Contract Specialist

Summary

The Technology Acquisition Center (TAC) mission is to enable our customers to provide best value solutions to Veterans and their Families. The purpose of this position is to serve as Contract Specialist within a Procurement Service, an acquisition function in the TAC. The incumbent will be assigned the most complex and sensitive information technology contracts of the agency which include contracts valued at over $1 billion and those that may have Secretary and Congressional interest.

Duties

Major Duties: Ensure the technical evaluation factors and award criteria are clearly stated in the request for proposal. Conduct market analyses to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisition. Issue solicitations for contracting requirements that lack historical precedent. Analyze contracting requirements for suggesting revisions to the statement of work or specifications. Determine the competitive range for negotiated solicitations. Develop contracting milestones within established time frames. Perform cost or price analysis to review cost breakdowns or determine reasonableness. Explore new or innovative contracting approaches when lacking meaningful cost and price information. Plan procurements by identifying large-scale subsystems, components, equipment, and services to be acquired by contract. Prepare solicitation and award synopses using electronic systems. Input contractor performance data in appropriate databases. Develop a negotiation strategy using audits and pricing reports. Develop procurement objectives regarding terms of competition and price range. Recommend the appropriate method of procurement, i.e. simplified acquisition procedures, sealed-bidding, negotiations Analyze proposals for conformance with the solicitation. Review justifications for sole source clearances. Determine responsiveness and responsibility of low bidder in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements. Serve as an advisor to program officials in procurement planning meetings. Conduct pre-proposal conferences with perspective contractors to clarify contract requirements. Conduct post-award conferences to provide information and clarify provisions of the contract. Conduct debriefings with unsuccessful offerors or bidders. Prepare required documentation during legal proceedings. Prepare post-clearance documentation after an agreement has been reached Prepare price negotiation memoranda outlining the details of negotiations with contractors Prepare justification documentation for sole source clearances Prepare documentation in issuing terminations for convenience or default Prepare documentation associated with the elimination of unacceptable proposals Coordinate the establishment of a technical evaluation committee to determine acceptability of technical proposals Coordinate with small business liaisons on socio-economic goal requirements, develop strategies to resolve protests, mistakes in bids, and late bid situations Negotiate additional time required for contractor performance Notify offerors concerning further negotiation or elimination from competitive range Provide technical advice to senior acquisition personnel or program offices on complex contracting assignments based on regulatory compliance Assess contractual issues on moderate to complex acquisitions providing regulatory and business advice to non-contracting personnel Work Schedule: Monday- Friday 8am-4:30pm compressed work schedule may be available Telework: as determined by the agency policy Virtual/Remote: This is not a virtual or remote position. Only ccurrent TAC employees who are already working at a VA-owned or leased space may remain at their current duty location if selected for this position. All other selected applicants, regardless of Agency, will be required to work onsite at one of the specified locations listed below. Local Commuting Area Austin, Texas: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Austin, Texas. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 1615 Woodward Street, Austin, TX 78741. Local Commuting Area Eatontown, New Jersey: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Eatontown, New Jersey. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 23 Christopher Way, Eatontown, New Jersey. Financial Disclosure: Required Position Description/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD44208A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: not authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS): not authorized

Requirements

You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job To be considered for this position, you must complete all required steps in the process. In addition to the application and questionnaire, this position requires an online assessment, the online assessment measures critical general competencies required to perform the job Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959 Physical Requirements: Work is generally sedentary with no special physical demands, and may be subject to stress due to changed requirements, short deadlines, limited information, and uncontrollable workload peaks. Subject to background/security investigation Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements (https://www.uscis.gov/i-9-central/form-i-9-acceptable-documents), effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued dentification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider: your performance and conduct; the needs and interests of the agency; whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service. Upon completion of your probationary period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications and evaluation

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position. You will be assessed on the following Competencies for this position: Accountability Acquisition Strategy Attention to Detail Communications Contracting/Procurement Customer Service Decision Making Flexibility Influencing/Negotiating Integrity/Honesty Interpersonal Skills Learning Reading Comprehension Reasoning Self-Management Stress Tolerance Teamwork USA Hire Assessments include 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. Your experience must be fully documented on your resume and must include job title, duties, month and year start/end dates AND hours worked per week. A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on the online assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. 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; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Education

A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Note: Only education or degrees recognized by the U.S. Department of Education from accredited colleges, universities, schools, or institutions may be used to qualify for Federal employment. You can verify your education here: http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/. 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/.

How to apply

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 questionnaire and submission of the required documentation specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. To preview the application questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13043980. The application process is as follows: To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date, 09/25/2026. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended. Set aside at least 3 hours to take the USA Hire Assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link. NOTE: Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused. For more general information, system requirements, reasonable accommodation information, and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_Assessments To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To view the announcement status or your application status: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/howto/application/status/. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, based on your adjudication decision. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire Placement Policy: The posting of this announcement does not obligate management to fill a vacancy or vacancies by promotion. The position may be filled by reassignment, change to lower grade, transfer, appointment, or reinstatement. Management may use any one or any combination of these methods to fill the position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment.

Required documents

To apply for this position, you must provide a complete Application Package which includes: Resume Other accepted documents: Cover Letter DD-214/ Statement of Service Disability Letter (VA) Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) contracting certification (Strongly encouraged if applicable) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) certification (Strongly encouraged if applicable) Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification (Strongly encouraged if applicable) PCS Orders Performance Appraisal Professional Certification Proof of Marriage Status Resume Separation Notice (RIF) SF-15 SF-50/ Notification of Personnel Action Transcript Please review the above list(s) to ensure you have included all necessary documents required for your application. Not every applicant will require the same documents, therefore it is the applicants responsibility to ensure that their application package includes all necessary documents to determine qualifications and eligibility for appointment, such as a copy of your SF-50, transcript, ICTAP/CTAP documentation (for displaced Federal employees). Applicants will be deemed ineligible if supporting documentation is not submitted. You will not be contacted for additional information. Veterans' Preference: Since the Direct-Hire Recruitment Authority is being used, traditional Veterans' Preference rules do not apply. Qualified veterans will, however, be given full consideration for this position. It is the policy of the VA to not deny employment to those that have faced financial hardships or periods of unemployment. Veterans and Transitioning Service Members: Please visit the VA for Vets site for career-search tools for Veterans seeking employment at VA, career development services for our existing Veterans, and coaching and reintegration support for military service members. Beginning September 27, 2025, Federal agencies will only accept resumes up to two pages in length to comply with the Merit Hiring Plan. Resumes longer than two pages will result in ineligibility for further consideration for the position. USAJOBS will not allow you to upload or build resumes longer than two pages, and you will need to update the resumes in your profile before applying for a job. Resumes should include information relevant to the knowledge, skills, abilities, and competencies of the position to which you are applying. VA is unable to make assumptions about qualifications if not clearly listed. Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files. We recommend using a sans-serif font size like Lato, if available. Other widely available options are Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open San Source Sans Pro, Roboto or Noro Sans. Make your page margins 0.5 inches. Consider using 14-point size font for titles and 10-point for the main text in your resume. The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started. During the application process you may have an option to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions.

Additional information

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act. Receiving Service Credit or Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee. VA may offer newly-appointed Federal employee's credit for their job-related non-federal experience or active duty uniformed military service. This credited service can be used in determining the rate at which they earn annual leave. Such credit must be requested and approved prior to the appointment date and is not guaranteed. Special Employment Consideration: VA encourages persons with disabilities to apply, including those eligible for hiring under 5 CFR 213.3102(u), Schedule A, Appointment of persons with disabilities [i.e., intellectual disabilities, severe physical disabilities, or psychiatric disabilities], and/or Disabled veterans with a compensable service-connected disability of 30% or more. Contact the Agency Contact for information on how to apply under this appointment authority via the Selective Placement Coordinator. This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.