Department: Department of Veterans Affairs
Location(s): Madison, Wisconsin
Salary Range: $74678 - $97087 Per Year
Job Summary: As the Acquisition Utilization Specialist you will serve as the medical center liaison and advisor on contract related services focusing on critical clinical and healthcare services, product acquisition and support services required by project managers, program managers, upper management and stakeholders on all aspects of procurement for a wide variety of items to include specialized services.
Major Duties:
Qualifications: To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements within 15 days of the closing date of this announcement. Time-In-Grade Requirement: Applicants who are current Federal employees and have held a GS grade any time in the past 52 weeks must also meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement. For a GS-11 position you must have served 52 weeks at the GS-9. The grade may have been in any occupation, but must have been held in the Federal service. An SF-50 that shows your time-in-grade eligibility must be submitted with your application materials. Note: Time-In-Grade requirements also apply to former Federal employees applying for reinstatement as well as current employees applying for Veterans Employment Opportunities Act of 1998 (VEOA) appointment. GS-11 GRADE REQUIREMENTS Experience: Must possess one (1) full year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade level (GS-9) in the Federal Service. Specialized experience is experience that has equipped the applicant with the particular knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the duties of the position, and that is typically in or related to the work of the position to be filled. Specialized experience for this position includes, but is not limited to: Knowledge and understanding of acquisition statues, regulation, directives and procedures; understanding of the functions and processes required to maintain healthcare, maintenance operations supply and support services to be able to perform contract liaison work; skill in written and oral communication to address contractual issues impacting the delivery of medical services, mission or funding; strong knowledge of cost and pricing data and contract proposals; ability to perform cost benefit analysis, conduct gap analysis, and understanding of cost elements; knowledge of procurement plans, and contract administration principles and practices; ability to solve a broad range of problems relating to proposals for change, claims, payments, and similar problems; comprehensive knowledge of negotiation techniques and skills in devising negotiating strategies to deal with contractors in resolving such problems as reducing costs, adjusting delivery schedules, and negotiating in sole service environments; knowledge of contract termination functions to review and analyze settlement proposals, audit reports, technical evaluations, and subcontractor claims. OR GS-11 Substitution of Education for Experience: Must have Ph.D or equivalent doctoral degree or 3 full years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such degree or LL.M, if related. Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED) OR GS-11 Combining Education and Experience: Must possess a combination of specialized experience and graduate education as described above. (TRANSCRIPTS REQUIRED)You will be rated on the following Competencies for this position: Communication Contracting/Procurement Control of Funds Negotiation Reasoning Technical Competence 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: 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. Physical Requirements: Work is primarily sedentary in nature. Requires occasional travel to conduct inspections of contract facilities or motor vehicles providing contracts for healthcare resources to ensure joint commission and safety requirements are met. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at http://://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/.
How to Apply: All applicants are encouraged to apply online. To apply for this position, you must complete the questionnaire and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 02/24/2026 to receive consideration. To preview the questionnaire click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12870636. To begin, click Apply Online to create a USA JOBS account or log in to your existing account. Follow the prompts to select your USA JOBS resume and/or other supporting documents and complete the occupational questionnaire. Click Submit My Answers to submit your application package. NOTE: It is your responsibility to ensure your responses and appropriate documentation is submitted prior to the closing date. To verify your application is complete, log into your USA JOBS account, https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login, select the Application Status link and then select the more information link for this position. The Application page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and any correspondence the agency has sent related to this application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To return to an incomplete application, log into your USA JOBS account and click Update Application in the vacancy announcement. You must re-select your resume and/or other documents from your USA JOBS account or your application will be incomplete. NOTE: Participation in the seasonal influenza program is a condition of employment and a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP). HCP are individuals who, during the influenza season, work in VHA locations where patients receive care or who come into contact with VA patients as part of their duties. VHA locations include, but are not limited to, VA hospitals and associated clinics, community living centers (CLCs), community-based outpatient clinics (CBOCs), domiciliary units, Vet centers and VA-leased facilities. HCP include all VA licensed and unlicensed, clinical and administrative, paid and unpaid, full- and part-time employees, intermittent employees, fee basis employees, VA contractors, students, researchers, volunteers, and trainees who work at these facilities. HCP that are unable to receive or otherwise decline a flu shot will be expected to wear a face mask throughout the influenza season.
Application Deadline: 2026-02-24