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Contract Specialist

DLA Careers
Philadelphia, PA Full Time
POSTED ON 7/8/2026
AVAILABLE BEFORE 8/7/2026
Summary

See below for important information regarding this job.

Salary Range

GS-11: $82,289 - $106, 982

GS-12: $98,632 - $128,221

Duties

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  • This position may be filled at either grade level; incumbent may be non-competitively promoted to the next grade level according to merit promotion regulations and upon management’s request.
  • If selected at the GS-11 level, the below responsibilities will be performed in a developmental capacity.
  • Responsible for actions related to the administration, evaluation, analysis and negotiation of pre/post-award actions.
  • Responsible for acquisition planning, preparation of cost and price analysis, contract negotiations, execution, contract administration, and other buying functions in support of assigned aircraft and equipment.
  • Evaluate contractors’ past delivery performance to determine if contract options should be awarded and provide information for pre-award survey use.
  • Establish necessary administrative controls and procedures to ensure contract compliance.
  • Plan, solicit, negotiate, and award contracts within locally specified goals.
  • Provide pre/post-award procurement services in support of complex and diversified repairable and associated requirements.
  • Serve as the central point of contact for pre-award contracting actions and perform work associated with a wide range of contract types and methods for the procurement of items, services and materials.

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

  • Must be a U.S. citizen
  • Tour of Duty: Flexible, (https://www.dla.mil/Careers/Join-Our-Team/Benefits/#Work)
  • Security Requirements: Non-Critical Sensitive
  • Appointment is subject to the completion of a favorable suitability or fitness determination, where reciprocity cannot be applied; unfavorably adjudicated background checks will be grounds for removal.
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA): Exempt
  • Selective Service Requirement: Males born after 12-31-59 must be registered or exempt from Selective Service.
  • Recruitment Incentives: Not Authorized
  • Bargaining Unit Status: No
  • Selectees are required to have a REAL ID or other acceptable identification documents to access certain federal facilities. See https://www.tsa.gov/real-id for more information.
  • Financial Disclosure Requirement: Required
  • Acquisition Workforce Position NON- CAP: Defense Acquisition Workforce position. Must complete DoD certification and other requirements. See Addtl Info.

Qualifications

To qualify for a Contract Specialist, your resume and supporting documentation must support:

  • Basic Contracting Requirement: A.) A baccalaureate degree from an accredited educational institution authorized to grant baccalaureate degrees OR B.) a current civilian employee in DoD or member of the Armed Forces, who occupied an 1102 position, contracting officer position, or comparable military contracting position with authority to award or administer contracts above the simplified acquisition threshold on or before September 30, 2000 are excluded from the requirements of "A)" above.
  • Contracting Officer Requirement for GS-12: Must possess at least two years of experience in a contracting position.
  • Specialized Experience: One year of specialized experience that equipped you with the particular competencies to successfully perform the duties of the position and is directly in or related to this position. In addition to meeting the Basic Contracting Requirement above, to qualify for the GS-11 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS- 09 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. To qualify for the GS-12 grade level, specialized experience must be at the GS-11 grade level or equivalent under other pay systems in the Federal service, military, or private sector. Applicants must meet eligibility requirements including time-in-grade (General Schedule (GS) positions only), time-after-competitive appointment, minimum qualifications, and any other regulatory requirements by the cut-off/closing date of the announcement. Creditable specialized experience includes:
  • GS-11:
    • Assisting with applying contracting principles, laws, statues, regulations and procedures applicable to pre-award and post-award actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts.
    • Assisting with market research, acquisition planning and preparing solicitations.
    • Assisting with proposal evaluation and negotiations.
    • Assisting with contract administration activities including communicating with suppliers, monitoring delivery schedules and taking any post award actions necessary to ensure delivery of product.
  • GS-12:
    • Independently applying contracting principles, laws, statues, regulations and procedures applicable to pre-award actions sufficient to procure and administer contracts for a variety of goods and services.
    • Performing/overseeing market research/analysis to determine availability of the requirement by analyzing market trends, commercial practices, conditions, and technological advances.
    • Independently preparing solicitations, evaluating the resulting proposals and conducting negotiations as necessary to agree on a final contract price.
    • Independently conducting contract administration activities including communicating with suppliers, monitoring delivery schedules and taking any post award actions necessary to ensure delivery of product. Activities may include change orders, modifications, resolution of quality issues and terminations.
    • Conducting communications and/or discussions with vendors/customers.
  • Education Substitution: Such education must demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and abilities necessary to do the work. Education must be from a college or university accredited by an organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education. See http://ope.ed.gov/accreditation/Search.aspx. If using education to meet basic qualifications, YOU MUST SUBMIT A TRANSCRIPT as supplemental documentation. To qualify based on education in lieu of specialized experience, you must possess:
  • GS-11: Three full academic years of progressively higher-level graduate or Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral degree.
  • GS-12: There is no education substitution at this grade level.
Experience refers to 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.

Education

Are you using your education to qualify? You MUST provide transcripts or other documentation to support your educational claims. Unless otherwise stated: Unofficial transcripts are acceptable at time of application.

GRADUATE EDUCATION: One academic year of graduate education is considered to be the number of credits hours that your graduate school has determined to represent one academic year of full-time study. Such study may have been performed on a full-time or part-time basis. If you cannot obtain your graduate school's definition of one year of graduate study, 18 semester hours (or 27 quarter hours) should be considered as satisfying the requirement for one year of full-time graduate study.

FOREIGN EDUCATION: 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 and such education has been 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.

Additional information

As required by 5 C.F.R.

  • 302.106, DLA will provide Section 508 conformant ICT to employees with disabilities. All ICT interfaces with the public related to vacancy announcements and career transition opportunities must conform to the applicable requirements in the current ICT Standards and Guidelines (36 C.F.R.
  • 1194).

For Important General Applicant Information and Definitions go to: http://www.dla.mil/portals/104/documents/careers/GenAppInfoDef.pdf

Reemployed Annuitants: This position does not meet criteria for appointment of Reemployed Annuitants. The DoD criteria for hiring Reemployed Annuitants can be found at: https://www.esd.whs.mil/Portals/54/Documents/DD/issuances/140025/140025_vol300.PDF

Acq Workforce - Non-CAP: Position requires DoD Acquisition Contracting, Foundational certification within required timeframes. Selectee must also achieve 80 hours of Continuous Learning Points (CLPs) every 2-years. Click here for more details and Resources.

Information for Veterans is available at: https://www.dla.mil/Careers/Programs/. As of 23 December 2016, Military retirees seeking to enter federal service in the Department of Defense now require a waiver if they would be appointed within 180 days following their official date of retirement.

Drug-Free Workplace Policy

The Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) is committed to maintaining a safe, drug-free workplace. All DLA employees are required to refrain from illegal drug use on and off duty. DLA conducts pre-employment, reasonable suspicion, post-accident, and random drug testing.

Applicants tentatively selected for employment in testing designated positions will undergo a urinalysis to screen for illegal drug use prior to appointment. Refusal to undergo testing or testing positive for illegal drugs will result in withdrawal of the tentative job offer and a six-month denial of employment with DLA from the date of the drug test. Employees in drug testing designated positions are subject to random drug testing. A negative drug test result must be received by HR within 30 calendar days after the EOD (i.e., start date). The selectee's inability successfully pass; or refusal to conduct the test may result in: 1) the tentative or FJO being withdrawn during the recruitment process; or 2) subsequently being removed from Federal service for failure to meet a condition of employment. You may be required to sign a "Drug Test Statement of Understanding" if you are selected for this position.

The DLA drug testing panel tests for the following substances: marijuana, cocaine, opiates, heroin, phencyclidine, amphetamines, methamphetamines, fentanyl, norfentanyl, methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), and opioids.

ADVISORY: Use of cannabidiol (CBD) products may result in a positive drug test for marijuana. DLA employees are subject to Federal law and under Federal law, Marijuana is illegal.

Additional guidance on writing a federal resume can be found at: USAJOBS Help Center - How do I write a resume for a federal job? The resume builder can help you create a resume using these recommendations and uses the information in your USAJOBS profile to help you get started.

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.

Help

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.

Salary : $82,289 - $106,000

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