Contract Specialist

Serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) with responsibility for performing professional work involving the procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy.

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 03/01/2027. The Basic Individual Occupational Requirement required for the 1102 Contracting Series at the GS-12 grade level is as follows: A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; OR 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. Specialized Experience for the GS-12 level of this position: Applicants must have one year of full-time 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 would typically include but are not limited to: Recommend the appropriate contract type or contract method for the product or service being procured. Interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, standards, or procedures to address acquisition issues. Review vendor submissions to determine acceptability and compliance with solicitation requirements. Determine vendor responsibility and suitability for award (e.g., review contractor financial resources, business acumen, past performance, and business ethics). For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. The Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP) and Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP) provide eligible displaced VA competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. To be qualified you must submit appropriate documentation (a copy of the agency notice, your most recent performance rating, and your most recent SF-50 noting current position, grade level, and duty location) and be found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: . Applying Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, contract law, to process change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts. Applying cost and price analysis techniques to evaluate contractor proposals, analyze change order submissions, and support negotiation strategies Applying knowledge of contract types-such as firm-fixed price, firm-fixed price with economic price adjustments, and cost-reimbursement-and acquisition methods including simplified acquisitions, sealed bidding, negotiations, cost sharing, multiple awards, commercial items, and special provisions Applying contract administration principles to monitor contractor performance, ensure compliance with contractual terms and conditions, and take corrective action when necessary. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Local Commuting Area: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from the Office of Procurement locations listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from these offices