Contract Specialist (Direct Hire)

NASA•Multiple Locations• Contract

Posted 5 hours ago• Legal & Compliance• Mechanical

Compensation

$50,460–$121,371/year

Job Description

Summary

The Office of Procurement (OP) is seeking Contract Specialists. Ideal candidates will have strong business and analytical skills demonstrated through academic coursework and/or work experience. Duties will vary depending on organizational needs and include procurement planning, negotiation, and contract administration tasks assigned in support of NASA programs. OP is structured to provide support to our mission partners regardless of buying location using virtual tools and capabilities.

Accepting applications

Open & closing dates

03/19/2026 to 03/23/2026

Salary $50,460 to - $121,371 per year

Salary range reflects the lowest and highest potential salaries of the locations. Actual salary range varies by selectee(s) location.

Pay scale & grade GS 7 - 11

Locations

Duties

Duties described below are at the highest grade advertised. Duties assigned at lower grade levels will be of more limited scope, performed with less independence and limited complexity; duties will be commensurate with the grade of selected employee.
Assists with all aspects of the contracting transactions from initiation to recommendation of award to procuring items or services where standard contracting procedures may need to be modified.
Assists with pre-award functions such as preparing solicitations and adding provisions. Also analyzing proposals for conformance; obtaining required pre-award surveys to establish contractor responsibility, and to develop negotiation strategy.
Performs contracting work through use of negotiation techniques. Prepares Request for Quotation (RFQ) or Request for Proposal (RFP) ensuring that technical descriptions and appropriate contract clauses are included.
Performs analysis of responses to solicitations, including price reasonableness, adequacy of competition, compliance with solicitation, and probability of meeting requirements.
Coordinates the contracts reflecting agreement between the agency and the vendor.
Monitors contract performance and negotiates necessary standard contract modifications such as extensions of delivery schedules, price adjustments, option exercises etc. to ensure satisfactory progress and completion of contract activities.
Negotiates modifications to contracts with standard and nonstandard terms and conditions.
Prepares correspondence; provides advice, guidance, training, and assistance to technical or program personnel, or contractors whenever information is needed or issues need to be resolved.
Prepares determinations and findings of fact relative issues or actions. Coordinates requests for deviations with requesting activities, and makes recommendations.

Requirements

This position is open to U.S. citizens, nationals or those who owe allegiance to the U.S.
You must meet qualifications requirements by the closing date of this announcement.
Financial Disclosure, Drug Testing, and/or the Travel Requirements for this position may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
Position subject to pre-employment background investigation or higher-level clearance. Investigation/Clearance may differ and be required based on the duty location/NASA Center requirements.
Selectee will have a designated "Home Center, but may be assigned to support programs or projects at any NASA Center using virtual tools and capabilities.
Selected applicant(s) must be assigned to a duty location listed on the announcement. Selectee(s) will be required to work ON-SITE at the duty location selected.
Duty location will be determined upon selection and will be at one of the locations listed on the announcement. Selectee(s) will be required to work ON-SITE at the duty location selected.
This position may require a one-year probationary period.
This position may require a one-year probationary/trial period. If selected, the requirement to serve such period will be determined by Title 5 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 11. **See Additional Information section*

You must meet all of the requirements listed below:

The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below; and
Specialized experience and/or directly related education, as shown below, which has equipped you with the particular competencies needed to successfully perform the duties of this position.

To qualify for GS-07, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-05 level:

Applying knowledge of principles and practices for contract, procurement, finance for business requirements; AND
Assisting with preparing reports related to funds, expenses or similar;

OR
b) Completed 1 full academic year of graduate study in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 1 full academic year of law school
OR
d) Completed a bachelor's degree in a field listed above or a related field and meet Superior Academic Achievement (SAA) criteria: (1) I was in the upper third of my graduating class in the college, university, or major subdivision; or (2) I have a 3.0 or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA as recorded on my 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) I have a 3.5 or higher out of a possible 4.0 GPA 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; or (4) I was elected to membership in a national scholastic honor society (ACHS).
OR
e) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study in an appropriate field
OR
f) Expect to complete at least one of the education requirements for this grade level by May 31, 2026.

To qualify for GS-09, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-07 level:

Applying principles and practices regulations for contract, procurement, finance for commercial, logistics, supply chain management or business requirements for analyzing cost and pricing data; AND
Assisting with pre-award or post-award contracting procedures; OR
Assisting in generating financial reports to analyze cost, expenses, and obligations;

OR
b) Completed all requirements for a master's or equivalent graduate degree in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 2 full academic years of graduate education in an appropriate field, or LL.B. or J.D.
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

To qualify for GS-11, you must have:
a) One year of directly related specialized experience equivalent to the GS-09 level:

Interpreting and applying principles and practices regulations for contract, procurement, finance for logistics, supply chain management or business requirements to identify sources, analyze cost and pricing data; AND
Preparing pre-award or post-award contract administration; OR
Preparing a variety of reports concerning the status of funds, expenses, and obligations;

OR
b) Completed all requirements for a doctoral degree (i.e., Ph.D. or equivalent) in an appropriate field
OR
c) Completed 3 full academic years of graduate education leading to a Ph.D. degree in an appropriate field
OR
d) Have an equivalent combination of experience and graduate study as discussed in a), b) and c) above

Preferred majors include, but are not limited to accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, supply chain management or organization and management.

Certification/Training for GS-7/9:
Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Level I or FAC-C Professional or Level I Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional certification is preferred, but not required.

Certification/Training for GS-11:
Federal Acquisition Certification-Contracting (FAC-C) Level II or FAC-C Professional, or Level II Department of Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) certification or DAWIA Professional certification is preferred, but not required.

If you have earned certification, state your FAC-C or DAWIA certification level and date of certification.

Your resume must include a clear and detailed narrative description, in your own words, of how you meet the required specialized experience. Experience statements copied from a position description, vacancy announcement or other reference material constitutes plagiarism and may result in disqualification and losing consideration for the job.

NASA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence (AI) or AI-assisted tool in drafting application and assessment responses. Please visit https://www.nasa.gov/careers/how-to-apply/#Artificial-Intelligence to review NASA's guidance on the use of AI tools during the application process.

The ideal candidate is organized, customer-oriented, with information technology skills and a solid background in public sector procurement principles, processes and practices.

Basic Requirement:

1. A 4-year course of study leading to a minimum of a bachelor's degree with a major in any field.

2. 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.

NOTE: Employees in GS-1102 positions will be considered to have met the basic education requirements for positions they occupied on January 1, 2000, for other GS-1102 positions up to and including the GS-12 level.

U.S. degrees must have been awarded from colleges or universities that are accredited by recognized accrediting organizations. For a list of schools that meet this criteria, go to http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/.

If you are using education completed in foreign colleges or universities to meet the qualification requirements, you must show that the education credentials have been evaluated by a private organization that specializes in interpretation of foreign education programs. These education credentials must be deemed equivalent to that gained in an accredited U.S. education program; or full credit has been given for the courses at a U.S. accredited college or university. For further information, visit: https://sites.ed.gov/international/recognition-of-foreign-qualifications/.

All degrees must have been received in the year of, or any year subsequent to the original date of accreditation.

Evaluation

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

Direct Hire Authority: These positions will be filled through the Office of Personnel Management's Direct Hire Authority. Category rating and veterans' preference will not be considered in evaluating applicants. For more information on Direct Hire Authority, please see: OPM Direct Hire Fact Sheet.

Veterans: Under the provisions of Direct Hire Authority, veterans' preference does not apply. However, applicants who are eligible for veterans' preference are encouraged to include that information in their application and submit supporting documentation (i.e., DD-214, or other substantiating documents). For more information please see: Veterans' Preference information on the FedsHireVets website.

You will be evaluated for this position based on how well you meet the qualifications and eligibility requirements listed in this vacancy announcement. To determine your qualifications and referral status, we may review your resume and supporting documentation and compare it against your responses to the assessment questionnaire. Overstating your qualifications and/or experience in your application materials or assessment questionnaire may result in your removal from consideration.

You will be assessed on the following competencies:

Acquisition Planning
Contract Management
Contracting/Procurement
Problem Solving
Written Communication

NASA considers 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.

NASA will not ask you to disclose criminal history record information during the application process or before we make a conditional/tentative offer of employment. If you apply for this position and are selected, NASA will conduct a suitability/security background investigation after you accept a tentative job offer. If you feel you are asked to disclose your criminal history before you accept a tentative offer and wish to file a complaint within 30 days, please contact: [email protected].

Required Documents

All submitted resumes must not exceed two (2) pages in length. Resumes longer than two pages will be rejected by USAJOBS. Applicants are strongly encouraged to prioritize including experience and relevant qualifications that directly align with the position advertised. All work experience and accomplishments must be associated with dates (month/year) to allow for accurate qualification assessment.

A complete application package includes a resume, required documents and completion of the vacancy announcement questionnaire. Please see this guidance: . Your resume should describe your specialized experience and support your answers to the vacancy announcement questionnaire.

Please note: if any of the following types of information are included on your resume, your application package will be disqualified:

Classified or government sensitive information.
Social Security Number (SSN)
Photos of yourself
Personal information, such as age, gender, religious affiliation, etc.
Encrypted and digitally signed documents.

If your resume contains any of the above information, you must redact that information prior to the submission of your application.

The following documents are required:

Professional Certification
Resume

As listed in the Education section above, this position has a basic education requirement.

To be found qualified, you must provide a copy of your college transcript that fully demonstrates you meet the requirements listed in the Education section. You may provide either an unofficial transcript or a copy of an official transcript. Failure to provide a complete copy of your college transcript that shows you have completed a required degree program or coursework may result in you being found not qualified.

At the GS-07 level, most applicants qualify based on their grade point average (GPA). Transcripts without a GPA will likely result in you being found not qualified.

There may be other supporting documents (licenses, certification, veterans preference, etc.), depending on your answers to the questionnaire and job announcement description, that you may have to submit, please verify your application. Do not submit an OF-306 with your application.

If you are a surplus or displaced employee (CTAP and ICTAP), submit proof that you meet the requirements for CTAP/ICTAP. This includes copies of your agency notice, most recent Performance Rating and most recent Notification of Personnel Action (SF-50) noting current position, grade level, and duty location.

Official documents are required at the time of appointment for verification of eligibility and qualifications.

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.