Contract Specialist

This role is for an experienced federal contracting professional, overseeing complex acquisition processes from planning through negotiation and award. You will play a critical part in ensuring compliant and efficient procurement.

• *Key Responsibilities:**
• **Procurement Planning:** Develop comprehensive acquisition and procurement plans, manage milestone charts, and maintain related schedules.
• **Pre-Award Activities:** Prepare and review essential documents such as justifications, determinations, findings, and source selection plans. Advise program officials on procurement objectives for Statements of Work (SOWs).
• **Source Selection:** Design various contract vehicles, conduct pre-proposal conferences, perform in-depth cost and price analyses, determine competitive ranges, and evaluate contractor responsibility.
• **Negotiation & Award:** Serve as a warranted Contracting Officer and lead negotiator. Utilize quantitative analysis to develop negotiation strategies, conduct negotiations, document results, and apply cost/price analysis techniques for price reasonableness. May serve as Source Selection Authority.
• *Required Qualifications:**
• *Experience:**
• A minimum of 52 weeks of specialized experience at the GS-12 grade level in federal contracting for current federal employees seeking promotion.
• Experience must demonstrate proficiency in procurement planning, source selection, and negotiation as outlined in the responsibilities.
• Qualifying experience includes paid and unpaid (volunteer) work, including National Service programs.
• *Education:**
• This position requires specific educational qualifications. You must provide official transcripts from institutions accredited by the U.S. Department of Education.
• Applicants with foreign education must provide evidence demonstrating comparability to accredited U.S. education.
• *Certifications:**
• **Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional:** Must achieve certification within 36 months of entrance on duty. New hires without certification are required to meet FAC-C (Professional) requirements, which include foundational training and an examination.
• **Certification Equivalencies:**

* Current federal employees certified at FAC-C Levels I, II, or III are automatically recognized as FAC-C (Professional). * A valid DOD Contracting Professional Certification is equivalent to FAC-C (Professional). * A valid FAC-C (Professional) also meets Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-COR) requirements.

• *Other Requirements:**
• U.S. Citizenship is required.