CONTRACT SPECIALIST

📍 Multiple Locations · 🏛 Department of the Navy Headquarters · 💰 $51,210–$90,540 per year · 🎓 GS 7–9 · 🧭 Contracting (1102) · ⏳ Closes Oct 29, 2027 · 352 days left · 🗓 Posted Oct 30, 2026
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Job details at a glance

AgencyDepartment of the Navy Headquarters
DepartmentDepartment of the Navy
LocationMultiple Locations
Salary$51,210–$90,540 per year
GradeGS 7–9
ScheduleFull-time
Occupation seriesContracting (1102)
Hiring pathsCareer transition (CTAP, ICTAP, RPL), Competitive service, Individuals with disabilities, Land and base management, Military spouses, Special authorities, Veterans
PostedOct 30, 2026
Application deadlineOct 29, 2027
Telework eligibleYes
Remote jobNo
Security clearanceOther
Relocation expenses reimbursedNo
Promotion potential12
Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

About this job

You will serve as a Contract Specialist of DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVY.

Duties

You will perform pre-award functions for procurements involving complex contracts for supplies and services.

You will analyze and evaluate cost or pricing data elements to determine price reasonableness when relevant historical data and pricing precedents are generally available, but often do not apply directly.

You will administer complex contracts for procurements for supplies and services including performance of termination actions, until final delivery and payments are completed and the contract is closed and retired.

You will resolve contract audit recommendations in a timely manner, while fully protecting the Government's interest.

You will serve as point of contact for assigned procurements.

Qualifications

In addition to the Basic Requirements for this position, your resume must also demonstrate the following: GS 7: I have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-05) or pay band in the federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector. Specialized experience includes: 1) Assisting in pre-award functions for procurements involving contracts for supplies and services; 2) Reviewing contract issues and reviewing settlement proposals; 3) Developing assignments under close supervision of the supervisor or Senior Procurement Analyst/Contract Specialist. Education may be used to substitute for experience with the following: Successful completion of one full year of graduate level education in any combination of accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management. Successful completion of one full year of law school. Successful completion of a bachelor's degree with superior academic achievement. GS 9: I have one year of specialized experience equivalent to the next lower grade level (GS-07) or pay band in the federal service or equivalent experience in the private or public sector: Specialized experience includes: 1) Assisting in the negotiation of prices, terms, and conditions for pre-award contracts; 2) Preparing initial Navy position on protests from unsuccessful offerors and renders or recommends a decision on claims arising under the contract; 3) Performing under closer supervisory controls, duties typical of, but less difficult than those described in the target position, Contract Specialist. Education may be used to substitute for experience with the following: Successful completion of a master's or equivalent graduate degree; OR Successful completion of two full years of progressively higher graduate level education leading to a master's degree; OR Successful completion of an LL.B. or J.D. that is related to the position being filled. Applicant must meet the following Department of Defense qualification requirements for 1102 contracting positions: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/DoD_Qualification_Standard_For_GS-1102.pdf And the title 10 requirements found here: http://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?req=granuleid:USC-prelim-title10-section1724&num=0&edition=prelim Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (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.

Education

Applicants must meet the following Basic Education Requirement of the Department of Defense Qualification Standard for Contracting Positions: A bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees. NOTE: The education requirement listed above applies only to individuals entering DoD GS-1102 positions on or after October 1, 2000. Current civilian personnel in DoD who occupied GS-1102 positions or contracting positions with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold in an Executive Department on or before September 30, 2000 are exempt from meeting this requirement. Current military members who occupied a similar occupational specialty to the GS (or equivalent) 1102 or before September 30, 2000 are also exempt from meeting this requirement.

Evaluations

In order to qualify for this position, your resume must provide sufficient experience and/or education, knowledge, skills, and abilities to perform the duties of the specific position for which you are being considered. Your resume is the key means we have for evaluating your skills, knowledge, and abilities as they relate to this position. Therefore, we encourage you to be clear and specific when describing your experience. When the application process is complete, we will review your resume to ensure you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements listed in this announcement. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and application package, along with your supporting documentation to determine your ability to demonstrate 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 This recruitment will utilize the following technical assessment tools: USA Hire and Structured Interview. You should list any relevant performance appraisals and incentive awards in your resume as that information may be taken into consideration during the selection process. If selected, you may be required to provide supporting documentation. If after reviewing your resume and supporting documentation, a determination is made that you inflated your qualifications and/or experience, your score may be adjusted to more accurately reflect your abilities or you may be found ineligible/not qualified. Please follow all instructions carefully. Errors or omissions may affect your rating or consideration for employment. All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the closing date of this announcement.

How to apply

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 all required questionnaires, assessments, and required documentation as specified in the How to Apply and Required Documents section. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. 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: 1. Click the Apply Online button. 2. Answer the questions presented in the application and attach all necessary supporting documentation. 3. Click the Submit Application button prior to 11:59 PM (ET) on the announcement closing date. 4. 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. 5. Access USA Hire using your unique assessment link. Access is granted through your USAJOBS login credentials. 6. 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. 7. Set aside at least 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. 8. 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. Reasonable Accommodation (RA) Requests: 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. 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: https://appsupport.usastaffing.gov/hc/en-us/sections/28980686389652-Reasonable-Accommodation-Information For more general information, system requirements and to request assistance regarding the USA Hire Assessments, review the following resources: https://support-usahire.opm.gov/hc/en-us 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 view the announcement status or your application status: Click on this: https://help.usajobs.gov/how-to/application/status. Your application status page is where you can view your application status, USA Hire assessment completion status, and review your notifications sent by the hiring agency regarding your application.

Applications are handled only on the official announcement. This page is a readable copy of the public announcement data — the official version controls if anything differs.

Apply on USAJobs (official) ↗

Required documents

You are required to provide documentation that supports the eligibility and qualification claims made in your resume. You must submit the applicable documents listed here and those listed with the eligibilities you select in the announcement questionnaire with your application package. Applicants who do not provide supporting documentation that fully support their claims will not be referred to the hiring manager. Cover letter is optional. A complete resume is required. Resumes are restricted to no more than 2 pages. Illegible/unreadable resumes will not be considered. Your resume must show relevant experience, job title, duties and accomplishments. Your resume must show complete information for each job entry to support minimum qualifications. The following information should be provided in your resume: employer's name, starting and end dates (Mo/Yr), hours per week if experience was less than full time (35-40 hours per week), pay plan, series and grade level (e.g. GS-0201-09) for relevant federal experience. TIP: A good way to ensure you include all essential information is to use Resume Builder in USAJOBS to create your resume. Are you applying for a promotion? For GS positions, to be considered for promotion, you must provide SF-50(s) that show you held next lower GS grade for at least one year. SF-50s with an effective date in the past year (e.g., Gen Adjustment SF-50 from this year or Within Rate/Grade Increase (WRI/WGI) SF-50 within a year) do not show you meet one-year time-in-grade requirement. That means if you submit a SF-50 dated within the last year, you must submit a SF-50 dated more than one year ago to demonstrate you meet time-in-grade requirements. If you are a DoD employee, you can obtain a copy of your SF- 50(s) from MyBiz. Are you claiming membership in any professional organizations, or possession of a license, certificate or credentials? Check Conditions of Employment section above to see if any are required. If you claim membership, license, certification, or credentials, you must submit a copy of said document in your application package. Are you using education as a substitute for some or all of the experience requirement? Is there a basic education requirement for this position? Check the Education section above to see what is allowed and what is required. Any claims you make in your resume regarding education or degrees MUST be supported by submitting with your application official or unofficial transcripts or list of courses, grades earned, completion dates, and quarter and semester hours earned issued from your school. While unofficial transcripts are acceptable for initial application, official transcript(s) will ultimately be required if you are selected for the position. You may submit a copy your degree(s) if specific coursework does not have to be verified. Claims for approved "grandfather" clauses must be fully supported with documentation. Are you a veteran claiming 5-point veterans' preference or claiming sole survivorship preference? You must submit a copy of your latest DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty (any copy that shows all dates of service, as well as character of service [Honorable, General, etc.] is acceptable) OR VA letter that shows dates of service or service connected disability AND character of service. If you have more than one DD-214 for multiple periods of active duty service, submit a copy for each period of service. If you were issued a DD-215 to amend aforementioned information on the DD-214 you must submit that too. If you are not sure of your preference eligibility, visit Department of Labor's website: Veterans' Preference Advisor Are you a disabled veteran or claiming 10-point veterans' preference? If you are eligible to claim 10 point veterans preference you must submit a DD-214 Certificate of Release or Discharge from Active Duty as described above for 5-point preference. You must also provide applicable supporting documentation of your disability (e.g. disability letter from the VA) as described on Standard Form-15 (SF-15). http://www.opm.gov/forms/pdf_fill/SF15.pdf. Are you an active duty service member? Active Duty Service Members are required to submit a statement of service printed on command letterhead and signed by the command. The statement of service must provide the branch of service, rate/rank, all dates of service, the expected date of discharge and anticipated character of service (Honorable, General, etc). Application documents, including supplemental ones, may be shared outside the Human Resources Office. Supplemental documents may contain your SSN, DOB, or personal information of others (e.g., on military orders, marriage certificates). You may redact this information before submitting; however, if selected, you must provide unredacted originals.

What to expect next

When the application process is complete, your complete application will be reviewed to determine if you meet the hiring eligibility and qualification requirements for which you requested consideration. You will be rated based on the information provided in your resume and responses to the questionnaire and USA Hire Assessment, along with your supporting documentation to determine your level of knowledge, skill, and ability related to the job requirements. If you meet the minimum qualifications of this position, you may be presented with instructions on how to access the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments system. These additional online assessments must be completed within 48 hours following the close of this announcement unless you have requested Reasonable Accommodation for the USA Hire Competency Based Assessments. Generally, only best qualified candidates will be referred to the hiring manager. Sometimes well qualified and minimally qualified candidates are referred. Occasionally, candidates eligible for priority consideration are referred, and no other candidates are referred. The hiring manager may choose to conduct interviews. You will be notified of our rating and referral decision. If you are referred, you will be notified when a hiring decision is made. NOTE: If you have any questions or need assistance, please email the DON Employment Information Center at DONEIC@us.navy.mil

Other information

This position is covered by the Department of Defense Priority Placement Program. Additional vacancies may be filled by this announcement. A tentative offer of employment will be rescinded if the selectee fails to meet the pre-employment requirements, including failure to report to any of the scheduled appointments. During the application process you will have the ability to opt-in to make your resume available to hiring managers in the agency who have similar positions in the local commuting area. Depending on the hiring organization and the position being filled, job requirements (e.g., security clearance, travel, drug testing, financial disclosure filing, bargaining unit status, etc.) may vary. Other hiring managers filling similar positions may offer relocation expense reimbursement and/or may offer recruitment incentives for new employees, depending on funding availability and in accordance with policy. If you opt-in and are referred on a certificate, your resume will be available to other hiring managers for 180-days from the date the job announcement closes. Opting in does not impact your application for this announcement, nor does it guarantee further consideration for additional positions. Federal annuitant information: The selection of an annuitant is subject to the Department of Defense and Department of the Navy policy on the employment of annuitants. Policy information may be found at: http://www.secnav.navy.mil/donhr/Documents/CivilianJobs/FedCivAnnuitants.pdf Salary is based on geographical location and is subject to change with the annual local wage surveys in accordance with the provisions of 5 CFR Part 532 for all employees whose official duty station is located within the geographic boundary of the wage area definition. For more information please visit: https://wageandsalary.dcpas.osd.mil/BWN/AFWageSchedules/ Vacancies filled from this announcement may be filled at any grade level listed. If selected below the full performance level, you may be noncompetitively promoted to the next higher grade level after meeting all regulatory requirements, and upon the recommendation of management. Promotion is neither implied nor guaranteed. Referral Lists will be issued on an as needed basis as vacancies occur. Applicants rated ineligible on this vacancy announcement need to reapply and update their application package to be considered on future vacancies filled through this announcement. Applicants selected and hired on this vacancy announcement need to reapply to be considered on future vacancies filled through this announcement. All eligibility, qualifications, and time-in-grade requirements must be met by the referral cut-off date.

Frequently asked questions

How much does this CONTRACT SPECIALIST job pay?

The announcement lists a salary of $51,210–$90,540 per year (GS 7–9).

When is the last day to apply?

Applications close on Oct 29, 2027 — 352 days from today.

Where is this job located?

This position is located in Multiple Locations with the Department of the Navy Headquarters.

How do I apply?

Applications are submitted through the official announcement on USAJobs. Use the Apply button on this page to go to the official posting — this site never takes applications itself.

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Data: USAJobs (U.S. Office of Personnel Management), retrieved 2026-11-11 · Announcement ST-13103011-27-DRT · Official announcement. FederalJobs is unofficial and is not affiliated with OPM or the agency.
CONTRACT SPECIALIST
Oct 29, 2027 deadlineApply