Contract Specialist (12 Month Register)

Summary

This is an open-continuous announcement with an established initial cut-off date of Monday, February 02, 2026. Please see the "How You Will Be Evaluated" section for more information. See below for important information regarding this job. This position may be filled at grade levels GS-09, GS-11, and/or GS-12. Annual 2026 salary ranges (Steps 01 - 10) are listed below. GS-09: $68,013 - $88,421 GS-11: $82,289 - $106,982 GS-12: $98,630 - $128,221

Duties

• If selected at the GS-09 or GS-11 grade levels, the below responsibilities will be performed in a developmental capacity.
• Serving as the central point of contact for assigned procurements, performing intensive market research to determine availability of the product or producers and to develop new sources.
• Developing acquisition strategy involving previous history, market conditions and specifications or technical data packages, as well as reviewing Sourcing Strategy recommendations.
• Determining contract type, method of solicitation, options determination, and sources to be solicited
• Checking for adequacy of item description, previous contracts, requirement for option, and appropriate mailing list.
• Coordinating set-asides with the Small and Disadvantaged Business Utilization Office (SADBU).
• Inputting synopses for formal publications and sealed biddings in accordance with acquisition regulations.
• Considering and recommending acquisition plans to achieve socioeconomic goals for small or disadvantaged businesses, or for businesses in labor surplus areas.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Contract Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support: A. Basic Contracting Requirement: A.) A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees OR B.) a current civilian employee in DoD or member of the Armed Forces, who occupied an 1102 position, contracting officer position, or comparable military contracting position with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000, are excluded from the requirements of "A)" above. AND B. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. To qualify at the GS-09 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. To qualify at the GS-11 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. To qualify at the GS-12 level, applicants must possess one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector Applicants must meet eligibility requirements, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes: GS-09 With assistance, applying contracting/acquisition planning, principles, laws, statutes, regulations, and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions. Assisting in soliciting offers to procure a variety of requirements ranging from standard to specialized supplies or services. Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers. GS-11 With assistance, applying contracting/acquisition planning, principles, laws, statutes, regulations, and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions. Soliciting offers to procure a variety of requirements ranging from standard to specialized supplies or services. Participating in negotiations to procure supplies. Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers. GS-12 Applying and adapting contracting principles, laws, statutes, regulations, and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions. Soliciting offers to procure a variety of requirements ranging from standard to specialized supplies or services. Performing acquisition planning. Conducting negotiations to procure supplies. Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers. OR C. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: GS-09 Two years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a master's degree or master's or equivalent graduate degree. GS-11 Three years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a PhD or equivalent Doctorate degree. Such education must be from an accredited college or university, and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities to do the work. GS-12 Education may not be substituted in lieu of Specialized Experience for this grade level. OR D. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed post-high school education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements for grade levels GS-09 and GS-11 and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-09 and GS-11. Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional, philanthropic, religious, spiritual, community, student, social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

Are you using your education to qualify? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application. GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study. FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs and such education has been deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university.

How to apply

To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. To receive consideration for the initial cut-off date, the complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) of that established date. All applications received thereafter, will be considered should additional vacancies be received after the initial cut-off date in which additional cut-off dates will be established. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12846375.