["Contract Specialist","Contract Specialist"]

To be found well qualified, applicants must meet the following qualifications: responsible for the solicitation, analysis, negotiation, award and administration of a group of contracts, such as definite quantity, indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, requirements, multi-year, option year, direct vendor supply, task or delivery orders, national preferred and Federal Supply Schedules, some containing economic price adjustment provisions. This position responsible for the solicitation, analysis, negotiation, award and administration of a group of contracts, such as definite quantity, indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, requirements, multi-year, option year, direct vendor supply, task or delivery orders, national preferred and Federal Supply Schedules, some containing economic price adjustment provisions.

Summary

This position responsible for the solicitation, analysis, negotiation, award and administration of a group of contracts, such as definite quantity, indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, requirements, multi-year, option year, direct vendor supply, task or delivery orders, national preferred and Federal Supply Schedules, some containing economic price adjustment provisions.

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Duties

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Major Duties:

Perform procurement planning of healthcare products and services

Apply contracting laws, regulations, and policies to administer contracts

Negotiate with potential contractors to obtain most favorable prices, terms, and conditions

Perform cost or price analysis for developing negotiation strategies

Perform industry analysis to determine the most advantageous method of acquisition

Perform various contract administration functions such as post award actions that consistently comply with Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR) and other applicable regulations, (e.g. VAAR, GSAM, policies and procedures, with no significant adverseeffect, (e.g., excessive cost/delays, acceptance of inferior quality of goods and services procure, or other related impact)

Mange electronic databases for preparing acquisition operation reports

Serve as principal point of contact for industry and customer to explain or clarify solicitation or contract provisions

Monitor contractor's performance through telephone conversations and visits for verification of deliveries, progress, problems, and proposed solutions

Prepare solicitation documents including cost and pricing standards

Prepare initial agency responses on protests to resolve contract disputes

Work Schedule: Monday to Friday, 8:00am to 4:30pm

Compressed/Flexible: Maybe available

Telework: Available - Ad Hoc telework (situational telework) as determined by the agency policy

Virtual: This is not a virtual position.

Position Description/PD#: Contract Specialist/PD44084A

Relocation/Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized

Permanent Change of Station (PCS): Not Authorized

Financial Disclosure Report: Required

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• 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 is sedentary in nature. 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 ( 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

Physical Demands: The work is sedentary in nature

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, 07/29/2026.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

This position has Individual Occupational Requirements. In addition to the specialized experience listed below, applicants must also meet the Individual Occupational Requirements.

You may qualify based on your experience and education as described below:Individual Occupational Requirements for Contracting Series, 1102 at the GS-12 level:

1. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; or
2. At least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finances, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.

AND

Specialized Experience: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade GS-11 in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include, but are not limited to: Serve as the contracting officer, contract negotiator, and contract administrator for high dollar value, contracts with a national scope for a vast range of medical supplies and services; high tech equipment and systems; accessories; replacement parts; services including rentals; managed by the organization.

You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position:

• Accountability
• Acquisition Strategy
• Attention to Detail
• Contract Administration
• Cost Estimation and Analysis
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork
• Written Communication

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.

Note: Resume must include job title and employer name, number of hours worked per week, start and end dates (including month and year), list of duties and responsibilities for each position held. In addition, if the experience was a federal position, you must list series and grade for each position held. Failure to include this information may result in an ineligible rating. A full year of work is considered to be 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.

For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at

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: responsible for the solicitation, analysis, negotiation, award and administration of a group of contracts, such as definite quantity, indefinite quantity, indefinite delivery, requirements, multi-year, option year, direct vendor supply, task or delivery orders, national preferred and Federal Supply Schedules, some containing economic price adjustment provisions. The incumbent performs the full range of contract or contract administration duties related to the life cycle of contracts. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at

Local Commuting Area Golden, Colorado: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Golden, Colorado. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from 555 Corporate Circle, Golden, Colorado 80401.

Local Commuting Area Hines, Illinois: The local commuting area for this position is defined as a radius of 50 miles from Hines, Illinois. This includes all locations that fall within a 50-mile driving distance from South 1st Avenue Building 37, Hines, Illinois 60141.

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: 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:

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.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.



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