Contract Specialist

Summary

The purpose of this position is to serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with responsibility for performing professional work involving the procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy.

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Duties

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***THIS IS NOT A VIRTUAL POSITION OR REMOTE POSITION. YOU MUST BE IN COMPLIANCE WITH THE RETURN TO OFFICE POLICY AND BE ABLE TO WORK ON SITE AT VA OWN/LEASED SPACE***

This is an OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT . The initial cut-off date for referral of eligible applications will be September 8th, 2026, with subsequent cut-off dates every 2 weeks after that. Eligible applications received after that date will be referred at regular intervals or as additional vacancies occur on an as-needed basis until positions are filled.

Incumbent assists the Branch Chief in coordinating contracting activities, performing contract reviews, providing guidance regarding complex contracts administered by other Contract Specialists, identifying special training needs, conducting mentoring, and supporting contract training. The incumbent will guide, assist, mentor, and train Contract Specialists. The incumbent will be required to possess the requisite skills and experience to effectively deal with an assortment of contract issues at a full performance level.

Duties includes but are not limited to:

• Fully utilize electronic systems for: contract writing (eCMS), long-term contract management and reporting (FPDS), and financial management (IFCAP) in accordance with agency policies. Incumbent ensures uploaded information is accurate and in the correct format.
• Provides data analysis for both formal and informal management meetings involving contracting and financial matters concerned with the establishment of policies and decisions leading to the accomplishment of mandated VHA goals and objectives.
• Assists the requiring activities by serving as a member of acquisition planning teams. In this role, incumbent aids requiring activities in performing market research, reviewing specifications and drawings, reviewing statements of work, other required documents, and approving acquisition milestone plans.
• Responsible for selecting the appropriate method of procurement (i.e. - simplified acquisition procedures, sealed-bidding, or negotiations). Responsible for advertising all applicable requirements and preparing the solicitation document using agency contract writing systems for issuance, ensuring regulatory and legal sufficiency, and promoting maximum competition.
• When authorized, incumbent serves as the Source Selection Authority (SSA) and establishes Technical Evaluation Boards (TEB) to determine acceptability and ranking of technical proposals. Identifies appropriate negotiation team members, formulates pre-negotiation objectives, and facilitates the negotiation as the Senior Contract Specialist and chief negotiator.
• Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts. Conducts post-award conferences with contractor and government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract. Incumbent negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency.

Work Schedule: Monday-Friday 8:00am-4:30pm

Telework: This position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process.

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Contract Specialist/ PD52417A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment. The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job.
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Physical Requirements: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required.
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/01/2027.

Certification Requirements:

This is a Warranted Contracting Officer position. Incumbent shall meet all requirements and apply for a Warrant within 120-days of assignment. Incumbent shall successfully obtain subject Warrant within 60-days of submitting their application. Warrant application dollar value should be at the maximum, beneficial amount. Branch Chief has discretion in determining subject application dollar value. Incumbent will execute their own contract awards and provide signatory authority for staff lacking requisite Warrant authority

Individual Occupational Requirements for Contracting Series, 1102 Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above

A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position.

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B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D.

D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below:

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-12 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to:

• Perform technical contract reviews.
• Interprets written material, including technical material, rules, regulations, and instructions.
• Identifies trends from reviews performed and prepares reports.
• Coordinates responses to external and internal audits, surveys and reviews.
• Develops action plans and/or recommendation to meet performance monitors/measures.

Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level.

The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications:

• Expert mastery of federal and VA acquisition regulations, contract law, and full contract-administration procedures, including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and closeouts.
• Advanced proficiency in cost/price analysis and negotiation techniques, including evaluating contractor proposals, conducting negotiations, and determining fair and reasonable pricing across multiple contract types.
• Comprehensive knowledge of diverse contracting methods and markets, including simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, cost reimbursement, commercial items, socio-economic set-aside categories, and A/E and construction contracting processes.
• Strong contract administration and communication abilities, ensuring contractor compliance, resolving noncompliance issues, accurately using eCMS for solicitation through closeout, and effectively communicating with internal and external stakeholders.

Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from the Office of Procurement locations listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from these offices.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education.

Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education. For further information, visit:

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave : Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.