Skip to main content
U.S. flag
Back to results
 

Contract Specialist

General Services Administration
Federal Acquisition Service

Summary

As a Contract Specialist at the full performance level, you will be responsible for the full range of pre-award and post-award functions within the Federal Acquisition Service (FAS).

Location determined upon selection.

FAS provides a vast array of innovative products, services, and solutions across government at the best value possible.

We are currently filling six vacancies, but additional vacancies may be filled as needed.

Overview

Help
Accepting applications
Open & closing dates
04/16/2026 to 04/22/2026
Salary
$62,640 - $145,468 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.

Pay scale & grade
GS 09 - 12
Locations
6 vacancies in the following locations:
San Francisco, CA
Lakewood, CO
Washington, DC
Atlanta, GA
Remote job
No
Telework eligible
Yes—This position is full-time in the office. In rare instances, situational telework may be approved on a case-by-case basis.
Travel Required
Occasional travel - Some travel may be required.
Relocation expenses reimbursed
No
Appointment type
Permanent
Work schedule
Full-time
Service
Competitive
Promotion potential
12
Job family (Series)
Supervisory status
No
Security clearance
Not Required
Drug test
No
Position sensitivity and risk
Moderate Risk (MR)
Trust determination process
Financial disclosure
Yes - OGE-450
Bargaining unit status
No
Announcement number
Q-2026-0003
Control number
865415500

Duties

Help

At a Contract Specialist at the full performance level, you will:

  • Serve as a liason between customers and vendors in an effort to procure the best value product/service from vendors to meet customer needs.
  • Be responsible for the full range of pre-award and post-award functions (e.g., acquisition planning, requirements development, solicitation preparation, price/cost analysis, negotiation, administration, termination, and contract closeout)
  • Procure a wide range of services or supplies utilizing a variety of acquisition methods and vehicles, such as the Multiple Award Schedules Program.
  • Monitor contractors to ensure products and services are delivered in accordance with terms and conditions of the contracts.

Requirements

Help

Conditions of employment

  • US Citizenship or National (Residents of American Samoa and Swains Island)
  • Meet all eligibility criteria within 30 days of the closing date
  • Meet time-in-grade within 30 days of the closing date, if applicable
  • Register with Selective Service if you are a male born after 12/31/1959

If selected, you must meet the following conditions:

  • Current or Former Political Appointees: The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) must authorize employment offers made to current or former political appointees. If you are currently, or have been within the last 5 years, a political Schedule A, Schedule C or Non­Career SES employee in the Executive Branch, you must disclose this information to the HR Office. Failure to disclose this information could result in disciplinary action including removal from Federal Service.
  • Serve a one year probationary period, if required.
  • Undergo and pass a background investigation (Tier 2 investigation level).
  • 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.
  • Complete a financial disclosure report to verify that no conflict, or an appearance of conflict, exists between your financial interest and this position.

Qualifications

GS-1102 Basic Requirement:

(A) A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field

or

(B) 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.

Exception Provision :If you occupied a GS-1102 position at the GS-5 through GS-12 on January 1, 2000, you are considered to meet the basic requirement. 

The GS-09 salary range starts at $62,640 per year

The GS-11 salary range starts at $75,788 per year.

The GS-12 salary range starts at $90,838 per year.

Locality pay may vary. 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.

To qualify for the GS-09, in addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 or higher in the Federal Service.

Specialized experience is defined as experience performing recurring and developmental contracting assignments to procure supplies and/or services. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:

  • Determining appropriate contracting methods and contract type;
  • Performing work related to the pre-award and/or post-award process;
  • Preparing solicitation documentation and drafting the final contract;
  • Evaluating vendor offers for responsiveness;
  • Identifying excessive or underestimated prices and negotiates prices;
  • Responding to and resolving common acquisition issues.

OR

Education may be substituted for specialized experience if you have a Master's (or equivalent graduate degree such as LL.B. or J.D. as specified in qualification standards or individual occupational requirements), or two academic years of progressively higher level graduate education. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and
abilities necessary to do the work.

OR

Have a combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience that when combined together meet the qualification requirements of this position.

To qualify for the GS-11, in addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 or higher in the Federal Service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience performing routine and developmental contracting assignments procuring supplies and/or services using a full range of contracting methods, contract vehicles and types. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:

  • Planning and carrying out routine pre-award and/or post-award acquisition actions;
  • Preparing solicitation documentation and drafting the final contract including recommendations for award;
  • Evaluating vendor offers for both technical and price/cost factors to ensure best value to the organization/agency;
  • Negotiating contracts, orders and/or modifications with few clauses or addendums;
  • Responding to and resolving acquisition questions/issues some of which require additional research to provide recommendations/responses.

OR

Education may be substituted for specialized experience if you have a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or have successfully completed three full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.M., if related. To be creditable, such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work.

OR

Have a combination of qualifying graduate education and specialized experience that when combined together meet the qualification requirements of this position.

To qualify for the GS-12, in addition to meeting the basic requirement, you must have at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-11 or higher in the Federal Service. 

Specialized experience is defined as experience performing contracting assignments procuring supplies and/or services using a wide range of contracting methods, contract vehicles and types. Procurement of these supplies and/or services at this level include:

  • Planning and carrying out pre- and post-award acquisition actions;
  • Preparing solicitation documentation incorporating necessary specialized provisions, and drafting the final contract;
  • Evaluating vendor offers for both technical and price/cost factors as well as evaluating bidders capacity to perform/comply with contract clauses and specifications;
  • Planning and conducting negotiations on price, technical requirements, terms, and conditions of the contract;
  • Responding to and resolving acquisition questions/issues that require research to provide recommendations/responses;
  • Analyzing contracting issues and identifying alternative courses of action.

A panel of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the resumes of qualified candidates and assign a score for each of these five required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs), for each grade, based on the experience documented in the resume and narrative responses below. 

GS-09

  • Knowledge of commonly used contracting methods and contract types relating to the performance of pre award, post award, and/or contract price/cost analysis functions when the contract actions are well defined and well precedented. 
  • Knowledge of formal advertising sufficient to solicit bids to procure a variety of requirements ranging from standard to specialized supplies, services.
  • Knowledge of post award procedures sufficient to administer firm fixed-price, time and materials, indefinite delivery, or other contracts. 
  • Knowledge of contract negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate or administer contracts where the contracting actions are well defined and well precedented. 
  • Skill in communicating effectively orally and in writing with internal and external stakeholders. 

GS-11

  • Knowledge of Federal contracting laws, policies, regulations and procedures to assist in acquiring and administering contracts for services, supplies, and equipment. 
  • Knowledge of cost and price analysis and cost accounting standards sufficient to perform a limited range of strategic, analytical and technical procurement assignments. 
  • Skill in communicating effectively orally, and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders. This includes presentation of clear and comprehensive contract file documentation sufficient to sustain audits and protests, as well as keeping management, customers, and contractors apprised of project status and key issues of concern. 
  • Knowledge of negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications, and settlements. Knowledge of various types of contracts, methods of contracting and selection factors to satisfy requirements and to conduct negotiations in the pre-award and post award phases of contracting. 

GS-12

  • Skill in applying Federal contracting laws, policies, regulations and procedures to acquire and administer contracts for a wide range of extensive or unique services, supplies, and equipment. 
  • Skill in communicating effectively, orally and in writing, with internal and external stakeholders to lead status meetings for internal and external stakeholders, administer cradle-to-grave contracts, and address contractor performance issues. 
  •  Knowledge of the full range of Federal socioeconomic and labor policies and regulations, including those related to small business, small disadvantaged business, women-owned business, the Javits-Wagner-O'Day Act, the Service Contract Act and the Davis-Bacon Act. 
  • Skill in the use of negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements. 
  • Knowledge of various types of contracts, methods of contracting, and selection factors to satisfy complex requirements and to conduct negotiations in the pre-award and post-award phases of contracting.

Education

This position has a positive education requirement: Applicants must submit a copy of their college or university transcript(s) and certificates by the closing date of announcements to verify qualifications. If selected, an official transcript will be required prior to appointment.

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:   https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/ 

Additional information

Candidates will not be hired based on their race, sex, color, religion, or national origin.

Applicants are encouraged to make their resume searchable in their USAJOBS.gov profile. This will allow Federal hiring specialists and hiring managers across agencies to find their resume as part of agency recruitment campaigns or staffing searches.

If you apply to this position and are selected, we will not ask about your criminal history before you receive a conditional job offer. If you believe you were asked about your criminal history improperly, contact the agency or visit GSA's webpage.

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.  

On a case-by-case basis, the following incentives may be approved:

·       Recruitment incentive if you are new to the federal government

·       Relocation incentive if you are a current federal employee

·       Credit toward vacation leave if you are new to the federal government

Additional vacancies may be filled through this announcement in this or other GSA organizations within the same commuting area as needed; through other means; or not at all.

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.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

A panel of Subject Matter Experts (SMEs) will review the resumes of qualified candidates and assign a score for each of the five required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) based on the experience documented in the resume and narrative responses.

Please refer to the KSAs listed above in the Qualifications section. Demonstration of these KSAs must be supported by your resume. Applicants should also make note of each KSA, as you will be asked to address them later in the application process.

Consideration will be given to performance appraisals and incentive awards in merit promotion selection decisions in accordance with 5 CFR 335.103(b)(3). You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume so that information will be taken into consideration during the selection process.  If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.

If you are eligible under the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) or GSA’s Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP), your resume must clearly demonstrate experience in at least 3 of the 5 required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities (KSAs) to receive priority consideration.


You may preview questions for this vacancy.

Federal Acquisition Service

Agency contact information

Natalie Snead-Burney
Phone
202-9695703
Fax
000-000-0000
Email
natalie.snead-burney@gsa.gov
Address
GSA, Federal Acquisition Service
Servicing HR Office:
GSA, Office of Human Resources Management (OHRM)
1800 F Street, NW
Washington, District of Columbia 20405
United States

Visit our careers page

Learn more about what it's like to work at Federal Acquisition Service, what the agency does, and about the types of careers this agency offers.

https://www.gsa.gov/about-us

Your session is about to expire!

Your USAJOBS session will expire due to inactivity in 8 minutes. Any unsaved data will be lost if you allow the session to expire. Click the button below to continue your session.