Contract Specialist (Early Career - Procurement)

Representative duties may include:

• Support acquisition and contracting activities across the contracting lifecycle.
• Review requisitions, specifications, purchase descriptions, and related materials for completeness and accuracy.
• Conduct market research to identify potential suppliers and assess their ability to meet requirements.
• Assist with preparing solicitation, award, contract administration, and closeout materials.
• Review proposal information for price, technical capability, and compliance with requirements.
• Support monitoring of contractor performance, deliverables, reports, and related issues.
• Apply federal acquisition rules, policy, and guidance under supervision to support recommendations.
• Use spreadsheets, collaboration platforms, dashboards, automation, or approved AI-enabled tools, where authorized, to support research, drafting, summarization, data organization, reporting, and workflow improvement.
• Review digital or AI-assisted outputs for accuracy, completeness, relevance, and appropriate use before incorporating them into official work.

Depending on the hiring agency, you may also use digital tools, dashboards, automation, and approved AI-enabled tools to support market research, summarize acquisition materials, organize contract information, draft routine procurement documents, identify issues for review, and strengthen service delivery. Applicants do not need to be AI experts, but should be comfortable learning new tools, using technology responsibly, and adapting to a changing work environment.
Where supported by the position, evaluation may also consider the ability to use modern digital tools and approved AI-enabled tools responsibly to support assigned work. This may include organizing information, summarizing materials, improving workflows, verifying outputs, protecting sensitive information, and applying human judgment before incorporating tool-assisted work into official products.

Conditions of employment

This is a pooled hiring action. Specific duty locations are not known at the time of this announcement. Positions may be located anywhere in the United States where federal agencies are located. Duty location will be determined at the time of selection based on the needs of the agency and the interests of the candidate.
Applicants will indicate geographic preferences in the application questionnaire. These preferences may help participating agencies understand candidate location interests and potential future workforce needs, but they do not guarantee consideration, selection, or assignment to any specific location.
After appointment, the employing agency may reassign employees to another federal duty location based on mission needs and applicable law, regulation, and agency policy. Any reassignment decision is made by the employing agency after appointment and is not guaranteed.

Applicants must meet all conditions of employment listed in this announcement and any agency-specific requirements. Depending on the position, these may include:

• U.S. citizenship or nationality.
• Completion of the E-Verify employment verification process.
• Selective Service registration, if applicable.
• Background investigation and suitability determination.
• Security clearance, if required by the hiring agency.
• Drug testing, financial disclosure, or bargaining unit coverage, depending on the position.
  • May require a pre-employment drug test and/or random drug testing during the period of employment.
• Direct deposit of salary payments.
• 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.

Specific conditions of employment may vary by hiring agency. Applicants should clarify duty location, telework eligibility, travel, security clearance, and other position-specific requirements with the hiring agency, if contacted for interview or selection.

Qualifications

Who we are looking for
Strong candidates may bring experience through school, internships, work, military service, volunteer service, apprenticeships, community activities, or other relevant settings.
Applicants do not need a linear background or a single type of experience. Relevant experience may be paid or unpaid and may come from academic, community, technical, service, or professional settings.
Strong candidates may demonstrate:

• Clear written and verbal communication.
• Sound judgment, reliability, and attention to detail.
• Comfort learning new systems, tools, and processes.
• Interest in public service and improving how government works.
• Ability to work with data, documents, collaboration tools, and digital systems.
• Responsible use of modern digital tools, including approved AI-enabled tools where appropriate to the role.

Basic requirement
Contract Specialist (1102 series) positions also require one of the following: a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field; completion of at least 24 semester hours in accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management; or Federal employees in Contracting Series (1102) positions will be considered to have met the standard for positions they occupy on January 1, 2000. Transcripts or SF-50s must be submitted; AND

Grade-specific requirements
In addition to the Basic Requirement, applicants must also meet Minimum Qualifications for the grade level(s) for which they are applying.

GS-7
Applicants may qualify at the GS-7 level based on one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-5 level that demonstrates at least three of the following:

1. Reviewing technical or administrative documents to ensure they are complete and accurate.
2. Applying regulations, procedural manuals, or policy guidance to support recommendations.
3. Preparing written materials such as reports, summaries, memoranda, correspondence, or instructions, or conducting background research to present information clearly.
4. Reviewing data for accuracy to identify discrepancies or recommend workflow improvements; OR

• One full year of graduate education 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; OR
• Superior Academic Achievement:A bachelor's degree, AND meet one of the following:

1. Grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) for all undergraduate coursework or courses completed in the last two years of undergraduate study.
2. Grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a 4.0 scale) 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. Class standing in the upper one-third of your graduating class, college, university, or major subdivision.
4. Membership in a national honor society (other than freshman honor societies) recognized by the Association of College Honor Societies; OR

• A combination of qualifying education and experience. If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

GS-9
Applicants may qualify at the GS-9 level based on one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-7 level that demonstrates at least three of the following:

1. Analyzing contract materials, technical specifications, or financial statements to support acquisition-related documentation.
2. Reviewing contract proposals for pricing, technical capability, or adherence to specifications to inform award decisions.
3. Preparing reports, summaries, memoranda, correspondence, instructions, or background research to support procurement or operational decisions.
4. Responding to inquiries to provide business or administrative recommendations; OR

• Two full years of progressively higher-level graduate education, or a master's, LL.B., or J.D. 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; OR
• A combination of qualifying education and experience. If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of one year (18 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 18 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

GS-11
Applicants may qualify at the GS-11 level based on one of the following:

• One year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-9 level that demonstrates at least three of the following:

1. Preparing or reviewing solicitation, award, contract administration, or closeout materials to support acquisition actions.
2. Analyzing contract proposals, pricing, technical capability, or compliance information to support award or administration decisions.
3. Conducting market research or supplier analysis to support acquisition planning or recommendations.
4. Monitoring contractor performance, deliverables, reports, or related issues to recommend next steps; OR

• Three full years of progressively higher-level graduate education leading to a Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree, or a Ph.D., LL.M., or equivalent doctoral degree 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; OR
• A combination of qualifying education and experience. If you have some qualifying education and some qualifying experience, but don't fully meet either requirement on its own, you may be able to combine them. Only graduate education in excess of two years (36 semester hours or equivalent) can be used in this calculation. Experience must be reflected in your resume, and transcripts are required.

1. Divide your qualifying graduate semester hours beyond the first 36 by 18. That gives you your education percentage.
2. Divide your months of qualifying experience by 12. That gives you your experience percentage.
3. Add the two together. If the total is 100% or more, you qualify.

???????Experience may include paid or unpaid work, including internships, volunteer service, student leadership, military service, apprenticeships, or other relevant activities. Resumes must clearly describe duties, dates, and hours worked per week.

Are you claiming special priority selection rights under the Career Transition Assistance Program (ICTAP/CTAP)? Your Federal position at the time you were displaced must be within the local commuting area for a location that a hiring agency plans to fill from 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.

How you will be evaluated

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

To be found minimally qualified, you must demonstrate proficiency in the competencies required for the position. Your qualifications 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

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/12950587. 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 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. The USA Hire Assessments include a cut score based on the minimum level of required proficiency in these critical general competencies. You must meet or exceed the cut score to be considered. You will not be considered for the position if you score below the cut score or fail to complete the assessment. Applicants who complete the online assessments and meet or exceed the cut score 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 basic requirement and any education substituted for minimum qualifications, 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 the 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). Applicants passing the resume review will move on to the next phase of the assessment process.

Referral method: Your responses to the application questionnaire and online assessments, transcripts, and resume, will be used to determine whether you meet the basic requirement and minimum qualifications (experience and/or education) listed in this announcement. If your responses are not supported by the documentation you submit, you may be excluded from consideration for this job. If it is determined that you meet the basic requirement and minimum qualifications, you will be referred to the selecting officials.

Under provisions of the Direct Hire Authority: Category Rating, Rule of Many, and veterans' preference do not apply. All applicants who are determined to meet the basic requirement and minimum qualifications, as defined by this announcement, will be referred to the selecting officials for consideration.

Applicants must submit all required materials by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date (06/22/2026). Required documents include:

1. A resume of no more than two pages 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.
   • Resumes must be legible so they can be reviewed for eligibility, minimum qualifications, and other position requirements listed in the job announcement.
   • 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 transcripts (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 that a hiring agency plans to fill from 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 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.

Failure to submit required documentation may result in an ineligible rating or loss of consideration.

Do not submit photographs with your application package. Documents with photographs may not be seen by hiring officials. You must remove your image from any badges, licenses, etc.

Next steps