Supervisory Contract Specialist

Summary

This position serves as a Supervisory Contract Specialist in support of contracting requirements for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and its customers for Office Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL). These acquisitions include complex contracts or programs that are critical in carrying out the mission of VA and other Government agencies.

Duties

The major duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to: Develops and directs acquisition and contracting strategies for complex, high-impact programs and initiatives critical to VA and other Federal agencies. Serves as the principal authority on complex and sensitive acquisition and contractual matters, providing strategic guidance and resolving critical issues with significant agency-wide impact. Exercises full supervisory and managerial authority over a professional workforce, ensuring accountability for performance, workforce development, employee relations, and mission accomplishment. Provides strategic leadership and direction for a professional workforce, establishing performance standards, ensuring accountability for organizational results, and aligning workforce priorities with mission objectives and program requirements. Serves as the senior acquisition advisor to program officials, leading acquisition planning activities, including market research, requirements development, acquisition strategy formulation, and solicitation preparation for complex, high-value procurements. Directs the evaluation of contractor proposals and leads complex negotiations, source selection activities, and pricing determinations to ensure best-value procurement outcomes and compliance with acquisition regulations. Leads acquisition planning and source selection activities for complex, high-value procurements, developing acquisition strategies, source selection plans, and evaluation approaches that support mission requirements and best-value contracting outcomes. Directs and oversees complex acquisition programs involving multiple requirements, organizations, and contractors, ensuring effective execution of mission-critical procurement initiatives. Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: his position may be authorized for telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Virtual: This is not a virtual position. Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space. Remote: This is not a remote position. Return to Office (RTO): RTO mandates are in effect and selectees will be required to report to in-person work unless they are approved for an exception or an exemption. Any approval for an RTO exception, exemption, or extension will happen after a tentative job offer, but before a final job offer. Position Description/PD#: Supervisory Contract Specialist/PD20689A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Permanent Change of Station (PCS):Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required Physical Demands: Subject position is primarily of an administrative nature in an office setting, however where travel to work sites is required there may be light physical work required, such as walking over uneven surfaces, or assisting technical personnel in taking measurements or elevations. Government travel for training, meetings, or customer interactions will be required in this position. 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: The work required does not inherently include any physical requirements essential for successful job performance that could not otherwise be performed with accommodation or workplace adjustment. A pre-placement physical examination is not required. 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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 10/23/2026. Individual Occupational Requirements: Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. AND A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D. D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. AND GS-14 Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-13 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Specialized experience is defined as: Leading and overseeing complex federal acquisition programs and high-value procurements in accordance with the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR), Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulation (VAAR), General Services Administration Acquisition Manual (GSAM), and Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) contracting requirements. Developing and implementing acquisition strategies, conducting market research, managing source selections, and performing cost and price analyses for complex and mission-critical acquisitions. Negotiating contract terms and conditions, awarding and administering contracts, and ensuring compliance with applicable acquisition laws, regulations, and policies. Supervising, mentoring, and developing acquisition professionals, including establishing priorities, managing workload distribution, evaluating performance, and fostering a high-performing work environment. Providing expert acquisition guidance and recommendations to senior leadership on procurement strategies, regulatory compliance, risk management, and complex contracting matters. Building effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders and implementing process improvements that enhance acquisition efficiency, achieve best-value outcomes, and support organizational mission objectives. You may qualify based on your experience as described below: 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: Demonstrates expert knowledge of Federal acquisition regulations and contracting principles, providing strategic leadership, acquisition oversight, and innovative procurement solutions that support mission success, regulatory compliance, and best-value outcomes. 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/.

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 You Will Be Evaluated

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: FSA Competencies Accountability Customer Service Decisiveness Flexibility Interpersonal Skills Problem Solving Resilience 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. Other 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.