Contracts Specialist - Senior/Expert

National Reconnaissance Office (NRO)

Job Description

We Are The NRO

For sixty years, the NRO has developed, acquired, launched and operated the satellites that are the foundation for America’s advantage and strength in space. Using a diversified architecture of spacecraft, NRO collects and delivers the best space-based intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance content on the planet.

Learn more at nro.gov.

Basic Eligibility For A Position With The NRO

U.S. Citizenship is required
You must be able to obtain and maintain a TS/SCI security clearance
You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic drug testing
You will be subject to pre-employment and periodic polygraph examinations

Where You Will Work

The NRO is seeking strategic minds to join our Office of Contracts! We’re looking for professionals with experience in negotiation, contract management, federal regulations, and financial acumen to manage diverse portfolios at the NRO!

Do you enjoy negotiating and managing contracts? Are you a finance, accounting, business, marketing, economics or other relevant field of study professional looking for an exciting challenge? Does managing and overseeing multi-million-dollar acquisition and procurement contracts for reconnaissance satellite systems to ensure the safety and security of the United States interest you?

The NRO Cadre is collecting resumes for consideration against current and future opportunities for senior/expert level, Contracts Specialists, occupational series 1102. For more information on the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) occupational series, click here.

This is a full time position. Your resume may be considered for other positions which your skills and experience may be a good match.

Who May Apply

This position is open to the public.
Federal government employees MUST currently be at the grade level or higher as indicated in this announcement. This is NOT a promotion opportunity for current Federal government employees. If selected for the position, Federal government employees will transition laterally at their current grade level and step.
Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade IAW DoWI 1400.25 Volume 2006.
The NRO is only accepting external applicants for this job announcement. Current NRO Cadre employees should apply internally.
This position does not qualify for the appointment of a Reemployed Federal Annuitant IAW DoWI 1400.25 Volume 300.

What You Will Be Doing

As a Contract Specialist at the NRO, you’ll oversee acquisitions spanning facilities management, cutting-edge research and development initiatives, services, and sophisticated reconnaissance satellite systems critical to national security. Duties will include the following:

Lead a team of Contracting Officers and Contract Specialists in providing contract support to NRO program offices. Providing guidance, coaching, and assistance to team members on acquisition issues.
Serve as chief negotiator and team lead, plan negotiation strategies to ensure attainment of goals and arrive at an agreement in the Government's best interest in technical and cost areas.
Serve as a liaison with program offices, providing advice on acquisition issues and long-range strategic planning.
Audit or review major acquisitions, present findings, recommend corrective actions and policy or procedure improvements.
Provide budgetary, finance and accounting, management analysis oversight of expenditures to ensure propriety and compliance with financial, fiscal, and auditing directives.
Analyze productivity, workload, and program accomplishment of subordinate team members.
Provide technical guidance and assistance to all components to improve the execution of the contracting mission and to advance process improvements to standardize procedures.
Develop procedures and documentation for both internal processes and administrative controls.
Perform procurement planning and identifying large-scale subsystems, components, equipment, and services to be acquired by contract.
Implement policy and procedures, coordinating and requesting personnel actions, interviewing candidates for positions, appointments, promotions, and reassignments.
Develop organization-wide contracting policies and procedures necessary to implement acquisition directives and regulations.
Apply objective criteria for evaluating proposals of competing offer to provide the best contractual terms for quality, quantity, timeliness, flexibility, and price.

What You Need

This position requires minimum education of a Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees AND 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) in addition to the requirements below.
A minimum of 8 years of relevant experience.
Knowledgeable in the use of program analyses techniques to review program performance and plans for improvements.
Employee must meet, or be capable of meeting, the Defense Acquisition Work Improvement Act (DAWIA) requirements applicable to the position. The incumbent in this position will be required to obtain and maintain a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) or Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) in Contracting Certification Level III.  DAWIA requirements may be located at the Defense Acquisition University website.

Qualifying experience may have been acquired in any public or private sector job, but will clearly demonstrate past experience in the application of the particular competencies/knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to successfully perform and is typically in or directly related to the duties of the position as described above. Experience must be reflected in your resume.

Applicants submitting a resume that exceeds the two-page limit per OPM Memorandum, “Merit Hiring Plan,” dated May 29, 2025, -memos/merit-hiring-plan.pdf will not be eligible for consideration. For more information regarding resume writing, see “Guidance for Applicants on 2-Page Resume” and visit the Resume Help Center.

Other Information

Overtime Statement: May be required to work other than normal duty hours, which may include evenings, weekends, and/or holidays.
Travel Statement: May be required to travel in military or commercial aircraft to perform temporary duty assignments.
Financial Disclosure: May be required to file an OGE Form 450, Confidential Financial Disclosure Report, upon appointment and will be required to file annually.
Geographic Mobility Agreement: May be subject to directed reassignment as required to address mission effectiveness, and/or career development.
Information Assurance (IA): Must achieve the appropriate IA certification within six months of assignment.
Emergency Essential: Certain positions are deemed emergency essential and incumbents must be willing to meet all position requirements.
Super Intelligence or SI (formerly known as Artificial Intelligence or AI) has been updated in accordance with Executive Order 14434, dated September 29, 2026. Please visit - actions/2026/09/inaugurating -the-era-of-super-intelligence/ for additional information.

Location
Chantilly, VA

Salary
2026 Salary Range for the Washington, DC Area:

GG-14: $143,913 - $187,093
GG-15: $169,279 - $197,200

This position is a senior/expert level DCIPS position . The NRO is accepting applications from U.S. Citizens and current Federal Government employees for this position. To qualify for the position, Federal government employees MUST currently be at the 14/15 grade level and may ONLY apply for a lateral reassignment at their current grade level and step. Federal applicants who exceed the advertised grade may voluntarily request acceptance at the lower grade per IAW DoWI 1400.25 Volume 2006.

Hiring Incentives

The NRO may offer hiring incentives and other entitlements at management’s discretion.

Trial Period

All new DCIPS employees will be required to serve a 2-year trial period.

Veterans’ Preference

DoW Components with DCIPS positions apply Veterans’ Preference to preference eligible candidates as defined by Section 2108 of Title 5 USC, in accordance with the procedures provided in DoW Instruction 1400.25, Vol 2005, DCIPS Employment and Placement. If you are a veteran claiming veterans’ preference, as defined by section 2108 of Title 5 USC, you must submit documents verifying your eligibility upon request.

Equal Employment Opportunity Policy

The United States Government does not discriminate in employment on the basis of race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy and gender identity), national origin, political affiliation, sexual orientation, marital status, disability, genetic information, age, membership in an employee organization, retaliation, parental status, military service, or other non-merit factor.

Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) for federal employees & job applicants

Reasonable Accommodation Policy

Federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodation to applicants with disabilities where appropriate. Applicants requiring reasonable accommodation for any part of the application process should follow the instructions in the job opportunity announcement. For any part of the remaining hiring process, applicants should contact the hiring agency directly. Determinations on requests for reasonable accommodation will be made on a case-by-case basis.

A reasonable accommodation is any change to a job, the work environment, or the way things are usually done that enables an individual with a disability to apply for a job, perform job duties or receive equal access to job benefits.

Under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, federal agencies must provide reasonable accommodations when:

An applicant with a disability needs an accommodation to have an equal opportunity to apply for a job.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to perform the essential job duties or to gain access to the workplace.
An employee with a disability needs an accommodation to receive equal access to benefits, such as details, training, and office-sponsored events.

You can request a reasonable accommodation at any time during the application or hiring process or while on the job. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis. Please send your request to View email address on ziprecruiter.com.

Privacy Act Notice

Privacy Act Notice (PL 93-579): We use this information to determine qualifications for employment. This is authorized under Title 5 U.S.C. 3302 and 3361.