Contract Specialist

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 11/14/2024. Education/Experience GS-07: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-07 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below for the GS-07 Contract Specialist position: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-05) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; Various types of contracts and contract methods; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms, and conditions of contracts; Business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Monitoring contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have one full academic year of graduate education or law school, or a 4-year degree with superior academic achievement (SAA). To qualify on the basis of graduate education, graduate education must be in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. OR, Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have an combination of specialized experience and graduate education described above to meet the qualification requirements for this position. Education/Experience GS-09: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-09 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below for the GS-09 Contract Specialist position: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-07) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Acquisition regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration; Various types of contracts and contract methods; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications, and settlements; Commercial and industrial business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or masters or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B or JD. in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. OR, Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education that equates to 100% of the requirements for the GS-9 (only graduate education in excess of 1 year, 18 semester hours, can be used towards crediting a combination of education and experience). Education/Experience GS-11: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience and/or education requirement for the GS-11 grade. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education described below for the GS-11 Contract Specialist position: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-09) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Federal Acquisition regulations (or similar), VA Acquisition regulations (or similar), contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts; Various types of contracts including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement, and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items, and special provisions; Cost/price analysis techniques used in evaluation of contractor proposals, change order proposals and to conduct negotiations; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. OR, Education: Applicants may substitute education for the required experience. To qualify based on education for this grade level you must have 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. OR, Combination: Applicants may combine education and experience to qualify at this level. You must have a combination of specialized experience and graduate education that equates to 100% of the requirements for the GS-11 (only graduate education in excess of 2 years, 36 semester hours, can be used towards crediting a combination of education and experience). Specialized Experience GS-12: Applicants must also meet the specialized experience for the GS-12 grade. You may qualify based on your experience described below for the GS-12 Contract Specialist position: Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-11) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience includes experience with: Federal Acquisition Regulations (or similar), VA Acquisition Regulations (or similar), contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts; Various types of contracts, including firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost reimbursement, and contract methods to include simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items, and special provisions; Cost/price analysis techniques used in evaluation of contractor proposals, change order proposals and to conduct negotiations; Negotiation techniques sufficient to negotiate prices, terms and conditions, contract modifications and settlements; Commercial and industrial business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; Program objectives, technical terminology, and uses of equipment, architect engineering services, or construction services to be procured to plan, negotiate and administer the contract; Contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. Education: There is no education substitute for the GS-12 grade.
The purpose of this position is to serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs with the responsibility for performing professional work involving procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: Contracting Specialist – Total Rewards