Contract Specialist
Executive Director, Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction · Department of Veterans Affairs
This job in plain English
This full-time Contract Specialist job is with the VA's Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction. The work covers contracts for VA construction and facilities, such as hiring general contractors, architects and engineers. There is 1 vacancy, listed in six locations including Washington, DC, Dallas, TX and Fredericksburg, VA, and the agency is using direct hire authority, which allows faster hiring.
Can you apply?
Yes, if you are a U.S. citizen: this job is open to everyone.
- Displaced federal employeesFederal employees who lost or are losing their job through a reduction in force (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).
- Open to everyoneAny U.S. citizen or national can apply. Some jobs also accept non-citizens; the announcement says so.
Other groups listed above may get extra consideration, for example veterans' preference.
Open to U.S. citizens, nationals, and people who owe allegiance to the U.S. Displaced federal employees may also get priority under career transition programs (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL).
What you would do
- Apply Federal Acquisition Regulations when preparing requests for proposals and quotes.
- Oversee pre-solicitation, pre-proposal and post-award work on contracts.
- Prepare award contracts and source selection procedures.
- Review contracts to confirm proper funding and timely payments.
- Assess requests to buy complex equipment and services.
- Give business advice and legal interpretation on contracting matters.
Do you qualify for GS-14?
With experience: For the GS-14 level, you need 1 year of specialized experience equal to GS-13 work. Examples include leading contract negotiation teams for architect-engineer and construction projects, or interpreting procurement laws to solve unusual contracting issues. The announcement also lists 4 years of contracting experience, with at least 1 year at the next lower level, under the requirements for GS-13 and above.
With education: A 4-year bachelor's degree with at least 24 semester hours in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. Education cannot replace experience at this grade. Only degrees from schools recognized by the U.S. Department of Education count.
Licenses and certifications you need:
- Active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional at the time of application
How to apply well
What to send:
- Resume (required)
- FAC-C certificate
- Transcript if you qualify through education
- Certificate of Foreign Equivalency if you use foreign education
- ICTAP/CTAP documentation if you are a displaced federal employee
- Cover letter (optional)
How you will be rated: You are rated on how well you meet the qualifications, based on your application, occupational questionnaire and online assessment. Applicants are referred in the order received, and missing information may lower your rating or make you ineligible.
Tips for this job:
- Make sure your FAC-C is active when you apply, because applicants without it are found ineligible.
- Describe your experience clearly and specifically, with dates and hours per week, since the agency will not assume anything.
- Complete both the occupational questionnaire and the online assessment before the closing date, because the job requires all steps.
Good to know before you apply
Schedule: Full-time, Monday to Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Eastern. Compressed and flexible schedules are available. Travel of up to 25% may be required.
Incentives and relocation: None. Relocation and recruitment incentives are not authorized, and relocation expenses are not reimbursed.
Conditions of employment:
- U.S. citizenship required
- Online assessment required
- Selective Service registration for males born after 12/31/1959
- 1-year probationary period
- Background and security investigation
- Online onboarding for selected applicants
- Acceptable ID required; non-REAL ID driver's licenses not accepted after May 7, 2025
- Financial disclosure report required
- Work is mostly sedentary but includes construction inspections with walking, stooping, bending and climbing
We wrote this summary automatically from the official announcement. The announcement on USAJOBS is the only one that counts: read it before you apply.
Job details
- Salary
- $125,776 – $197,200 per year
- Pay scale and grade
- GS-14 · General Schedule
- Locations
-
- Vallejo, California
- Washington, District of Columbia
- Gurnee, Illinois
- Frederick, Maryland
- Dallas, Texas
- Fredericksburg, Virginia
- Appointment
- Permanent
- Work schedule
- Full-time
- Service
- Competitive
- Openings
- 1
- Security clearance
- Not Required
- Travel
- 25% or less
- Drug test
- Not required
- Supervisory
- No
- Occupation
- Contracting (1102)
- Announcement
- CCLQ-13104071-27-LBK
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