Contract Specialist Job in Germantown, MD

Vacancy No. 26-EA-00189-GS-1102-14 IMP Department Department of Energy - Agency Wide
Salary $142,488.00 to $185,234.00 Grade 14 to 14
Perm/Temp Permanent FT/PT Full-time
Open Date 10/10/2025 Close Date 10/16/2025
Job Link Apply Online Who may apply Status Candidates
Locations:
Germantown, MD


Summary

This position is part of the Office of Enterprise Assessments, Department of Energy. As a Contract Specialist, you will provide advice and guidance to the Department of Energy (DOE) acquisition and program officials on cross-cutting acquisition regulations, review complex DOE contractual pricing arrangements and incentives, and conduct negotiations in the pre-award and post award phases of contracting.

This job is open to

Clarification from the agency

This position is open to all current Department of Energy (including employees of BPA, WAPA, SEPA, SWPA, NNSA) employees on a career or career-conditional competitive service appointment. DOE employees participating in either the OPM or DOE Deferred Resignation Program (DRP) are not eligible to apply for this announcement. DRP participants are not considered active DOE employees because they have agreed to separate from the agency.

Duties

As a Contract Specialist, you will:

  • Serve as the agency's technical authority for contracting issues.
  • Provide guidance on regulatory and policy development for Department of Energy acquisition groups and senior leadership.
  • Audit major acquisitions, present findings, and recommend corrective actions to senior management.
  • Serve as a Senior Advisor to the Department of Energy senior leadership and office directors on a variety of policy, accountability, management, regulatory, and other issues.
  • Evaluate proposals, bids responsiveness, contractor responsibility, and contractor performance.

Requirements

Conditions of Employment

  • You must be a United States Citizen.
  • This employer participates in the e-Verify program.
  • If you are a male applicant born after December 31, 1959, you must certify that you have registered with the Selective Service System or are exempt from having to do so under the Selective Service Law. See www.sss.gov.
  • If selected, you may be required to complete a one year probationary period.
  • If selected, your appointment may be subject to a suitability or fitness determination, as determined by a completed background investigation.
  • This position is not remote, the selectee will be expected to report to the duty station(s) listed. If selected, military spouses, veteran caregivers, and spouses of foreign service employees may be eligible for applicable workplace flexibilities.
  • You are required to submit a Financial Disclosure Statement, OGE-450, Executive Branch Personnel Confidential Financial Disclosure Report within 30 days of entering the position and annually.
  • This position is a Testing Designated Position (TDP) subject to applicant testing and random drug testing thereafter. Failure to test or a positive result on random drug tests conducted after appointment may result in removal from Federal employment.
  • This position has been designated as Non-Critical Sensitive and requires a security clearance at the Tier 5 level. The incumbent is required to obtain and maintain this clearance; failure to do so may result in separation from federal service.
  • Occasional travel is required for the position.
  • This is an acquisition position. This position requires you to possess a Federal Acquisition Certification for Contracting Officer's Representative (FAC-C) level III certification within 24 months of hire and failure to do so may result in removal.
  • This position may be included in a Bargaining Unit.
  • This position may be authorized for SITUATIONAL telework, as approved by the supervisor and consistent with agency guidelines.

Qualifications

BASIC REQUIREMENT:
All applicants must meet the OPM Basic Requirement for this position as follows:

A. Applicants must have 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 grade level of the position in federal service, as defined under Specialized Experience below.

AND

B. A 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree, that included or was supplemented by at least 24semester 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: Applicants holding a GS-1102 position in federal service will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupied 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: Applicants may request that the senior procurement executive of DOE, at his or her discretion, waive any part of the requirements above. The senior procurement executive must certify 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 DOE on the basis of a waiver, DOE may later reassign that individual to another position at the same grade within DOE without additional waiver action.

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 GS-13 in the Federal service. Specialized experience for this position is defined as meeting 2 out of 3 of the following:

  1. Leading the complete contract lifecycle for programs with values ranging up to $25 million.
  2. Supporting the evaluation of contractor proposals to ensure it meets all regulatory requirements.
  3. Utilizing systems such as the Strategic Integrated Procurement Enterprise System (STRIPES), G-Invoicing, Budget Formulation and Distribution System (BFADS), and Financial Accounting Support Tool (FAST) to support procurement and financial operations.
There are no substitution of education for experience for this position.

"Experience" refers to paid and unpaid experience. Examples of qualifying unpaid experience may include: volunteer work done through National Service programs (such as Peace Corps and AmeriCorps); as well as work for other community-based philanthropic and social organizations. 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.

Limit your resume to no more than two (2) pages. If more than two pages are submitted, only the first two pages will be reviewed to determine your eligibility and qualifications. Your full resume will be made available to the hiring manager if you are referred.

Time-in-Grade: Current Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements by the closing date of this announcement to receive consideration.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date of this announcement.

Education

This vacancy has a positive education requirement. In order to be rated as qualified, you must provide copies of your college transcripts. Failure to provide copies of your college transcripts may result in a rating of "Ineligible". Education must be obtained from an accredited institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Foreign education must be reviewed by an organization recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. For special instructions pertaining to foreign education and a list of organizations that can evaluate foreign education, see the Department of Education website.


Additional information

  • New employees to the Department of Energy will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit www.dhs.gov/E-Verify.
  • Veterans and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. For more information, please visit the links at the bottom of this page or visit the FedsHireVets website.
  • If you believe that you are eligible for the Interagency Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP), please visit the OPM ICTAP/CTAP website for more information. In order to be considered under the ICTAP program, your application must score within the pre-established "well qualified" category as stated in the Qualifications section.
  • More than one selection may be made from this vacancy announcement.
  • Some positions may require completion of a probationary period of up to 1 (one) year.
  • Many positions require successful completion of a background investigation.
  • Your performance appraisal and incentive awards will be given due consideration in the selection process based on their relation to the duties of the position and the consistency with which they may be considered in evaluating you against other candidates.
  • Hiring incentives may be authorized in accordance with agency policy and if funding is available.
  • Equal employment opportunity policy.
  • Employees or applicants may request Reasonable Accommodation (RA) for assistance, when applying or competing for a job or performing a job due to their medical condition or to exercise their religious beliefs. If you need reasonable accommodation in the application or selection process, please contact the Staffing Specialist listed on this vacancy announcement.
  • Reasonable Accommodation Policy: https://www.energy.gov/hc/department-energy-reasonable-accommodation-program
  • Veterans Information: https://www.energy.gov/careers/veterans-military-spouses
  • Selective Service Registration: http://www.sss.gov/
  • The Fair Chance Act prohibits specific inquiries concerning an applicant's criminal or credit background unless the hiring agency has made a conditional offer of employment to the applicant. An applicant may submit a complaint to the agency within 30 calendar days of the date of alleged noncompliance by completing the Fair Chance Act Intake Form and submitting it to the Administrative Investigations Program at AdministrativeInvestigations@hq.doe.gov.
  • Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

As a DRP participant, you provided notice of your intent to leave the Department of Energy (DOE). DOE has taken steps in support of your decision including authorizing extensive administrative leave. Therefore, as a DRP participant, you are not considered an active DOE employee and are not eligible to apply for internal DOE positions (that are limited to active DOE internal employees).

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

Benefits

A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

Review our benefits

Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.

How You Will Be Evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

Minimum Qualifications: Once the application process is complete, the Human Resources Offices or Subject Matter Expert (SME) will review the first two pages of your resume and supporting documentation to determine whether you meet the minimum job qualifications.

Structured Resume Review: After it has been determined that you meet the minimum qualifications, Human Resources Offices or Subject matter experts (SMEs) may review the first two pages of your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the required competencies. Additional documentation (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume) may not be considered. Federal employees must meet time-in-grade requirements and current employees must have at least a fully successful or equivalent performance rating to receive consideration.

Once the announcement closes, we will conduct a review of your application package to verify your eligibility and qualifications. If you are found qualified, your application will move forward to additional phases of the review process.

Your application and resume should demonstrate that you possess the following competencies. Do not provide a separate narrative written statement. Rather, you must describe in your resume how your past work experience demonstrates that you possess the competencies identified below. Use specific examples of employment or experience contained in your resume and describe how this experience has prepared you to successfully perform the duties of this position.

  • Contracting/Procurement
  • Financial Management
  • Process Control
  • Technical Competence



Shared Certificates: The Department of Energy shares lists of applicants among its internal Departmental Elements and organizations. You may be referred for consideration to other DOE Hiring Managers throughout the Department for more than one position based on this application. By applying to this announcement, you understand your application materials may be shared with multiple Hiring Mangers throughout DOE. If additional positions are filled from this announcement conditions of employment may differ. You will be notified if you are referred for additional positions.

You must meet all qualifications and eligibility requirements by the closing date ( 10/16/2025) of this announcement.

To preview the Applicant Questionnaire, click https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12814154.

Required Documents

To apply for this position, you MUST provide a complete application package which includes:

  • Your two (2) pageRESUME showing all relevant work experience (paid and unpaid) including: duties performed; full name and address of the each employer; start and end dates (month/day/year); work schedule (part-time, full-time, number of hours if intermittent); salary; and any completed education and training (program title, subject area, number of hours completed, and completion date).
  • Cover Letter, optional, expressing additional information not covered in your resume.
  • Transcripts, if specific educational requirements are indicated in this job announcement. Unofficial transcripts or any report listing institution, course title, credits earned (semester or quarter hour) and final grade is acceptable. It is your responsibility to provide adequate proof that you meet the educational requirements.
Submit one or more of the following to support your eligibility(s) to apply to this job announcement:
  • SF-50, "Notification of Personnel Action" (current/former federal employees): Most recent Promotion, Within Rate Increase (WRI/WGI), or Appointment/Conversion SF-50 or Notification of Personnel Action showing you are/were in the competitive service and the highest grade or promotion potential held.
Failure to submit the above mentioned required documents may result in loss of consideration due to an incomplete application package. It is your responsibility to ensure all required documents have been submitted. Do not provide photos or list a Social Security Number or date of birth on any attachment.

If you are relying on your education to meet qualification requirements:

Education must be accredited by an accrediting institution recognized by the U.S. Department of Education in order for it to be credited towards qualifications. Therefore, provide only the attendance and/or degrees from schools accredited by accrediting institutions recognized by the U.S. Department of Education.

Failure to provide all of the required information as stated in this vacancy announcement may result in an ineligible rating or may affect the overall rating.

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:

The application process is as follows:

  1. Read all instructions before you begin.
  2. Click "Apply Online."
  3. Complete the application and attach all required documents.
  4. Submit by 11:59 PM ET on the 10/16/2025.
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: 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/.

Agency contact information

Kela Edwards
Address
Office of Enterprise Assessments
Department of Energy
Human Capital Shared Service Center
1000 Independence Ave, SW
Washington, DC 20585
US

Next steps

Once you submit your online application, you will receive a confirmation notification by email that your submission was successful. After the closing of the announcement, we will review applications. If you are among the most qualified candidates and your name is referred to the hiring official, you may be contacted directly for a possible interview. We will notify you of the status of your Application Package at the time candidates are referred for consideration, and when the selection process is complete.

If you are interested in being added to our Schedule A or 30% or more Disabled Veterans repository, please submit your information by using the below links.

USAJOBS- Job Announcement - 30 Percent or More Disabled Veteran Repository 2025 for Department of Energy
USAJOBS - Job Announcement- Schedule A Repository 2025 for Department of Energy


Note: We cannot accept applications on behalf of Federal Agencies. Application instructions are listed within the Job Description.


© 2006-2025, exclusive of U. S. government job opportunity announcements