Acquisitions Specialist

Acquisitions Specialist

Department: Department of Energy

Location(s): Anchorage, Alaska, Berkeley, California, Menlo Park, California, Golden, Colorado, Grand Junction, Colorado, Westminster, Colorado, Washington, District of Columbia, Ames, Iowa, Idaho Falls, Idaho, Chicago, Illinois, Lemont, Illinois, Warrenville, Illinois, Lexington, Kentucky, Paducah, Kentucky, New Orleans, Louisiana, Germantown, Maryland, Weldon Spring, Missouri, Plainsboro, New Jersey, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Carlsbad, New Mexico, Los Alamos, New Mexico, Las Vegas, Nevada, Upton, New York, West Valley, New York, Cincinnati, Ohio, Piketon, Ohio, Portsmouth, Ohio, Albany, Oregon, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Aiken, South Carolina, Oak Ridge, Tennessee, Moab, Utah, Hanford, Washington, Richland, Washington, Morgantown, West Virginia

Salary Range: $74678 - $197200 Per Year

Job Summary: These positions are to be filled under the OPM Government-Wide Direct Hire Authority for STEM Positions for the 1102 Acquisitions series in grades GS 11-15. This serves as a public notice for the use of the Direct Hire Authority in accordance with 5 U.S.C. 3327 and 3330 and 5 CFR 330.

Major Duties:

• The Department of Energy is responsible for defining and advancing America's energy policy, technology, and security. Through our national laboratories and distinctive range of program centers we discover, deliver, and manage the energy breakthroughs that keep the nation and its economy safe and secure through the 21st century and beyond! We are truly honored that DOE has been named America's #1 Best Employer for Veterans in 2023 by Forbes-not only among Government agencies, but among employers across the U.S. We are so proud of this ranking which reflects our commitment to the employment of veterans. As so many veterans at DOE renew their service to our Nation, we are deeply committed to their success and advancement. Veterans shape the future of energy The Department of Energy is seeking motivated and highly-qualified candidates for exciting positions available in multiple locations throughout the United States. The mission of the Energy Department is to ensure America's security and prosperity by addressing its energy, environmental and nuclear challenges through transformative science and technology solutions. The 1102 Acquisitions series includes positions that manage, supervise, perform, or develop policies and procedures for professional work involving the procurement of supplies, services, construction, or research and development using formal advertising or negotiation procedures; the evaluation of contract price proposals; and the administration or termination and close out of contracts. The work requires knowledge of the legislation, regulations, and methods used in contracting; and knowledge of business and industry practices, sources of supply, cost factors, and requirements characteristics. In an 1102 Acquisitions series position, you may be responsible for one or more of the following: Solicit, evaluate, negotiate, and award contracts with commercial organizations, educational institutions, nonprofit organizations, and State, local or foreign governments for furnishing products, services, construction or research and development to the Federal Government Administer contracts by assuring compliance with the terms and conditions of contracts, including resolution of problems concerning the obligations of the parties Terminate contracts by analyzing, negotiating, and settling claims and proposals Analyze and evaluate cost or price proposals and accounting systems data Plan, establish, or review contracts, programs, policies, or procedures Formulate and administer policies and procedures to ensure achievement of Federal socioeconomic goals, such as those affecting small business, labor surplus areas, and disadvantaged business firms Develop acquisition strategies and direct or manage procurement Provide staff advisory services in one or more of the specializations in this occupation

Qualifications: You must meet both the Basic Requirement and the Specialized Experience to qualify for this series as described below. SPECIALIZED EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS A qualified candidate's online application and resume must demonstrate at least one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level in the Federal service. Specialized experience for these positions is defined as: GS-11: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-09). Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting at least 2 of 4 of the following: Assisting with conducting necessary pre-award activities such as ensuring that the bid schedule is properly structured, preparing the solicitation, determining sources to be solicited, conducting pre-bid conferences, processing protests, determining the responsiveness of bids and determining the responsibility of the apparent low bidder based on an analysis of financial and technical information gained during the pre-award survey, and awarding or recommending award of the contract. Preparing determinations and findings of fact relative to negotiations and pricing actions. Analyzing problem situations relating to acquisitions such as incomplete specifications, deficient property, material shortages, or terminations for convenience. Reviewing completed official contract files to determine that all contractual actions are satisfied, that there are no pending administrative actions to be resolved, that all file documents are signed, that there are no litigation actions pending, and that the contract is complete in every respect and ready to be closed. OR 3 full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree; your education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. For this position, this is defined as a degree in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, organization and management, or similarly related major. OR Combination of education and experience as described above. Less than one year of specialized experience may be combined with graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level (i.e., credit hours beyond the first two years of full-time study may be credited). GS-12: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-11). Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting at least 2 of 4 of the following: Performing market or price analysis to determine availability of products or producers or reasonable of prices. Conducting necessary pre-award activities such as ensuring that the bid schedule is properly structured, preparing the solicitation, determining sources to be solicited, conducting pre-bid conferences, processing protests, determining the responsiveness of bids and determining the responsibility of the apparent low bidder based on an analysis of financial and technical information gained during the pre-award survey, and awarding or recommending award of the contract. Monitoring contractor performance in relation to the completion schedule required by the contract and issuing change orders occasioned by changes in mission requirements, defective specifications, changed site conditions, or changes in furnished property. Reviewing procurement requests to determine whether the procurement can be performed by small businesses and locating and furnishing information on capable small and disadvantaged business firms for consideration as potential sources for current and future acquisitions. GS-13: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-12). Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting at least 3 of 6 of the following: Independently conducting pre-award activities for complex equipment, services, and/or construction including reviewing requests, preparing solicitation documents, analyzing proposals for conformance with the solicitation, and negotiating with potential contractors. Performing industry analysis to identify technological and performance changes in products. Performing various contract administration functions, such as verifying evidence of contractor's progress; reviewing and making recommendations on dicing reports; reviewing and negotiating orders; reviewing and providing recommendations on contractor proposals; negotiating delivery schedule changes; monitoring contractor's compliance, regulatory, and statutory provision; monitoring expenditures on cost, incentive, and certain fixed-price contracts requiring funds control; reporting on anticipated deviations from estimated costs; and performing pre-award surveys; Forecasting price trends, economic factors, and efficiencies in production for future accounting periods using analytical techniques such as random sampling, computerized cost models, statistical graphs and learning curves; evaluates the effects on cost of multi-plant operations, fluctuating production volume engineering, tooling, preproduction costs, compensation, pensions, and purchasing practices. Advising management and contracting officers on matters pertaining to contracting policies and procedures. Developing guidance material or conducting training for contracting personnel. GS-14: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-13). Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting at least 3 of 6 of the following: Serving as lead negotiator for contracting activities: including planning the negotiation strategy, coordinating strategy with negotiation team, and leading the negotiations. Serving as advisor to program officials in procurement planning meetings including advising program officials of the procurement objectives to be used, and assisting in the preparation of statements of work. Developing and maintaining systems to evaluate and monitor contractual performance related to such areas as delivery, cost, amount of progress or advance payments, effective use of furnished property, scheduling and usage of facilities, and management of overhaul or maintenance and repair efforts; Analyzing elements such as the various expense pools, labor rates, contractor's business volume forecast, economic conditions, business trends, union agreements, local labor market conditions, and inflation rates. Initiating, developing, and recommending contracting policies and procedures for the guidance and control of subordinate contracting activities; Reviewing, evaluating, and providing specific guidance concerning contracting policies and procedures relative to facilities, special tooling, special test equipment, component breakout, warranties, recovery of nonrecurring costs, high dollar spare parts breakout program, industrial preparedness, production planning, and/or interorganizational coordinated procurements. GS-15: You must have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade (GS-14). Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting at least 2 of 3 of the following: Directing the full range of contract administration actions required for an acquisition program, including the issuance of contract modifications, negotiation of changes, exercise of options, investigation and resolution of contractor delays, contractor performance appraisal, subcontractor surveillance, disposition of claims, and similar matters; Planning, developing, and establishing the contractual strategy for an overall acquisition program. Serving as principal contracting advisor to the program management office, and represents the company/agency as the program's contractual authority at conferences and meetings. NOTE: Education cannot be a substitute for specialized experience at GS-12 through GS-15.

How to Apply: Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply for this position, you must complete the initial online application, to include submission of the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the announcement closing date to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: Read all instructions before you begin. Click "Apply Online." Complete the application and attach all required documents. Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 05/21/2026. Resume Tips: Max 2 pages and 5MB file size. PDF is recommended to preserve formatting; we also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, ODT, or Word (DOC/DOCX). No PDF portfolios. Use clear fonts like Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, Open Sans, Source Sans Pro, Roboto, or Noto Sans. Set 0.5-inch margins. Use 14-point font for titles, 10-point for main text. Managing Your Application: Update: Edit your application in USAJOBS before the closing date. Status: Log into USAJOBS to view your application status. Learn more here: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/. Support: USAJOBS Help: Visit https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/ for login.gov or USAJOBS assistance. Application Issues: If you have difficulty applying online, contact the Agency Contact listed in this announcement during business hours. Take screenshots of any system errors. To update your application, including supporting documentation: During the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account, find your application record, and click Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application, during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account; applications will appear on the Welcome screen. The Application Status will appear along with the date your application was last updated. For information on what each application status means, visit: https://www.usajobs.gov/Help/how-to/application/status/.

Application Deadline: 2026-05-21