Department of Justice

Contract Specialist

Denver, Colorado Full time

Contract Specialist

Department: Department of Justice

Location(s): Denver, Colorado

Salary Range: $68138 - $107167 Per Year

Job Summary: For more information on the Department of Justice and the United States Attorneys' Offices, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/. As needed, additional positions may be filled using this announcement. This position is also being announced to applicants eligible to apply through Merit Staffing procedures under 26-CO-12845160-MS.

Major Duties:

  • If selected for this position, you will serve as a Contract Specialist in the United States Attorney Office (USAO). Typical duties include: Responsible for procurement pre-award and post-award functions for the USAO; Reviewing requisitions and determining appropriate contract type, competition requirements, and contract vehicle; Evaluating proposal offers including technical analysis, past performance review, and price-cost analysis; Documenting all evaluation factors to support award decision; Responsible for contract administration including monitoring contractor performance, delivery of requirements, documenting inspection and acceptance, reviewing invoices for payment, and maintaining contract file. Responsibilities will increase and assignments will become more complex as your training and experience progress.

Qualifications: To be QUALIFIED for this position, you must meet BOTH the basic requirements and the minimum qualifications. Your education and experience will be evaluated against all qualification requirements (basic and any additional requirements) listed below. BASIC REQUIREMENTS Applicants must have One (1) of the following: A four (4) year course of study leading to a Bachelor's Degree in any field of study from an accredited college or university; OR At least 24 semester hours in any combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management from an accredited college or university. OR Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy GS-1102 positions at grades 5 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirements for other GS-1102 positions up to and including those classified at GS-12. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through grade 12. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. **You must submit your transcripts (unofficial or official) to be considered for this position. Failure to submit your transcripts may result in disqualification for this position.** In addition to meeting the Basic Qualification Requirements as described above, applicants must also meet specialized experience as defined below. MINIMUM QUALIFICATION GS-09:To be eligible at the GS-09 level, you must have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level; or education; or a combination of specialized experience and education as explained below. Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing work that involves reviewing requisitions and methods related to pre-award, post-award and/or price/cost analysis functions; purchasing supplies and services; compare prices on recurring and new types of procurements determine best value or lowest bid in award decisions; administering formally advertised and negotiated procurements administering contracts; Prepares all solicitation documents necessary to support standard contract actions; Monitors contractor performance. OR Education: Have one of the following types of education: A Master's Degree or equivalent graduate degree such as an LL.B. or J.D. in a related field (e.g., Accounting, Business, Finance, Law, Contracts, Purchasing, Economics, Industrial Management, Marketing, Quantitative Methods, or Organization & Management); OR 2 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combination of Experience and Education: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. In order to qualify based on a combination, graduate education must be in excess of one full year. GS-11:To be eligible at the GS-11 level, you must have: 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level; or education; or a combination of specialized experience and education as explained below. Specialized Experience is defined as experience performing such duties as prepares all solicitation documents necessary to support a variety of contract actions; preparing a variety of memoranda, minutes, and reports; drafting contract provisions and supporting documents for a wide range of contracting actions varying in complexity and urgency. Developing procurement plans by reviewing previous history and market conditions; interpreting procurement policies and procedures; prepares all solicitation documents; documentation necessary to support selected procurement; and issues solicitation using selected procurement. OR Education: Have one of the following types of education: A Ph.D. or equivalent Doctoral Degree. in a related field (e.g., Accounting, Business, Finance, Law, Contracts, Purchasing, Economics, Industrial Management, Marketing, Quantitative Methods, or Organization & Management); OR 3 full academic years of progressively higher level graduate education leading to such a degree. Education at the graduate level must be in an accredited college or university and must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to perform the duties of the position. OR Combination of Education and Experience: Combinations of successfully completed graduate education and experience may be used to meet total qualification requirements. Only graduate education in excess of the first two years may be used to meet total qualification requirements. You must possess a Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) or equivalent or be able to obtain and retain at least a Level 1, FAC-C as a Federal contracting professional. FAC-C has specific training requirements with some courses online and in the classroom. To maintain a FAC-C, contract professionals are required to meet a continuous training requirement. Interagency Career Transition Assistance Plan (ICTAP)- The ICTAP provides eligible displaced Federal competitive service employees with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your agency has notified you in writing that you are a displaced employee eligible for ICTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your ICTAP eligibility; 2) you apply under the instructions in the announcement; and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well-qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide proof of eligibility to receive selection priority. Such proof may include a copy of your written notification of ICTAP eligibility or a copy of your separation personnel action form. Additional information about ICTAP eligibility is at: http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/. Career Transition Assistance Plan (CTAP)-The CTAP provides eligible surplus and displaced competitive service employees in the Department of Justice with selection priority over other candidates for competitive service vacancies. If your Department of Justice component has notified you in writing that you are a surplus or displaced employee eligible for CTAP consideration, you may receive selection priority if: 1) this vacancy is within your CTAP eligibility, 2) you apply under the instructions in this announcement, and 3) you are found well-qualified for this vacancy. To be well qualified, you must satisfy all qualification requirements for the vacant position and receive a score of 85 or better on established ranking criteria. You must provide a copy of your written notification of CTAP eligibility with your application. Additional information about CTAP eligibility is at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.

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 the initial online assessment and submission of all the required documentation specified in the Required Documents section below. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 12/23/2025 the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows: 1. To begin the application process, click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59PM (ET) on 12/23/2025. 4. After submitting an online application, you will be notified whether or not you are required to take additional online assessments through the USA Hire Competency Based Assessment system. This message will be delivered to you both on screen and via email notification. 5. If you are asked to take the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be presented with a unique URL to access the USA Hire system. Access to USA Hire is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. Be sure to review all instructions prior to beginning your USA Hire Assessments. Assessments. Click here for Computer System Requirements (https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=USA_Hire_System_Requirements) 6. Note, set aside at least 3 hours to take these assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue at a later time, you can re-use the URL sent to you via email and also found on the Additional Application Information page that can be located in the application record in your USAJOBS account. To preview the Assessment Questionnaire, please click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12845159 To update your application, including supporting documentation, at any time during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account (https://usajobs.gov). There you will find a record of your application, the application status, and an option to Edit my application. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. To verify the status of your application both during and after the announcement open period, log into your USAJOBS account: https://my.usajobs.gov/Account/Login. All of your applications will appear on the Welcome page. The application record in your USAJOBS account provides an Additional Application Information page that provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application. 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/. Reasonable Accommodation Requests: If you believe you have a disability (i.e., physical or mental), covered by the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended, that would interfere with completing the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, you will be granted the opportunity to request a reasonable accommodation in your online application. Requests for Reasonable Accommodations for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for Reasonable Accommodation must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for Reasonable Accommodations are made on a case-by-case basis. If you meet the minimum qualifications of the position, after notification of the adjudication of your request, you will receive an email invitation to complete the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. You must complete all assessments within 48 hours of receiving the URL to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments, if you received the link after the close of the announcement. To determine if you need a Reasonable Accommodation, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: https://help.usastaffing.gov/Apply/index.php?title=Reasonable_Accommodations_for_USA_Hire.

Application Deadline: 2025-12-23