Contract Specialist (Direct Hire)

You must meet all of the requirements listed below:

1. The mandatory Basic Requirement shown in the Education section below; and
2. 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, please visit: https://www.achshonor.org/

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, 2025

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
OR
e) Expect to complete at least one of the education degree requirements for this grade level by May 31, 2025

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
OR
e) Expect to complete at least one of the education degree requirements for this grade level by May 31, 2025


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-07/GS-09:
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.