Ready to jump into a personally rewarding career where you can make a difference in the important work of government? As a Contract Specialist, you will be provided opportunities to use and develop skills in collaboration, problem solving, writing, research and more. Agencies rely on their Contract Specialists to achieve critical missions, deliver value and provide a strong customer experience. Apply now!
We are currently filling many vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.
Summary
Ready to jump into a personally rewarding career where you can make a difference in the important work of government? As a Contract Specialist, you will be provided opportunities to use and develop skills in collaboration, problem solving, writing, research and more. Agencies rely on their Contract Specialists to achieve critical missions, deliver value and provide a strong customer experience. Apply now!
We are currently filling many vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.
As a Contract Specialist, you will perform the following duties:
Perform acquisition planning and conduct acquisition related research; identify market conditions to determine adequacy of competition; consult policies, procedures, and regulations to ensure understanding and compliance; and develop foundational procurement knowledge of regulations, policies and legislations.
Prepare various acquisition/contracting documents including solicitations, negotiation documents, and award decision documents in accordance with policy, regulation, and guidance; prepare reports, awards and administrative contract actions; review and edit acquisition documents and briefings; provide feedback on various documents; and use plain language writing skills.
Coordinate required reviews for contract and contract related actions; utilize audit information of government findings on contractor and subcontractor proposals to support and assist in negotiating the final contract price; and interpret technical and legal decisions to assess the impact on the contract.
Collaborate with team members on acquisition strategy; work with others in promoting a supportive team environment; engage in information sharing for the benefit of others; and work collaboratively with numerous program offices and agency stakeholders.
Communicate regularly with internal and external customers, contracting staff, and management officials; initiate and actively engage in meetings with stakeholders; ask questions and seek answers to understand; consult with and support internal and external customers; make recommendations for negotiating conventional modifications; and conduct rejection debriefs.
Manage multiple assignments and priorities; estimate and report on expected milestones for completion of tasks; and understand how individual tasks fit inside a broader process.
US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
Register with the Selective Service, if you are a male born after 12/31/1959
If selected, you must meet the following conditions:
Receive authorization from OPM on any job offer you receive, if you are or were (within the last 5 years) a Schedule A, Schedule C, or non-career SES political appointee.
Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
Undergo and pass a background investigation (security levels will vary).
Have your identity and work status eligibility verified if you are not a GSA employee. We will use the Department of Homeland Security's e-Verify system for this. Any discrepancies must be resolved as a condition of continued employment.
Qualifications
For each job on your resume, provide:
the exact dates you held each job (from month/year to month/year)
number of hours per week you worked (if part time).
If you have volunteered your service through a National Service program (e.g., Peace Corps, Americorps), we encourage you to apply and include this experience on your resume.
For a brief video on creating a Federal resume, click here.
The GS-9 salary range starts at $54,727.00 per year. If you are a new federal employee, your starting salary will likely be set at the Step 1 of the grade for which you are selected.
BASIC REQUIREMENT for Contract Specialist positions (you must meet A, B, or C):
A. Have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor`s degree with a major in any field.
B. Have completed 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. On January 1, 2000 you held a position in the federal service in the GS-1102 series & your position was at one of the following grade levels: GS-5, GS-7, GS-9, GS-11, or GS-12. You have continually held this occupational series since January 1, 2000.
In addition to the Basic Requirement listed above, you must meet one of the following to qualify for the GS-9 level:
A. EXPERIENCE: Your resume must show one year of full-time experience demonstrating accomplishment of the competencies described below:
Collaboration: Holds self and others accountable to work collaboratively to achieve results that meet the needs of various stakeholders.
Critical Thinking/Problem Solving: Employs critical thinking to effectively analyze and solve problems, using both logic and techniques to develop well-thought-out solutions and efficiently manage resources.
Oral Communication: Verbally communicates with clear, concise, and professional language free from the use of slang/acronyms. Actively listens, asks questions, and de-escalates difficult situations as needed.
Priority Management: Manages a variety of competing tasks and priorities while meeting deadlines.
*Research: Independently research applicable procedures, guidance, and policies to identify relevant portions. Identify and locate quality, appropriate, & applicable sources pertaining to subjects of interest. Compare information from multiple, diverse sources.
Written Communication: Effectively communicates in writing, demonstrating clear, concise, organized, and convincing messaging for the intended audience with minimal punctuation and grammatical errors.
*NOTE: JOA was amended to include Research competency on 11-APR-2022.
B. EDUCATION: A master's or equivalent degree or two full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in the field of accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management; or a LL.B. or JD., if related to perform the work of a Contract Specialist.
C. COMBINATION: A combination of experience and graduate level education as described in "A" and "B" above that, when combined, fulfills the requirements.
Education
Note: 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 here.
Additional information
Bargaining Unit Status: Varies upon location
If you are selected at a grade lower than the full performance level, you may be promoted up to that grade level without having to re-apply or compete against other applicants.
Relocation-related expenses are not approved and will be your responsibility.
If you are selected, you will participate in a developmental program. You will be given assignments and training to prepare you to be successful in the position.
Additional vacancies may be filled from this announcement as needed; through other means; or not at all.
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.
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.
How you will be evaluated
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
When the agency completes their selections, the remaining list of qualified candidates may be put on a government-only site where your information will be accessible to hiring managers and HR specialists across the United States Government (USG) for the amount of time specified in the job announcement. You will have an opportunity to opt-in if you would like your name, application material, and assessment results shared to be considered for employment with additional agencies. There is no guarantee of further consideration and you can continue to explore job opportunity announcements.
The qualifications for this position will be evaluated by subject matter experts. Apply only if you meet the qualifications. We will use a method called Category Rating to assess your application. Here's how it will work:
In addition to the criteria indicated in the Qualifications section, you will be scored on the questions you answer and other assessment hurdles during the application process. The USA Hire assessment will measure your possession of the following competencies:
Accountability
Attention to Detail
Customer Service
Flexibility
Influencing/Negotiating
Integrity/Honesty
Interpersonal Skills
Learning
Self-Management
Stress Tolerance
Teamwork
The assessment hurdles for this position will include the following:
USA Hire
USA Hire is an assessment that measures general competencies and soft skills critical to this job. For additional information please see the How to Apply Section of this announcement and the Office of Personnel Management's website.
Resume Review
Subject matter experts will review the first three pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications for the position based on the required competencies.
Written Prompt
If your responses to the initial application reflect you initially meet the minimum qualifications for this position, you will be sent a written prompt via email to respond to after the closing of the announcement. The email will contain the prompt and additional instructions.
Qualifying Phone Interviews
If the subject matter experts determine that your resume reflects the required competencies, and you meet the basic qualification requirements, you will have at least one phone interview to further assess whether your experience meets the required competencies for this position. You may meet with more than one subject matter expert for a determination to be made.
Ranking and Preference
Veterans preference will be applied to applicants who move forward after the qualifying phone interviews.
Selection Process
Participating agencies will receive certificates with qualified and referred applicants and will begin making offers directly to applicants. Applicants may receive multiple offers.
Future Consideration
If you are not selected for this position you may be considered for similar positions at agencies for up to 1 year.
Your final score will be used to place you in one of the following categories and standard score ranges:
Best Qualified = Candidates scoring between 95 - 100
Well Qualified = Candidates scoring between 85 - 94 (Well Qualified for CTAP/ICTAP)
Qualified = Candidates scoring between 70 - 84
Within each category, veterans will receive selection priority over non-veterans.
If you are eligible under Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan or GSA's Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP/CTAP), you must receive a score of 85 or higher to receive priority.
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.
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.
ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.
Your resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. NOTE: Please limit your resume to 3 pages. If more than 3 pages are submitted, only the first 3 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
If you are claiming veterans preference:
(a) Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows the dates of your active duty service. If selected, a DD-214 showing your type of discharge (member 4 copy) will be required prior to appointment.
(b) If you are claiming 10-point preference or derived preference (a spouse, widow or widower, or parent of a deceased or disabled veteran), submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214:
(1) completed SF-15 form; and
(2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).
If you are active duty military- Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).
If you are ICTAP/CTAP eligible - submit a, b, and c:
(a) proof of eligibility including agency notice;
(b) SF-50, and
(c) most recent performance appraisal.
College transcripts: Since there is an education requirement for this position, you must submit a photocopy of your college transcript(s). Transcripts MUST show: name of the institution, student's name, course work / degree(s) completed and dates. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and resume, this position requires an online assessment (USA Hire). The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job
The USA Hire assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. 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:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, click here.
Office of Human Resources Management
1800 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20405
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your USA Hire assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
After the closing date/deadline:
ELIGIBILITY/QUALIFICATIONS: Your application will be reviewed for all requirements.
REFERRAL TO MANAGEMENT: If you meet all the requirements, you may be referred to management for review and a possible interview.
SELECTION/TENTATIVE JOB OFFER: If you are selected, you will receive a tentative offer and start the suitability and/or security background investigation process.
FINAL JOB OFFER: Once our security office determines you can come on board, you will be given a final offer, which is typically 40 days after the announcement closes
FINAL COMMUNICATION: Once the position is filled, we will notify you of your status. You may also check your status by logging into USAJOBS. Go to My USAJOBS and then to Applications.
Thank you for your interest in working for the U.S. General Services Administration!
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
ALL required documents must be submitted before the closing date. Review the following list to determine what you need to submit.
Your resume showing the applicant's name, email address, work schedule, hours worked per week, dates of employment and duties performed. NOTE: Please limit your resume to 3 pages. If more than 3 pages are submitted, only the first 3 pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility/qualifications.
If you are claiming veterans preference:
(a) Copy of your Certificate of Release or Discharge From Active Duty, DD-214 that shows the dates of your active duty service. If selected, a DD-214 showing your type of discharge (member 4 copy) will be required prior to appointment.
(b) If you are claiming 10-point preference or derived preference (a spouse, widow or widower, or parent of a deceased or disabled veteran), submit both of the following in addition to the DD-214:
(1) completed SF-15 form; and
(2) proof of your entitlement (refer to SF-15 for complete list).
If you are active duty military- Certification on a letterhead from your military branch that includes your rank, character of service (must be under honorable conditions) & military service dates including discharge/release date (must be no later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted).
If you are ICTAP/CTAP eligible - submit a, b, and c:
(a) proof of eligibility including agency notice;
(b) SF-50, and
(c) most recent performance appraisal.
College transcripts: Since there is an education requirement for this position, you must submit a photocopy of your college transcript(s). Transcripts MUST show: name of the institution, student's name, course work / degree(s) completed and dates. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.
If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:
Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.
In order to be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and resume, this position requires an online assessment (USA Hire). The online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job
The USA Hire assessment includes a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment.
Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include the initial online assessment and submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. 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:
To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button.
Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation.
Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on the announcement closing date.
After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification.
If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements.
Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account.
To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Update Application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed.
To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each Application Status means, click here.
Office of Human Resources Management
1800 F Street NW
Washington, DC 20405
US
Next steps
Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
Your USA Hire assessment results will be kept on record for one year and used toward future positions for which you might apply that require the same assessments.
To be considered for the position, you must meet all qualifications, including meeting or exceeding the cut score on the required assessments.
After the closing date/deadline:
ELIGIBILITY/QUALIFICATIONS: Your application will be reviewed for all requirements.
REFERRAL TO MANAGEMENT: If you meet all the requirements, you may be referred to management for review and a possible interview.
SELECTION/TENTATIVE JOB OFFER: If you are selected, you will receive a tentative offer and start the suitability and/or security background investigation process.
FINAL JOB OFFER: Once our security office determines you can come on board, you will be given a final offer, which is typically 40 days after the announcement closes
FINAL COMMUNICATION: Once the position is filled, we will notify you of your status. You may also check your status by logging into USAJOBS. Go to My USAJOBS and then to Applications.
Thank you for your interest in working for the U.S. General Services Administration!
Fair and transparent
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
