Job Summary

This position is a contract specialist in the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Procurement, Acquisition and Logistics (OPAL), EPO/AS3 The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest health care organization of its kind in the world. OPAL negotiates, awards, and administers multi-year, multi-billion-dollar contracts for supplies and services using procedures outlined in the Federal Acquisition Regulations, VA Acquisition Regulations, Public Laws, and Agency policy.

Job Description

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 08/19/2026. Certification Requirements: The incumbent must have achieved Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III contracting certification or Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Level III certification or Federal Acquisition Certification in Contracting (FAC-C) Professional certification or have the ability to obtain this certification within 12 months of appointment. You may qualify based on your experience and/or education as described below: Specialized Experience for the GS-13 level of this position: Applicants must have one year of full-time specialized experience equivalent to at least the next lower grade (GS-12) in the normal line of progression for the occupation in the organization. Examples of specialized experience would typically include but are not limited to: Perform research and analysis to support acquisition planning and informed decision-making. Evaluate proposed costs or pricing to determine reasonableness and support contractual actions. Monitor contractor performance to ensure adherence to applicable requirements and standards. Prepare documentation summarizing negotiation outcomes and supporting contract decisions. Develop required summaries and announcements related to solicitation and award activities. Initiate formal notifications to address performance concerns and support potential corrective actions. Conduct or participate in contract negotiations, including price, schedule, and terms and conditions, on competitive and noncompetitive procurement actions. Maintain accurate and complete contract administration records in required electronic systems (e.g., eCMS or comparable contract writing/management systems) in accordance with agency policy. Communicate proactively with internal and external customers throughout the acquisition lifecycle, providing timely status updates and resolving issues. Evidence of this specialized experience must be supported by detailed documentation of like duties performed in positions held on your resume. You will also need to provide work experience information such as hours per week, full-time/part-time status, and starting/ending dates of employment (month and year format) to establish you have one (1) full year of specialized experience at the required grade level. Individual Occupational Requirements for Contracting Series, 1102 Basic Requirements for GS-13 and Above A. Completion of all mandatory training prescribed by the head of the agency for progression to GS-13 or higher level contracting positions, including at least 4-years experience in contracting or related positions. At least 1 year of that experience must have been specialized experience at or equivalent to work at the next lower level of the position, and must have provided the knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform successfully the work of the position. and B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by 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. C. Exceptions: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. This also applies to positions at the same grade in the same agency or other agencies if the specialized experience requirements are met. However, they will have to meet the basic requirements and specialized experience requirements in order to qualify for promotion to a higher grade, unless granted a waiver under Paragraph D. D. Waiver: When filling a specific vacant position, the senior procurement executive of the selecting agency, at his or her discretion, may waive any or all of the requirements of Paragraphs A and B above if the senior procurement executive certifies that the applicant possesses significant potential for advancement to levels of greater responsibility and authority, based on demonstrated analytical and decision making capabilities, job performance, and qualifying experience. With respect to each waiver granted under this Paragraph D, the senior procurement executive must document for the record the basis of the waiver. If an individual is placed in a position in an agency on the basis of a waiver, the agency may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within that agency without additional waiver action. For more information on these qualification standards, please visit the United States Office of Personnel Management's website at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/classification-qualifications/general-schedule-qualification-standards/. 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: Demonstrate knowledge of Federal Acquisition Regulations (FAR), and other Federal acquisition regulations. Knowledge of the market and sources to include identification of offerors in specific socio- economic categories eligible for set-asides. Knowledge of contract administration principles and practices sufficient to monitor contractor performance and compliance with all terms and conditions of the contract. Knowledge of commercial and industrial business practices to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data. Ability to take appropriate action related to issues of noncompliance. Knowledge of cost/price analysis techniques used in evaluation of contractor proposals, change order proposals and to conduct negotiations. Information about ICTAP and CTAP eligibility is on OPM's Career Transition Resources website at http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/workforce-restructuring/employee-guide-to-career-transition/.