Contract Specialist

This Federal Contracting Series (1102) position offers opportunities at the GS-07, GS-09, or GS-11 levels, with potential for promotion without further competition if hired at a lower grade.

• *Certification Requirement:**
• Obtain Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification within 36 months of entry on duty.
• *Core Responsibilities (vary by GS level):**
• Assist in preparing and developing contract specifications, work statements, and quality assurance criteria.
• Develop procurement objectives, including competition and price range strategies.
• Construct contractual vehicles (solicitations) and apply relevant policies (e.g., pricing, subcontracting, set-asides).
• Procure and administer contracts/orders for supplies, services, equipment, and/or construction requirements.
• Perform market analysis, evaluate Requests for Proposals/Bids/Quotations, and determine appropriate acquisition methods.
• *Qualifications (Applicants must meet ONE of the following for the desired GS level):**
• *GS-07 Level:**
• **Experience:** One year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-05) providing assistance in preparing contract specifications, work statements, or quality assurance criteria; or
• **Education:** One full year of graduate-level education; or
• **Combination:** A blend of graduate education and specialized experience; or
• **Superior Academic Achievement (SAA):** Bachelor's degree with SAA based on class standing, GPA (3.0+ overall or 3.5+ in major), or national honor society membership.
• *GS-09 Level:**
• **Experience:** One year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-07) developing procurement objectives and constructing contractual vehicles (solicitations); or
• **Education:** A Master's/equivalent graduate degree or two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education (LL.B. or J.D. also qualify); or
• **Combination:** A blend of graduate education (beyond the first year) and specialized experience.
• *GS-11 Level:**
• **Experience:** One year of specialized experience (equivalent to GS-09) procuring and administering contracts, performing market analysis, evaluating proposals, and determining acquisition methods; or
• **Education:** A Ph.D./equivalent doctoral degree or three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education (LL.M., if related, also qualifies); or
• **Combination:** A blend of graduate education (beyond the first two years) and specialized experience.
• *Important Application Information:**
• All qualifications and eligibility requirements must be met by the closing date of the announcement.
• Experience includes both paid and unpaid/volunteer work.
• **Resume Limit:** Resumes must be no more than two pages. Exceeding this limit will prevent application submission via USAJOBS.
• **For Federal Employees:** Current or former GS federal employees must meet Time-in-Grade requirements (52 weeks at the next lower grade) and submit SF-50 form(s) verifying competitive service appointment, tenure, grade, and salary.