Contract Specialist

Office of the Secretary of Defense • Washington, DC

5d

About The Position

This position is in the Office of the Under Secretary of War for Research & Engineering (OUSW(R&E), specifically in the Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO). It is being recruited under Direct Hire Authority for the AcqDemo Business and Technical Management Professional Career Path (NH). This public notice gathers applications for vacancies as they occur; there may or may not be vacancies when an application is submitted, and submission may not result in referral or selection.

The Contract Specialist plans, develops, and executes comprehensive contracting and acquisition strategies for complex, high-priority programs and systems in a high-tempo operational environment. The incumbent serves under, or works toward maintaining, an Agreements Officer warrant to lead non-traditional procurement pathways, including negotiating, awarding, and administering Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and prototype-to-production instruments. As a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), the incumbent leads portfolio management and cradle-to-grave acquisition oversight for enterprise-wide AI and data programs, overseeing contractor performance, cost, schedule, and technical milestones, including systems integration, architectural scalability, and interoperability across multi-stakeholder defense ecosystems.

The position conducts compliance and adequacy reviews of complex requirements packages, statements of objectives, and procurement documentation, and evaluates and endorses acquisition strategies, procurement baselines, and charter documentation for alignment with CDAO, OSD, and federal regulatory standards. The position requires a contracting professional acquisition certification, which must be achieved within 24 months. The incumbent must be able to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI security clearance. Travel of up to 25% may be required. Situational telework may be approved by the supervisor for weather and safety purposes only. This is a financial filer position and is not approved for overtime.

Requirements

• U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor's degree from an accredited educational institution and at least 24 semester hours in any combination of accounting, business, finance, law, contracts, purchasing, economics, industrial management, marketing, quantitative methods, or organization and management, unless qualifying for a stated education exemption.
• For the NH-3 (GS-12/13) level, one year of specialized experience equivalent to the NH-2 (GS-11) level in the Federal service (or equivalent private-sector experience).
• Experience applying advanced IT/AI principles, concepts, methods, standards, and practices to review and evaluate acquisition strategies for assigned IT systems programs.
• Understanding of intellectual property laws, software and AI acquisition, cybersecurity standards, and supply-chain risk management within defense systems.
• Experience developing and executing portfolio contracting strategies aligned with business structures, program urgency, funding profiles, schedules, and sustainment plans.
• Experience performing Contracting Officer and Agreements Officer functions, including planning, market research, solicitation, evaluation, complex negotiations, award, administration, dispute resolution, and termination.
• Ability to obtain and maintain a Top Secret/SCI (Special Sensitive) security clearance.
• Obtain a contracting professional acquisition certification within 24 months.
• Males born after December 31, 1959, must be registered with Selective Service or exempt.
• Must be suitable for federal employment, participate in direct deposit, and complete pre-employment and random drug testing.
• May be required to successfully complete a probationary/trial period; a one-year probationary period is described in the posting.
• May be required to travel up to 25% away from the normal duty station for official business, including on military or commercial aircraft.
• Must provide required education documentation, including transcripts or degrees when qualifying based on education.

Responsibilities

• Plan, develop, and execute comprehensive contracting and acquisition strategies for complex, high-priority programs and systems in a high-tempo operational environment.
• Serve under or work toward maintaining an Agreements Officer warrant and lead non-traditional procurement pathways, including negotiating, awarding, and administering Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs) and prototype-to-production instruments.
• Conduct compliance and adequacy reviews of complex requirements packages, statements of objectives, and procurement documentation, mitigating operational and acquisition risks.
• As a Contracting Officer Representative (COR), lead portfolio management and cradle-to-grave acquisition oversight for enterprise-wide AI and data programs.
• Oversee contractor performance, cost, schedule, and technical milestones, with a focus on systems integration, architectural scalability, and interoperability across multi-stakeholder defense ecosystems.
• Evaluate, refine, and endorse program acquisition strategies, procurement baselines, and charter documentation to ensure adherence to CDAO, OSD, and federal regulatory standards.

Benefits

• Federal employee benefits package, with benefits available to the employee and family; specific benefits depend on position type and should be confirmed with the hiring agency.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level