Department of Defense

Contract Specialist

Battle Creek, Michigan Full time

Contract Specialist

Department: Department of Defense

Location(s): Battle Creek, Michigan

Salary Range: $74678 - $116362 Per Year

Job Summary: See below for important information regarding this job. GS11: $74,678 - $97,087 GS12: $89,508 - $116,362

Major Duties:

  • If selected at the GS-11 level, duties below will be performed in a developmental capacity
  • Performs cradle-to-grave contracting actions including: Acquisition planning, solicitation, evaluation and cost/price analyses, negotiations, contract award, modifications/amendments, terminations, closeouts, and contractor performance reviews
  • Performs Pre and Post-Award functions for a wide variety of highly complex procurements and contracts that are unusual, unique, non-routine or otherwise difficult to accomplish
  • Performs market research, identifies potential vendors, evaluates offers, performs comparative price analysis for reasonableness, and recommends award of contracts
  • Negotiates settlements for contractual changes. Negotiates equitable adjustments and supplemental agreements to delivery or performance time and prices, and execution of supplemental agreements for reduced or additional requirements.
  • Provides guidance or training to lower grades, new hires or others as necessary

Qualifications: To qualify for a Contract Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support: A. Basic Contracting Requirement: A.) A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees OR B.) a current civilian employee in DoD or member of the Armed Forces, who occupied an 1102 position, contracting officer position, or comparable military contracting position with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000, are excluded from the requirements of "A)" above. B. Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. In addition to meeting the Basic Education Requirement above, to qualify for the GS-11 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS-09 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes: GS-11: Assisting with the applying contracting principles, laws, statues, regulations and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts for a variety of goods and services. Familiarity with federal contract methods and contract types which requires specialized knowledge of federal contract administration policy, procedures, techniques, and evaluation/control methods sufficient to coordinate prime and subcontractor performance on complex, long term contracts. Assisting with negotiation techniques to meet and deal with representatives of private sector and with government experts or managers in order to procure assigned products/services and/or modify/terminate assigned products and contracts. Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers. GS-12: Applying contracting principles, laws, statues, regulations and procedures applicable to procurement/contracting actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts for a variety of goods and services. Familiarity with federal contract methods and contract types which requires specialized knowledge of federal contract administration policy, procedures, techniques, and evaluation/control methods sufficient to coordinate prime and subcontractor performance on complex, long term contracts. Using negotiation techniques to meet and deal with representatives of private sector and with government experts or managers in order to procure assigned products/services and/or modify/terminate assigned products and contracts. Communicating through written communications and discussions with vendors/customers. -OR- B. Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess: GS-11: Three full academic years of progressively higher level graduate or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree. GS-12: Applicants may not qualify for this position based on education in lieu of specialized experience. -OR- C. Combination: Combinations of successfully completed graduate level education and specialized experience may be used to meet total experience requirements for grade level GS-11 and may be computed by first determining the applicant's total qualifying experience as a percentage of the experience required for the grade level; then determining the applicant's education as a percentage of the education required for the grade level; and then adding the two percentages. The total percentages must equal at least 100 percent to qualify an applicant for that grade level. Only graduate education in excess of the amount required for the next lower grade level may be used to qualify applicants for positions at grade GS-11. 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, religious, 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.

How to Apply: This job will close when the agency has received 100 applications, which may be sooner than the closing date. To apply for this position, you must complete the online application and submit the documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (EST) on the closing date to receive consideration. To begin, click Apply Online to access an online application. Follow the prompts to select your USAJOBS resume and/or other supporting documents. You will need to be logged into your USAJOBS account or you may need to create a new account. You will be taken to an online application. Complete the online application, verify the required documentation, and submit the application. NOTE: Resumes up to a total of two pages will be accepted. Your resume must not exceed two (2) pages. If your resume exceeds the two-page limit, you will be removed from consideration for this announcement. You will receive an email notification when your application has been received for the announcement. To verify the status of your application, log into your USAJOBS account, https://www.usajobs.gov, select the Application Status link and then select the More Information link for this position. The Application Status page will display the status of your application, the documentation received and processed, and your responses submitted to the online application. Your uploaded documents may take several hours to clear the virus scan process. To preview the questionnaire, please go to https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12908601.

Application Deadline: 2026-03-18