Description
EXEMPT
JOB ANNOUNCEMENT
Director of Child Nutrition Services - Financial Resources
$122,031 - $136,346 annually
Closes September 22,2026
The Washington State Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI) seeks to fill Director of Child Nutrition Services Financial Resources. This full-time permanent position is based in Olympia, Washington. This position may be eligible for partial to near full-time telework. Telework is a combination of in-building and off-site days. The position will be required to be in the office full-time for onboarding (The onboarding timeline will vary based on the selected candidate's existing skills, experience, and learning pace) after which, the position may be eligible to telework up to two days per week (days of the week to be determined with Supervisor). We encourage interested candidates to visit the OSPI website to gain insight into our agency.
About OSPI and our initiatives
OSPI is the primary agency charged with overseeing public K–12 education in Washington state. Working with the state's 295 public school districts and 7 state-tribal education compact schools, OSPI allocates funding and provides tools, resources, and technical assistance so every student in Washington is provided a high-quality public education.
At OSPI, we recognize that our employees are the key to the success of the agency. We are committed to our work but value the balance with our personal lives. We demonstrate our commitment to employees by providing an environment that stimulates professional growth and values them for their expertise. OSPI is a great place to work and has several initiatives to help create a great working environment, including:
We support a healthy work/life balance by offering flexible/alternative work schedules and mobile and telework options. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
We have a tuition assistance policy and support employees seeking tuition waiver through participating higher education organizations.
We have an Infant at Work Program that is based on long-term values of newborns and infant-parent bonding. Eligible employees who are new parents or legal guardians can bring their infant (six weeks to six months) when returning to work. (Depending on job duties and work location.)
We value and are actively involved in promoting diversity, equity and inclusion within OSPI by way of cross-divisional, collaborative committee. The focus of the committee includes employee engagement and education; reinforcing OSPI values; and maximizing the value of diversity and identifying strategies for inclusion.
Vision, Mission, and Values
Vision: All students prepared for post-secondary pathways, careers, and civic engagement.
Mission: Transform K-12 education to a system that is centered on closing opportunity gaps and is characterized by high expectations for all students and educators. We achieve this by developing equity-based policies and supports that empower educators, families, and communities.
Values: Ensuring Equity, Collaboration and Service, Achieving Excellence through Continuous Improvement, Focus on the Whole Child
Equity
Each student, family, and community possesses strengths and cultural knowledge that benefits their peers, educators, and schools. Ensuring educational equity:
Goes beyond equality; it requires education leaders to examine the ways current policies and practices result in disparate outcomes for our students of color, students living in poverty, students receiving special education and English Learner services, students who identify as LGBTQ+, and highly mobile student populations.
Requires education leaders to develop an understanding of historical contexts; engage students, families, and community representatives as partners in decision-making; and actively dismantle systemic barriers, replacing them with policies and practices that ensure all students have access to the instruction and support they need to succeed in our schools.
Position Overview
The Director of CNS Financial Resources serves as a member of the Child Nutrition Services (CNS) Leadership Team and reports to the Chief Nutrition Officer. This position provides leadership and oversight for the fiscal administration of federal and state Child Nutrition Program funds, including sponsor reimbursements, fiscal compliance, resource management, procurement review, audit and audit resolution activities, and Food Service Management Company (FSMC) contracting functions.
The director leads the CNS Financial Resources Department and supervises staff responsible for reimbursement claims, fiscal monitoring, procurement reviews, audit oversight, and sponsor technical assistance. This position works in close partnership with CNS leadership to ensure strong stewardship of public funds, compliance with federal and state requirements, and effective support for Child Nutrition Program operators across Washington State.
Successful performance in this role contributes to a committed, unified, and customer-focused agency by ensuring program sponsors receive timely financial support, clear guidance, and equitable access to Child Nutrition Program resources and services.
Key Responsibilities
This position supervises a multidisciplinary team and provides statewide leadership and oversight of fiscal administration, compliance, and financial accountability for USDA Child Nutrition Programs.
Lead division-wide efforts related to federal fiscal compliance, subrecipient payments, and financial risk management.
Provide oversight and accountability for federal and state Child Nutrition Program reimbursements and payments to program sponsors.
Serve as the division's lead authority for fiscal functions within Child Nutrition IT systems, including claim calculations, reimbursement controls, and payment-processing systems.
Supervise, coach, develop, and evaluate Child Nutrition Financial Resources Department staff.
Oversee fiscal monitoring activities related to sponsors' use of federal funds, including resource management, financial reviews, and corrective action processes.
Provide leadership and oversight of Procurement Reviews and procurement technical assistance for Child Nutrition Program operators.
Oversee audit compliance and audit resolution activities for Child Nutrition Program subrecipients.
Provide oversight of Food Service Management Company (FSMC) contracts, vended meal agreements, and other meal-service arrangements.
Develop, implement, and maintain fiscal policies, procedures, and guidance to ensure compliance with federal and state requirements.
Support the Chief Nutrition Officer in management of CNS administrative funding, budget development, expenditure monitoring, and financial planning.
Partner with CNS directors, OSPI Financial Resources, and state and federal partners to address complex fiscal, regulatory, and operational issues.
Required Qualifications: (this is degree and years of experience)
Bachelor's degree in accounting, auditing, business administration, business administration, public administration, public policy, or related field.
Minimum 5 years' work experience supervising staff or leading teams.
Minimum 5 years' work experience administering programs and implementing federal and/or state regulations
Experience supervising or leading staff and processes in a regulatory environment.
Auditing or program compliance experience.
Ability to formulate policy pertaining to federal fiscal changes, audit issues, and related topics.
Experience analyzing state and federal laws and regulations, accounting records, written evidence, oral testimony and policy statements.
Excellent communication skills and ability to build strong working relationships with internal and external audiences.
Demonstrated ability to manage multiple complex issues and tasks simultaneously.
Must reside of in the state of Washington as a condition of employment
Occasional travel to attend and provide work-related training, and for on-site sponsor monitoring
Must be in the office a minimum of 3 days a week
In addition to those required qualifications, our ideal applicant will also have some or all of the following:
Experience administering USDA Child Nutrition Programs or other federal nutrition, public health, or human-services programs.
Experience with federal grants management, subrecipient monitoring, or public-sector financial administration.
Experience overseeing audits, procurement reviews, reimbursement systems, or corrective-action processes.
Experience working with state government budgeting, accounting, or payment systems.
Experience delivering training and technical assistance to adult learners.
Desired Qualifications:
Knowledge of and experience with federal regulations, procedures, and policies of the US Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Programs
Compensation
The annual compensation for the position is $122,031 - $136,346 per year and depends upon experience, educational background and qualifications. Geographic differentials may be applied based on work location of successful candidate. Washington State offers a generous benefit package including health, dental and life insurance, retirement and an optional deferred compensation program. Please visit Health Care Authority for information regarding health benefits and the Department of Retirement Systems for retirement plan information. This position serves at the pleasure of the Superintendent and is Civil Service Exempt. This position is not represented by a bargaining unit.
Application Process
Those interested in this position must apply through Careers.wa.gov. Applications must include the following documents in MS Word and PDF format only:
A letter of interest specifically addressing the qualifications listed in this announcement;
A current résumé, and;
A list of three or more professional references.
Please address any questions to:
Sal Salazar, Human Resources
Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction
600 Washington Street Southeast
Olympia, Washington 98504-7200
360-725-6278: sal.salazar@k12.wa.us
Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the Human Resources Office at (360) 725-6270 or (360) 725-6066, or e-mail hroffice@k12.wa.us.
New Jobs Alert Service
OSPI offers a subscription service, which regularly notifies subscribers of new OSPI employment opportunities on careers.wa.gov. Subscribers are notified via text or email alert. If you are interested in this service, then please subscribe at this location.
OSPI is an equal opportunity employer and encourages applications from job seekers who will contribute to our diversity. OSPI provides equal access to all programs and services without discrimination based on sex, race, creed, religion, color, national origin, age, honorably discharged veteran or military status, sexual orientation including gender expression or identity, the presence of any sensory, mental, or physical disability, or the use of a trained dog guide or service animal by a person with a disability. If you would like, please include your name and gender pronouns in your application, to ensure we address you appropriately throughout the application process. Persons needing accommodation in the application process or this announcement in an alternative format may contact the human resource consultant listed in “Application Process.”
