About the Position: This position is located at the Mark Center Building in Alexandria, VA. The Mark Center is the new location for the Washington Headquarters Services of the United States Department of Defense and a number of other DoD agencies.
About the Position: This position is located at the Mark Center Building in Alexandria, VA. The Mark Center is the new location for the Washington Headquarters Services of the United States Department of Defense and a number of other DoD agencies.
Who May Apply: U.S. Citizens
In order to qualify, you must meet the education/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.
This position has a positive education requirement based on the occupational series under which you are applying. Education above the high school level must have been completed in a U.S. college, university, or other educational institution that has been accredited by one of the accrediting agencies or associations recognized by the Secretary, U.S. Department of Education. Applicants must meet one of the below requirements in order to meet the Basic Education Requirement for this position.
Basic Requirement for a 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:
Specialized Experience for GS-09: One year of specialized experience which includes evaluating quotes and/or proposals; applying acquisition regulations to actions; and administering contracts. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-07).
-OR-
Education: Master's or equivalent graduate degree or 2 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree or LL.B. or J.D. in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
Specialized Experience for GS-11: One year of specialized experience which includes evaluating quotes and/or proposals; negotiating price, terms, and/or conditions of contracts; and applying acquisition regulations to actions. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the second lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-09).
-OR-
Education: Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree in a field which demonstrates the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work of the position, such as: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.
Specialized Experience for GS-12: One year of specialized experience which includes creating contracts; negotiating, awarding and/or administering contracts; providing procurement planning; and ensuring compliance with acquisition regulations. This definition of specialized experience is typical of work performed at the next lower grade/level position in the federal service (GS-11).
Some federal jobs allow you to substitute your education for the required experience in order to qualify. For the GS-12 job, you must meet the qualification requirement using experience alone--no substitution of education for experience is permitted.
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: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ous/international/usnei/us/edlite-visitus-forrecog.html
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.
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.
Once the announcement has closed, a review of your resume package(resume, supporting documents, and responses to the questionnaire) will be used to determine whether you meet the qualification requirements listed on this announcement.
If, after reviewing your resume and/or supporting documentation, a determination is made that you have inflated your qualifications and/or experience, you may lose consideration for this position. Please follow all instructions carefully when applying, errors or omissions may affect your eligibility.
You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation.
Veterans and Military Spouses will be considered along with all other candidates.
The documents you are required to submit vary based on the authority you are using to apply (i.e., applying as a veteran, applying as a current permanent Federal employee, applying as a reinstatement, etc). Please review the following links to see which documents you need to provide to prove your eligibility to apply: Applicant Checklist External.
As described above, your complete application includes your resume, your responses to the online questionnaire, and documents which prove your eligibility to apply. If you fail to provide these documents, you will be marked as having an incomplete application package and you will not be considered any further.
1. Your resume:
Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.
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.
To apply for this position, you must complete the online questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section above.
The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on 08/06/2026 to receive consideration.
If you provided an email address, you will receive an email message acknowledging receipt of your application. Your application package will be used to determine your eligibility, qualifications, and quality ranking for this position. If you are determined to be ineligible or not qualified, your application will receive no further consideration.
The Federal hiring process is set up to be fair and transparent. Please read the following guidance.
