Project Management Specialist

Allegan County has much to offer, with 24 Townships, 9 Cities, and 2 Villages across nearly 900 square miles. The landscapes range from the lakeshore to beautifully wooded lands, our County’s natural resources are a gift to be treasured. Allegan County businesses, citizens, and employees are world-class, and we remain a welcoming, closely-knit community. We are one of the fastest-growing counties in Michigan.
Allegan County Government places high importance on our core values: Respect, Integrity, Commitment and Honesty. A common thread among our leadership, employees and volunteers is a strong desire to serve and be part of something meaningful. We have been recognized by Gallagher as “Best in Class Winner” among mid-size companies for our excellence in optimizing employee and organizational well-being for three years in a row (2023-2025). We have also received the “Impact Award” from M.E.R.S. for excellence in educating our employees about their retirement plans and overall financial wellness. We are looking for dedicated, caring, energetic people to join our team!

Job Summary: 

The County’s Project Management Services Team is Responsible for project planning, management and oversight to ensure successful outcomes for the County’s capital projects, contracts for services, major procurements and strategic initiatives. Team members are typically engaged during a project’s planning, scoping, development and contracting phases as necessary to bring each project to the threshold of execution. Unlike many traditional project management positions, this position does not typically manage or coordinate individual projects during implementation and it is largely sedentary by nature. The ideal candidate will have extensive writing experience (e.g., grants, proposals, scopes of work, technical specifications); a breadth of knowledge across multiple fields (e.g., facilities, information technology, public safety, health and human services); government or public sector exposure; and demonstrated project planning ability.

This position is responsible for supporting project management to ensure the success of the County’s capital projects, contracts for services, major procurements and strategic initiatives. Research, analyze and compile information to support efficient project planning, development and execution. Emphasis is on the planning, communication, coordination and document management needed to support these activities.

Starting Wage: $28.54 per hour, full-time 

Excellent Benefits Plan: Health benefits begin on the first of the month after your hire date
- Medical, Dental & Vision (3 medical plans to choose from, 2 of which have a $0 premium)
- County-funded Health Savings Account with our two high-deductible medical plans
- County-paid employee life insurance coverage
- County-paid short-term disability coverage, up to 52 weeks
- Generous retirement plan, including a county contribution of 7% of your annual earnings
- Tuition Reimbursement Program for college degree courses
- Generous PTO plan, including front-loaded hours into PTO bank at hire, and annually on January 1.
- 13 paid holidays, in addition to PTO
- FREE use of Allegan County government's two fitness centers 
 

Responsibilities and Duties

1. Support the organization in planning and scoping projects by researching, retrieving and compiling relevant background information (e.g., inventory, usage, historic costs, etc.) while considering alternatives.
2. During project development stages, draft language for scopes of work, specifications, agreements and other related documents necessary for making public procurements associated with capital improvement projects, major operational expenses and contracted services.
3. Research vendors, request quotes and distribute requests for proposals to solicit bids as needed to purchase goods and secure contractors.
4. Review and analyze quotes, proposals and contracts received from bidders and other entities to formulate award recommendations following-up with bidders, stakeholders, legal counsel and the County’s insurance provider as necessary.
5. Actively monitor project progress to ensure projects are completed on time, in scope and on budget.
6. Review, enter and submit invoices received from vendors for projects and specific operational activities, working with vendors to resolve any billing issues.
7. Maintain a list of active contracts and agreements and monitor expiration dates along with historic and projected expenditures on contracted services.
8. Maintain a list of County assets, monitor their condition and life cycles, estimate replacement years and costs.
9. Maintain project-related content within the County’s comprehensive project information system used to capture, organize, store, share and communicate information on projects and contracted services.
10. Work with Allegan County service areas to identify, develop and improve official records processes as defined by the State of Michigan Records Management Department.
11. Identify and facilitate improvements to County’s project management, procurement, and other business processes.

Required Education and Experience: 

• Associate’s Degree in a field that demonstrates development of key skills in one or more of the following areas - project/resource/asset planning and management; proposal/grant/technical writing; purchasing/procurement; review and analysis of proposals/costs/contracts/legal terms and conditions; business administration.
• Three years of progressively responsible experience in one or more of the areas described above.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 (Word, Excel, Outlook, Teams), SharePoint, Adobe Acrobat, and document management systems.

Preferred Education and Experience: 

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Experience in local government or public-sector.
• Experience with ERP systems, project management software, or capital improvement planning.
• CAPM or PMP certification.
• Experience across a broad range of projects (e.g., facilities, information technology, public safety).