Summary
The purpose of this position is to serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs with the responsibility for performing professional work involving procurement of supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and agency policy. VA offers a comprehensive total rewards package: Contracting Specialist - Total Rewards
Duties
Major duties and responsibilities include: Serve as a Contract Specialist for the US Department of Veterans Affairs 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. The incumbent will be assigned the most complex and sensitive contracts of the agency which include contracts valued over $5 million and multi-facility/regional contracts. Other unique requirements include intra/interagency agreements, sharing agreements, contracts under the selling authority, contracts with affiliates, research and development, and real estate leases. Guide, assist, mentor, and train Contract Specialists. Aid requiring activities in performing market research, reviewing specifications and statements of work, and approving acquisition milestone plans. The incumbent will ensure that specifications and statements of work are prepared in a manner which adequately describes the Government's requirements without restricting competition. Performs a complete review of recommended sole-source requirements and conducts necessary market analyses to test the noncompetitive assumptions of requisitions. Responsible for advertising all applicable requirements and preparing the solicitation document using agency contract writing systems for issuance, insuring regulatory and legal sufficiency, and promoting maximum competition. Conducts public bid openings, reviews bids and determines responsiveness and responsibility of low bidder in accordance with applicable regulatory requirements when using sealed bidding. Conducts negotiations for competitive and noncompetitive procurements. Conducts cost and/or price analysis of offerors' proposals. Reviews auditors' reports for adequacy of analysis while considering all information in developing an overall pricing negotiation strategy. Prepares detailed price negotiation memoranda, outlining in writing the details of negotiations with contractors in competitive and noncompetitive negotiations. Serves as contract administrator on awarded contracts. Conducts post-award conferences with Contractor and Government personnel to provide information and to clarify standard and special contractual provisions of the contract. Negotiates required changes to contract conditions to protect the agency. Closes out contract upon completion of the contract, resolution of all conflicts, and final disposition of payment and obtains adequate release of Claims documents to protect the agency. This is a Warranted Contracting Officer position. Incumbent shall meet all requirements and apply for a Warrant within 120-days of assignment. Incumbent shall successfully obtain subject Warrant within 60-days of submitting their application. Warrant application dollar value should be at the maximum, beneficial amount. Branch Chief has discretion in determining subject application dollar value. Incumbent will execute their own contract awards and provide signatory authority for staff lacking requisite Warrant authority. Performs other duties as assigned. Work Schedule: Tour of Duty is 8:00 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Compressed/Flexible: Available Telework: This position may be authorized for ad hoc telework. Telework eligibility will be discussed during the interview process. Ad hoc is defined as occasional, non-recurring telework. Virtual: This position may be authorized for Virtual Work. Virtual Work eligibility is for current VA Employees that are already subject to the return to in-person work mandate in their current position. Applicants without an existing assigned VA Staff Office must be located within 50 miles of a VA-owned or leased space. 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. Definition of Virtual Work: Employee works outside of original hiring duty station at a VA-owned or leased space. Position Description/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD52417A Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized Financial Disclosure Report: Required Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized PCS Appraised Value Offer (AVO): Not Authorized This recruitment is for several positions with the Office of Acquisition, Logistics and Construction, VA Office of Procurement Operations.
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 Subject to background/security investigation Physical Requirements: The position is primarily sedentary and virtual. However, there may be travel to site locations where 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. 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 identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment. Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP) As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial 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.
Education
There is no education substitute for the GS-13 grade. A transcript must be submitted with your application if you are basing all or part of your qualifications on education. Transcripts must depict the name of the college to determine accreditation, and your name must also be displayed on the transcripts. If qualifying based on a degree, or for positions requiring a degree, the transcript must show the date the degree was conferred. If selected, you must provide official transcripts. Transcripts should state degree conferred, and have a date. Undergraduate transcripts are required to meet the basic requirement for this position; please submit all transcripts. Copies of Official Transcripts are accepted and are the best way to ensure your education is interpreted correctly in accordance with OPM qualification standards, but unofficial transcripts are accepted if they contain all the required information. If credit for a course is being questioned by the HR Professional performing qualifications, it is your responsibility to provide supporting descriptive information (course syllabus/descriptions) in your application package. 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
You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above. IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. WE WILL NOT MAKE ASSUMPTIONS REGARDING YOUR EXPERIENCE. You will be evaluated based on how well you meet the qualifications listed in this vacancy announcement. 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 rated on the following competencies based on your application for this position: Knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations/ VA Acquisition Regulations: In-depth knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and VA Acquisition Regulations (VAAR), related policies, directives, case law and standard operating procedures as they relate to VHA construction, healthcare, supply, and service contracts and related leases and sharing/selling agreements. Ability to Manage: Ability to manage multiple projects, initiatives, audits, reviews, and workload across multiple networks and contracting activities. Specifically, acquisition reviews to ensure compliance with Federal regulations and local policies. Ability to Prioritize: Ability to align and prioritize work assignments, develop and manage performance objectives, and align individual performance with organizational performance goals and objectives. Ability to Analyze: Knowledge, skills, and abilities to analyze acquisition processes, audits, and small business practices to ensure compliance. Communication: Ability to communicate effectively as a business advisor to internal and external acquisition customers including executive leadership both orally and in writing. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration. The USA Hire Assessments includes 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. Narrative responses are not required at this time. If you are referred for consideration, you may be contacted for an interview. Your resume and/or supporting documentation will be verified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. The Department of Veterans Affairs performs pre-employment reference checks as an assessment method used in the hiring process to verify information provided by a candidate (e.g., on resume or during interview or hiring process); gain additional knowledge regarding a candidate's abilities; and assist a hiring manager with making a final selection for a position. Referral: Candidates will be referred 50 applicants at a time based on earliest submission date. Additional candidates may be referred based on hiring needs.