboration with state, federal, and foreign agencies, industry associations, and agricultural stakeholders.
• Oversee Trade Policy and Market Access issues: Responsible for tracking, understanding, and reporting-on market access and trade policy issues that affect Washington's agricultural industry. Serve as the Director’s advisor on international trade policy issues and assist in the agency's communication efforts as they relate to foreign trade.
• Legislative and Policy Lead for International Trade and Marketing: Responsible for tracking and reporting on legislative issues pertinent to international trade and marketing. Prepare presentations, reports and other materials as needed on legislative and policy issues.
• Export Statistics: Responsible for the ongoing collection, analysis, and reporting of Washington's food and agriculture export statistics including determining the collection methodology and overseeing annual publication.
• WUSATA Representative: Serve as the Washington State Marketing Official (SMO) for the Western United States Agricultural Trade Association (WUSATA) and serve on committees that determine policies for the implementation of marketing activities.
• Government Trade Missions: Organizes and implements Government Trade Missions, including working with the Governor's Office, Lieutenant Governor’s Office, Department of Commerce, Association of Washington Business, and others as appropriate to ascertain purpose and goal of the mission; working with WSDA's overseas representatives, U.S. embassies, foreign government officials and industry groups to develop and implement an agenda to promote Washington agriculture and address trade barriers; and prepare information and talking points for the WSDA Director and others as-needed.
• External Outreach and Communication: Serve as the spokesperson and liaison for agricultural international trade development for the state of Washington.
• Supervises and Develops Staff: Oversee and effectively distribute program work; coach and mentor staff through regular feedback, instruction, and encouragement.
• Maintain the highest standard of professional and ethical conduct.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree or higher or four (4) years of professional experience in international trade, agricultural business development, agricultural marketing, or a related field.
• Supervisory or management experience.
• Experience managing financial resources and budgets.
• Experience managing contracts and/or grants.
• Experience managing complex, collaborative projects.
• Exceptional communication and leadership skills with the ability to work effectively with executive leadership, policy makers, and industry stakeholders.
• Strong ability to analyze complex regulatory and policy issues and develop strategic solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to represent local, state, or federal agencies on behalf of executive leadership.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively in public presentations, in meetings and one-on-one discussions, and in written documents.
• Demonstrated ability to cooperatively work with disparate groups to find practical and effective solutions to problems.
• Demonstrated ability to solve problems independently, analyze and make effective decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise discretion and judgment in solving, implementing and applying solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a fast-paced environment with multiple competing priorities and time constraints.
• History of strong leadership competencies and high-level professional skills.

Preferred

• Prior experience as a state or federal International Trade Specialist or similar position.
• Working knowledge of the export process for food or agricultural products.
• Working knowledge of agricultural trade policy.
• Experience developing and implementing strategic plans.
• Experience managing international trade missions.
• Experience using Salesforce or other customer relationship management software.

Benefits

• A healthy work/life balance, which may include flexible work schedules, and teleworking.
• WSDA provides an excellent benefits package beyond traditional benefits. State employment offers Dependent Care Assistance, Flexible Spending Accounts, Public Service Loan Forgiveness, Tuition Waiver, Deferred Compensation, Employee Recognition Leave; click here for more information.
• 12 paid Holidays & Vacation and Leave Accruals.
• All Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required will be provided by the agency.
• Insurance Benefits: Employees and their families are covered by medical (including vision), dental and basic life insurance.
• 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.
• 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).
• Social Security: All state employees are covered by the federal Social Security and Medicare systems.
• 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.
• Sick Leave: Full-time employees earn eight hours of sick leave per month.
• Vacation (Annual Leave): Full-time employees accrue vacation leave at the rates specified in WAC 357-31-165(1).
• Pay status includes hours worked, time on paid leave and paid holiday.
• 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 days of paid bereavement leave.
• Leave Without Pay, Leave Sharing, Parental Leave, Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA).
• Please visit the State HR Website for more detailed information regarding benefits.