CONTRACT SPECIALIST

Summary

About the Position: Incumbent performs pre-award and post-award contract specialist duties, including acquisition planning, analysis, negotiation, administration, coordination, and related contracting functions, at the GS-07 grade level through the full performance GS-12 grade level. This announcement is intended to fill multiple vacancies. Selectees will be assigned to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers duty location, negotiable only to the locations listed in this announcement.

Duties

• Plan contract actions with program staff and choose the best acquisition approach.
• Advise customers on contracting rules, resolve issues, and support competition and compliance.
• Review bids and proposals, analyze price or cost, and support fair negotiations.
• Prepare solicitations, amendments, and award documents for supplies, and services.
• Manage contracts after award, track performance, and process changes, payments, and closeout.

Qualifications

Who May Apply: Only applicants who meet one of the employment authority categories below are eligible to apply for this job. You will be asked to identify which category or categories you meet, and to provide documents which prove you meet the category or categories you selected. See Proof of Eligibility for an extensive list of document requirements for all employment authorities. Current Civilian Employees of the Command Domestic Defense Industrial Base/Major Range and Test Facilities Base Civilian Personnel Workforce Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan Land Management Workforce Flexibility Act Military Spouses, under Executive Order (E.O.) 13473 Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Reserve (MR) and National Guard (NG) Technician Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD Military Spouse Preference (MSP) Eligible Priority Placement Program, DoD MR and NG Preference Eligible Tech Receiving Disability Retirement Priority Placement Program, DoD Retained Grade Preference Eligible Veterans Employment Opportunity Act (VEOA) of 1998 In order to qualify, you must meet the education and experience requirements described below. 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). You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience. Your resume must clearly describe your relevant experience; if qualifying based on education, your transcripts will be required as part of your application. Additional information about transcripts is in this document. Basic Requirement for Contract Specialist: Degree: Bachelor's degree (or higher degree) from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. OR Exemption: You are exempt from the education requirements above if (A) you are a current civilian employee in DoD who occupied GS-1102 positions or contracting positions with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in an Executive Department on or before September 30, 2000; OR (B) you are a current military member who occupied a similar occupational specialty to the GS (or equivalent)-1102 on or before September 30, 2000. In addition to meeting the basic requirement above, to qualify for this position you must also meet the qualification requirements listed below: GS-07 Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify for the GS-07 grade level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level in the Federal service in at least 3 of the following areas: 1. Assisting in preparing basic solicitation documents and purchase orders for commercial supplies or services using simplified acquisition procedures. OR 2. Reviewing vendor quotes and basic bids for administrative completeness and compliance with solicitation terms. OR 3. Tracking contractor delivery schedules, checking routine payment invoices for accuracy, and assembling file documentation for contract closeout. OR 4. Conducting basic market research to identify potential vendors and increase competition. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level (GS-05) position in the federal service. GS-09 Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify for the GS-09 grade level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level in the Federal service in at least 3 of the following areas: 1. Preparing solicitations, amendments, and award packages for standard firm-fixed-price supplies, services, or routine construction projects. OR 2. Performing basic price or cost analysis on vendor quotes and proposals to determine price reasonableness. OR 3. Administering active contracts by monitoring contractor performance, issuing routine contract modifications, and verifying project deliverables. OR 4. Participating on acquisition teams to assist with pre-bid conferences, competitive range determinations, and vendor debriefings. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level (GS-07) position in the federal service. GS-11 Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify for the GS-11 grade level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level in the Federal service in at least 3 of the following areas: 1. Developing pre-award documentation (i.e.; acquisition plans, and/or solicitations for procurements, services, or contracts). OR 2. Performing cost/price analysis on proposals, including tasks such as evaluating labor rates, overhead costs, and subcontractor pricing data. OR 3. Participating in negotiations, performing duties such as establishing objectives, calculate profit targets, or draft pre/post-negotiation documentation. OR 4. Managing post-award administration for contracts, including processing agreements, evaluating contractor performance, closing out files, and/or issuing notices. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level (GS-09) position in the federal service. GS-12 Specialized Experience Requirement: To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, applicants must possess at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 level in the Federal service in at least 3 of the following areas: 1. Performing pre-award, post-award and closeout work for various contracting projects, OR 2. Negotiating and awarding contracts and contract modifications. OR 3. Performing price/cost analysis and monitoring contractor's performance. OR 4. Performing work associated with the termination of contracts. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11). Time in Grade Requirement: Applicants who have held a General Schedule (GS) position within the last 52 weeks must have 52 weeks of Federal service at the next lower grade or equivalent. For the GS-07 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-05 level. For the GS-09 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-07 level. For the GS-11 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-09 level. For the GS-12 you must have 52 weeks at the GS-11 level. Qualification requirement: Qualifications must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

FOREIGN EDUCATION: If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show 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. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

How to apply

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete all required questionnaires, assessments and submit all required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Click the Apply Online button. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. As a reminder, your resume must be two pages or less and must support the specialized experience described in this announcement. Resumes exceeding two pages will be removed from consideration. For additional information, refer to the 'Required Documents' section. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13051661 Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on 09/11/2026. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside about two (2) hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980562523540-USA-Hire-Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.