For a Contract Specialist, specific duties vary by hiring agency. Examples may include:

• Reviewing requisitions to determine that the proper specifications or purchase descriptions are included in solicitation documents.
• Evaluating contract proposals based on price, technical capability, and compliance with specifications to recommend award decisions.
• Assisting higher-level Contract Specialists and Contracting Officers in the administration of contract reviews and analysis of contractor performance, reports, and deliverables to identify discrepancies or issues requiring resolution.
• Making recommendations to resolve disputes and claims from contractors by applying knowledge of Federal regulations and contract law in achieving fair outcomes.
• Conducting market research and analysis to identify potential suppliers and evaluate their capabilities in meeting contract requirements.

Conditions of employment

This is a shared cross-government announcement open to agencies throughout Federal government. If you are invited to interview or offered a job, be sure to get clarification from the particular hiring agency about the duty location and other conditions of employment. Specific requirements vary by hiring agency and include:

• Current civil service employees selected will be given new appointments to the civil service and subject to a new probationary period; however, benefits, time served, and other Federal entitlements may remain the same.
• May be covered by a bargaining unit.
• May qualify for bonuses, incentives, and/or reimbursement of relocation expenses, in accordance with hiring agency policy.
• May require financial disclosure filing upon appointment and annually.
• May require a pre-employment drug test and/or random drug testing during the period of employment.
• Must be a U.S. citizen or national.
• Must successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities, visit e-verify.gov.
• Per Public Law 104-134, all Federal employees are required to have Federal payments made by direct deposit to their financial institution.
• Promotion potential varies by hiring agency. Some positions may have promotion potential to higher grade levels.
• Security clearance varies by hiring agency. Must be able to pass a background investigation and/or obtain and hold a security clearance, as determined by the hiring agency.
• Selective service registration is required, as applicable.
• Travel varies by hiring agency.

Qualifications

THIS IS AN OPEN CONTINUOUS ANNOUNCEMENT. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/19/2026. Applicants will be referred periodically throughout the announcement open period, based on the schedule below. Applicants must meet all eligibility and qualification requirements by the cut-off dates listed below. Eligibility and qualification claims are subject to verification.

1. First Cut-Off on May 4, 2026: To be considered in the first review, applicants must submit their application package and complete the USA Hire assessments by May 4, 2026.
2. Final Cut-Off on May 19, 2026: Applicants who submit their application package and complete the USA Hire assessments after May 4, 2026 will be considered in the final review.

BASIC REQUIREMENT: To be considered for this position, you must demonstrate that you meet the basic requirement:
A. Degree: Successful completion of a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
B. Industry-Specific Coursework: Successful completion of 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. (You must submit transcripts.)
OR
C. Exception for Contracting Series (1102): Federal employees in Contracting Series (1102) positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Employees who occupy Contracting Series positions equivalent to grades GS-05 through 12 will be considered to meet the basic requirement for other Contracting Series positions up to and including those classified at GS-12 or equivalent. This includes positions at other agencies and promotions up through GS-12 or equivalent. However, employees must meet specialized experience requirements when seeking another position. (You must submit SF-50s.)

In addition to meeting the Basic Requirement above, applicants must meet the following Minimum Qualifications in order to be considered:

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS: To be considered minimally qualified for this position, you must demonstrate that you possess the specialized experience and/or education for the grade level to which you are applying.

GS-07
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing at least 3 of the 4 following duties:

1. Assisting in the review of technical or administrative documents to ensure they are complete and accurate;
2. Using regulations, procedural manuals, or policy guidance (e.g., financial, administrative, legal, or program-related) to support program recommendations;
3. Preparing written materials such as reports, summaries, memoranda, correspondence, instructions, or background research to present information clearly and accurately;
4. Reviewing data for accuracy to identify discrepancies, and/or recommending adjustments to improve workflow.

Your resume must include how you meet at least 3 of the 4 specialized experience statements.

OR
Education: One full academic year (18 semester hours or equivalent) of graduate education or law school. Your field of study must have been in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. (You must submit transcripts.)

OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience may be used to meet Minimum Qualifications for this position. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then compute your graduate education as a percentage of the graduate education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate-level education may be combined with specialized experience. (Experience must be reflected in your resume, and you must submit transcripts.)

OR
Superior Academic Achievement (SAA): A bachelor's degree in one or more of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management, or any field that equipped you with the knowledge, skill, and ability to perform the work of a Contract Specialist, AND meet one of the following: (1) Grade point average of "B" (GPA of 2.95 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all completed undergraduate courses, or those completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; (2) Grade point average of "B+" (GPA of 3.45 or higher out of a possible 4.0) for all courses in your major field of study, or those courses in your major completed in the last two years of undergraduate study; (3) Rank in the upper one-third of your class in your college, university, or major subdivision; or (4) Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies. (You must submit transcripts.)

GS-09
Specialized Experience: Must have at least one year (52 weeks, full-time) of specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 grade level in the Federal service (or comparable level of experience from outside the Federal service) performing at least 3 of the 4 following duties:

1. Analyzing contract materials, technical specifications, or financial statements to support the preparation of acquisition-related documentation;
2. Reviewing contract proposals for pricing, technical capabilities, and/or adherence to specifications to make informed recommendations for award decisions;
3. Preparing reports, summaries, memoranda, correspondence, instructions, or background research memoranda used to support procurement or operational decisions;
4. Responding to inquiries to provide business or administrative recommendations supported by research or analysis.

Your resume must include how you meet at least 3 of the 4 specialized experience statements.

OR
Education: Two full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate education or master's or equivalent graduate degree or LL.B. or J.D. Your field of study must have been in one or a combination of the following fields: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. (You must submit transcripts.)

OR
Combination of Education and Experience: Combination of successfully completed graduate education and specialized experience may be used to meet Minimum Qualifications for this position. To determine your combination, first compute your experience as a percentage of the experience listed above; then compute your graduate education as a percentage of the graduate education listed above; then add the two percentages. The total percentage must equal at least 100 percent. Only graduate-level education in excess of one year (18 semester hours or equivalent) may be combined with experience. (Experience must be reflected in your resume, and you must submit transcripts.)

IN DESCRIBING YOUR EXPERIENCE, PLEASE BE CLEAR AND SPECIFIC. If your resume does not support your application questionnaire responses, we will not allow credit for your response(s).

A full-time year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours per week spent in such employment.

How you will be evaluated

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

Your qualifications will be evaluated based on your application materials (e.g., resume, transcripts, supporting documents), your responses on the application questionnaire, and your responses to all assessments required for this position.

To be found minimally quali?ed, you must demonstrate pro?ciency in the critical competencies required for the position. Your quali?cations will be evaluated on the following competencies:

• Accountability
• Arithmetic/Mathematical Reasoning
• Attention to Detail
• Customer Service
• Decision Making
• Flexibility
• Influencing/Negotiating
• Integrity/Honesty
• Interpersonal Skills
• Learning
• Reading Comprehension
• Reasoning
• Self-Management
• Stress Tolerance
• Teamwork

• Writing

Application questionnaire: Applicants must complete a questionnaire as part of the application process. To preview the application questionnaire, click the following link: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/12895258. Applicants identifying as meeting the basic requirement and minimum qualifications for the position will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Online assessments: Applicants must complete the online USA Hire Competency-Based and Writing Skills Assessments measuring critical general competencies required to perform the job. Examples used in the assessments include general scenarios addressing the underlying competencies required for this position. Applicants who complete the online assessments will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Transcripts review: HR Specialists will review your transcripts to determine your qualifications for this position based on the education required and/or substituted, as described in the Qualifications and Education sections above. Applicants passing the transcripts review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Resume review: HR Specialists will review your resume to determine your technical qualifications for this position based on the specialized experience (at least 3 of the 4 statements). Resumes submitted for Federal positions may not exceed two pages. Be sure you address all specialized experience within the two-page resume limit. HR will not review additional information beyond your resume (e.g., cover letter, links embedded in your resume). Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in the job announcement. Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or application questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration. Cheating on an assessment may also result in your removal from consideration.

Ranking and preference: Qualified candidates will be ranked in score order after completing all assessments. Candidates with veterans' preference will be ranked ahead of candidates without veterans' preference with the same score.

Referral method: A pre-established set number of the highest ranked candidates will be referred to participating agencies. All candidates tied at the cut line will be referred.

The following documents are required and must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on 05/19/2026. Complete the questionnaire and include all supporting documents with your initial application. You will not be able to update your application, including you will not be able to upload additional supporting documentation, after initial application submission.

1. A resume which includes a list of all significant jobs held and duties performed, with dates specified in month and year, and indicates hours worked per week. If military or a civilian Federal employee, you must include your rank and/or grade.
   • 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.
   • Your resume must be 5MB or less. We recommend saving and uploading your resume as a PDF to maintain formatting and number of pages. We also accept GIF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, RTF, TXT, PDF, ODT or Word (DOC or DOCX). We do not accept PDF portfolio files.
   • We recommend using a sans-serif font style such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, or Open San Source Sans Pro.
   • The USAJOBS resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.
2. A complete application questionnaire and online USA Hire Assessments.
   • If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the USA Hire Assessments, you can find the Reasonable Accommodation process here.
3. Other supporting documents, if applicable:
   • College transcript (See Qualifications and Education sections above for more detail.)
   • Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? If so, submit all of the following:
     1. A copy of your reduction-in-force (RIF) separation notice, notice of proposed removal for failure to relocate, notice of disability annuity termination, or certification from the National Guard Bureau or Military Department that you are eligible for disability retirement;
     2. A copy of your separation SF-50 "Notification of Personnel Action'', or most recent SF-50 if pending separation, noting your positions, grade level, and duty location;
     3. A copy of your latest performance appraisal, including your rating; and
     4. Any documentation from your agency that shows your current promotion potential, if applicable.
     • Your Federal position at the time you were displaced must be within the local commuting area for a location listed in this announcement. The definition of local commuting area varies based on duty location and hiring agency policy. To receive priority consideration, you must also be found well-qualified, which means you score 85 or higher based on this announcement's assessment rating criteria.
   • Are you claiming veterans' preference?
     • If you are a disabled veteran, Purple Heart recipient, or parent or spouse of a disabled or deceased veteran, you must submit all additional proof required by the SF-15, and if applicable, a completed SF-15. You may request a copy of your Department of Veterans Affairs letter from www.ebenefits.va.gov or call 1-800-827-1000 to establish proof of disability.
     • If you are a veteran within 120 days of discharge (from when you apply to this announcement), you must submit signed documentation from the Armed Forces certifying: 1) your expected release/retirement date from active duty, 2) your discharge will be under honorable conditions, 3) your pay grade/rank/rate at time of discharge, 4) dates of active duty service, 5) any campaign or expeditionary medals received, and 6) your separation date from active duty service.
     • If you are a discharged, non-disabled veteran, you must submit a copy of your DD-214 showing character of service (Member 4 copy), or other documentation of service and separation under honorable conditions, as listed on the SF-15. If you don't have your DD-214, you may request it after discharge from the National Archives.
   • Are you a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee employee?
     • Submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:
       • Position title;
       • Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, non-career SES, or Presidential appointee);
       • Agency; and
       • Beginning and end dates of appointment.

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