Contract Specialist (Recent Graduate)

Department of Health and Human Services

National Institutes of Health

Office of Acquisition and Logistics Management (OALM)

Summary

This is an excepted service appointment under the NIH Pathways Recent Graduate Program. NIH Recent Graduates receive on-the-job training for one year and complete at least 40 hours of formal interactive training while in the program. Assignments are aimed at developing the employee's skills and knowledge to progressively perform more difficult duties.

This job is open to

Recent graduates

Individuals who have graduated from an accredited educational institute or certificate program within the last 2 years or 6 years for Veterans.

Clarification from the agency

You must be a U.S. Citizen or U.S. National. Foreign nationals or legal permanent residents are not eligible for consideration.

Duties

Perform specialized contract award and administration work.
Research, interpret, and apply the rules, regulations, policies, and procedures governing NIH acquisitions to plan, manage, and participate in various aspects of contracting.
Evaluate bid responsiveness, contractor responsibility and performance.
Apply knowledge of contract types, methods, and techniques.
Apply knowledge of contract administration and termination techniques sufficient to administer and close out contracts.
Coordinate and conduct negotiations on assigned programs.
Apply critical thinking and judgment skills to various work assignments to identify and troubleshoot potential problems and to develop remedies and solutions.

Requirements

Conditions of employment

U.S. Citizenship requirement or proof of being a U.S. National must be met by closing date.
Employment is subject to the successful completion of a background investigation, verification of qualifications, completion of onboarding forms, submission of required documents, and any other job-related requirement before or after appointment.
Applicants must meet all qualification requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Males born after December 31, 1959 must be registered with the Selective Service.
The National Institutes of Health participates in the USCIS Electronic Employment Eligibility Verification Program (E-Verify). E-Verify helps employers determine employment eligibility of new hires and the validity of their Social Security numbers.
The NIH maintains a tobacco free work environment and campus.
Must be able to perform the essential duties of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation.
The duration of a Pathways appointment under Sch D is a trial period.
Must have completed within the last 2 years, a qualifying associate's, bachelor's, master's, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying accredited institution.
Must have obtained a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above.
Recent Graduates and their supervisors must sign a Pathways Participant Agreement which outlines expectations for the internship prior to entrance on duty.

Qualifications

In order to be eligible for appointment as a Recent Graduate (Contract Specialist) GS-1102-07/09: You must be a recent graduate who has completed, within the previous two years, a qualifying associate, bachelors, masters, professional, doctorate, vocational or technical degree, or certificate from a qualifying, accredited educational institution with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. -OR- A valid certificate program in post-secondary education in a qualifying educational institution that is equivalent to at least one academic year of full-time study, as defined by your university. The certificate program must also be a part of an accredited college-level, technical, vocational, trade, or business school curriculum. AND

In addition, to be eligible for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102 position at the GS-07/09 level, you must:

A. Must have completed a 4-year course of study leading to a bachelor's degree with a major in any field OR

B. have 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. OR

C. occupied a GS-1102 position 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. AND

In addition, to be eligible for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102 position at the GS-07 you must:

A. Have completed one (1) year of graduate-level education that is directly related to the duties of this position. OR

B. Have met one of the requirements for Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) based on a) graduating within the upper third of the graduating class in a college, university, or major subdivision such as the College of Liberal Arts or the School of Business Administration, based on completed courses; b) having a grade point average of 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 as recorded on your official transcript, or as computed based on 4 years of education, or as computed based on courses completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; or 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 based on the average of the required courses completed in the major field or the required courses in the major field completed during the final 2 years of the curriculum; c) being elected for membership in a national scholastic honor society. Note: SAA must be based on a related curriculum that is qualifying for the position being filled. OR

C. have one (1) year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-05 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: performing administrative duties and assisting program staff to provide acquisition support associated with the procurement of supplies and services, assisting with preparing acquisition documents, analyzing bids/proposals/quotes, and recommend revisions to the statement of work. OR

D. Have a combination of post-baccalaureate education that is related to this position and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

In addition, to be eligible for a Contract Specialist, GS-1102 position at the GS-09 you must:

A. Have completed a master's or equivalent graduate degree, or 2 full years of progressively higher-level graduate education or an LL.B. or J.D. To qualify based on graduate education, graduate education in one or a combination of the following fields is required: accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management.. OR

B. Have 1 year of specialized experience equivalent to at least the GS-07 level in the Federal service obtained in either the private or public sector, performing the following types of tasks: reviewing requisitions for supplies or services to determine that proper specifications or purchase descriptions are included in solicitation documents; evaluating bids or proposals for supplies or services to ensure compliance with specifications or purchase descriptions; and/or evaluating the prior contract performance of potential suppliers to determine their financial responsibility. OR

C. Have a combination of post-baccalaureate education and experience that meets 100% of the qualification requirements for this position.

You will receive credit for all experience material to the position, including experience gained in religious, civic, welfare, service, and organizational activities, regardless of whether you received pay. Do not copy and paste the duties or specialized experience from this announcement into your resume as that will not be considered a demonstration of your qualifications for this position.

We may verify or assess your qualifications at any time. Inflated or unsupported qualifications may affect your rating. Any misrepresentation or material omission of facts may be sufficient cause to end further consideration of your candidacy. Persons listed as knowing your past accomplishments or experience in your application may be contacted for verification purposes at any time. Verification may, but need not, begin before receiving an offer.

Veterans unable to apply within two years of receiving their degree due to military service obligation may have as much as six years after degree completion to apply. Veterans are granted exclusion for their time served. Therefore, if a Veteran graduates and then serves on active duty for four years, his/her service time is subtracted for the purposes of the two-year calculation.

While conversion is not guaranteed, Recent Graduates may be converted to a career-conditional appointment (a term position lasting 1-4 years or a permanent position) upon successful completion of all program requirements specified by the Pathways Participant Agreement. To be eligible for conversion to a permanent or term position, Recent Graduates must:

Successfully complete at least 1-year of continuous service in addition to all requirements of the Program.
Demonstrate successful job performance.
Meet the Office of Personnel Management's qualifications for the position to which the Recent Graduate may be converted. To learn more, please visit: http://www.opm.gov/HiringReform/Pathways/program/graduates/.

Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016026

Education

You MUST submit a copy of your transcripts. Unofficial transcripts will be accepted in the application package; however, official transcripts will be required prior to receiving an official offer. Please note that unofficial transcripts attached to the application must reflect that the degree or certificate has been awarded or conferred. The date that the degree was awarded or conferred must meet the program criteria at the time of application. Applicants must have graduated with a cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. We do not round the GPA.

All documents must be received at the time of application.If you are using foreign education to meet qualification requirements, you must send a Certificate of Foreign Equivalency (a U.S. private organization's interpretation that such education has been deemed at least equivalent to conventional U.S. education programs) with your transcript in order to receive credit for that education.

For more information regarding evaluation of foreign education for federal employment, please visit the U.S. Department of Education webpage on the Click here for information on Foreign Educatio n

Additional information

Visit our H elp Applying page for helpful information on the application process.
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 RA in your online application. Requests for RA for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments and appropriate supporting documentation for RA must be received prior to starting the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Decisions on requests for RA 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, based on your adjudication decision. 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 RA, please review the Procedures for Requesting a Reasonable Accommodation for Online Assessments here: Reasonable Accommodation.
We may make additional selections for similar positions within the commuting area(s) of the locations listed through this vacancy announcement. By applying, you agree to have your application shared with any interested selecting official(s).
If selected, you may be eligible to receive a salary above the minimum based on superior qualifications and/or a special need of the Government for your services. This applies to employees paid under the General Schedule (GS) and Federal Wage System (FWS) pay systems and is at the discretion of the hiring manager. A salary above the minimum must be approved before the appointment.
A newly appointed or reappointed employee may receive service credit for prior work experience or active-duty uniformed service that otherwise would not be creditable for the purpose of determining his or her annual leave accrual rate. All creditable service must be directly related to the duties of the position being filled and decisions to allow for such credit must be finalized prior to the selectee's entrance on duty. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
NIH may repay certain outstanding Federally insured student loans to facilitate the recruitment and retention of highly qualified people. Recipients will be determined on a case-by-case basis based on organizational need, specific case justification, and budget limitations.
This position is designated as a "non-emergency/teleworker" position and the selected candidate will be considered a "non-emergency/teleworker" employee. In the event of closure, you must be available to telework or request leave.
Position may require either a non-sensitive(NS)/Low Risk or Moderate Risk(MR) position sensitivity. Determination will be made upon selection and grade level of appointment.

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.

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.

Traditional rating and ranking of applications does not apply to this vacancy. Applications will be evaluated against the basic qualifications.

Veteran's Preference does apply. If you are claiming Veterans' Preference, you MUST submit supporting documents with your application package to verify your preference claim and receive preference. These documents may include but are not limited to: DD-214 member 4 copy (which indicates character of service), SF-15, VA Letter and/or Activation/Deactivation orders. If you are a veteran, click here for additional information and about required documents.

Selections will be made in preference order. All individuals in the highest preference group must be selected before making selections from the next lower preference eligible group. All preference eligibles must be selected before making selections from the non-preference eligible group.

You will be assessed 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

The USA Hire Assessment includes 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.

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

Required Documents

Required for All Applicants

RESUME:
Your resume must clearly demonstrate, in two pages or less, how your skills and experiences align with the "Qualifications" section and support your questionnaire responses. While cover letters provided with your application will be shared with hiring officials, they will not be used for initial qualification determinations. We cannot assume required experience based on your work or academic history. If your resume exceeds two pages, only the first two will be reviewed.

Use a legible font such as Lato, Calibri, Helvetica, or Arial, with 0.5-inch margins. Suggested formatting: 14-point for titles and 10-point for body text.
You may use the USAJOBS Resume Builder or upload your own resume. If uploading, ensure it includes all required information and is organized so we can match the following to each position:

Job title
Employer name
Employment dates (MM/DD/YYYY)
Hours worked per week (full-time assumed; part-time prorated)
Detailed duties, accomplishments, skills, responsibilities, and supervisory details (if applicable)
Series and grade or equivalent (for federal positions)

If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you must list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study. If the position requires a certain number of credit hours, you are strongly encouraged to list the relevant courses in your resume.

Do not include a photograph or video of yourself, or any sensitive information (age, date of birth, marital status, protected health information, religious affiliation, social security number, etc.) on your resume or cover letter. We will not access web pages linked on your resume or cover letter to determine your qualifications.

For resume writing guidance, please visit the following resources: NIH Help Applying, USAJOBS Resource Center, and the USAJOBS Resume Guidance. If the position has an education requirement or you are qualifying on the basis of education, you need to list your education history including the type of degree and your major of study.

REQUIRED DOCUMENTATION FOR PREFERENCE OR ELIGIBILITY CLAIMS
To claim veterans' preference, you must provide the documentation listed below AND respond accordingly to the associated question on the online questionnaire.

Veterans' preference (DD-214, VA Disability Letter, etc.): Reference Standard Form 15 (SF-15) for required documentation for 10 point claims. Submission of SF-15 is not required, unless you are claiming derived preference (XP) as described in questions 7, 8, or 9 on the SF-15. In those cases, you must submit a completed SF-15 and the required documentation. For 5 point claims, you must submit your DD-214 (if separated) or any written documentation from the armed forces that certifies you are expected to be discharged or released from active duty service in the armed forces under honorable conditions not later than 120 days after the date the certification is submitted with your application package.

Do not submit documentation that is not requested of you. To protect your personal information, we will only send your resume and cover letter to the selecting official(s).

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

This announcement accepts applications during the open period of August 10, 2026, through August 14, 2026, unless the applicant cut-off of 200 applications is reached. This announcement will close at 11:59 PM Eastern Time (ET) on August 14, 2026, or on the day the 200th application is received, whichever comes first. A complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM ET on the closing day of the announcement to receive consideration. Early submission of your application is highly encouraged.

Please read the entire announcement and all the instructions before you begin an application. To apply and be considered for this position, you must complete and submit all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents sections. The complete application package must be submitted by 11:59 PM (ET) on the closing date of the announcement to receive consideration. The application process is as follows:

Click Apply Online button.
Follow the prompts to select your resume and/or other supporting documents to be included with your application package. See the "Required Documents" section for any additional forms and/or supplemental materials required.
Read all Eligibility questions and respond accordingly to any Eligibility you wish to claim. You will only be considered for those Eligibility questions (Veteran) you respond in the affirmative to, regardless of what documentation you submit. We cannot assume you intended to respond differently to a question based on other information in your application package.
Complete the application questionnaire. Applicants are asked all questions regardless of their consideration preferences. We will only consider you for the grades, series, locations, specialties, and other considerations that you self-identify as being qualified for or interested in. Preview application questionnaire before you apply: https://apply.usastaffing.gov/ViewQuestionnaire/13016026
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 via email notification. The email may be routed to your "Spam" or "Junk" folder.
If you are required to complete any USA Hire Assessments, you will be notified after submitting your application. The notification will be provided in your application submission screen and via email. The notification will include your unique assessment access link to the USA Hire system and the completion deadline. Additionally, in USAJOBS you can click "Track this application" to return to your assessment completion notice.
Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials.
Review all instructions prior to beginning your assessments. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation before beginning the assessments should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.
Set aside about 2 hours to take the USA Hire assessments; however, most applicants complete the assessments in less time. If you need to stop the assessments and continue later, you can re-use your unique assessment link.
Your responses to the USA Hire Assessments will be reused for one year (in most cases) from the date you complete an assessment. If future applications you submit require completion of the same assessments, your responses will be automatically reused.
Verify all required documentation is included in your application package, review your responses to the application questionnaire for accuracy, and then submit your application.

Visit the USA Hire Applicant Resource Center for practice assessments and assessment preparation resources at https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us.

In addition to the required documents, we encourage you to submit a cover letter, copy of your transcripts, and any applicable certifications or licenses. Even though this information is not required at the time of application, we may request this information later.

We cannot assume responsibility or grant extensions for personal issues (e.g., troubles navigating the application process, loss of internet, not understanding a question) when applying to our announcements. For technical difficulties, contact HR Systems Support between 8:00 AM and 4:30 PM ET Monday through Friday at hrss@nih.gov.

For reasonable accommodations not related to USA Hire, please contact Carolyn Lammering at lammeringcm@mail.nih.gov. Requests for reasonable accommodations must be made before the announcement closing date.

Visit our site for information on NIH's EEO program, Reasonable accommodation procedures, laws, policy statements, and the operation of the EEO complaint process.

Agency contact information

Carolyn Lammering

Email: lammeringcm@mail.nih.gov

Address: National Institutes of Health
6701 Rockledge Drive
Bethesda, MD 20892
US

Next steps

Based on your application and your responses to the application questionnaire, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire system to complete the online assessments. The online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement. You will have the opportunity to request a testing accommodation for the assessment should you have a disability covered under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 as amended.

Once you submit your application package, you will receive an acknowledgment email with the status of your application. To track or update your application or supporting documentation, during the announcement open period, return to your USAJOBS account. This option will no longer be available once the announcement has closed. The Additional Application Information page provides information regarding the documentation you submitted and any correspondence we have sent related to this application, including the invitation to take the USA Hire assessment.

At the discretion of the agency, you may be contacted via phone or email for an interview or to provide additional information up to several months from the closing date of the announcement. Please ensure you have provided accurate contact information. To remain in consideration, you must respond in a timely manner to our correspondence and requests for documentation or information throughout the hiring process.

Contract Specialist (Recent Graduate) Job