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

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/25/2026. Certification Requirements: The incumbent must have an active Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification (or a legacy FAC-C Level III Certification that they have maintained with continuous learning) or an active Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III Contracting certification; or have the ability to obtain this certification within 18 months of appointment. In accordance with Office of Federal Procurement Policy, all 1102s within the organization are required to complete the Digital IT Acquisition Professional Training Program (DITAP) and obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." If selected for this position, you will be required to obtain a "CFCN 001 Digital Services credential (DITAP)." You will be scheduled for this training and given adequate time to complete the training accordingly. Individual Occupational Requirements for Contracting Series, 1102 Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above A. 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 B. 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. C. 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. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience for the GS-13 level of this position: Applicants must have one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Perform research and analysis to support acquisition planning and informed decision-making. Evaluate proposed costs or pricing to determine reasonableness and support contractual actions. Monitor contractor performance to ensure adherence to applicable requirements and standards. Prepare documentation summarizing negotiation outcomes and supporting contract decisions. Develop required summaries and announcements related to solicitation and award activities. Initiate formal notifications to address performance concerns and support potential corrective actions. Conduct or participate in contract negotiations, including price, schedule, and terms and conditions, on competitive and noncompetitive procurement actions. Maintain accurate and complete contract administration records in required electronic systems (e.g., eCMS or comparable contract writing/management systems) in accordance with agency policy. Communicate proactively with internal and external customers throughout the acquisition lifecycle, providing timely status updates and resolving issues. Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level. 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, Department of Veterans Affairs Acquisition Regulations, contract law, and procedures applicable to acquisition and contract administration including change orders, supplemental agreements, terminations, claims, and close out of contracts. Planning acquisitions sufficient to develop and implement a plan to procure a multiyear program or system involving successive program stages. 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 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.

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 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: 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. 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.