Contract Specialist

Contract Specialist (15.49)

OCT Consulting is a business management and technology consulting firm that supports Federal Government clients. We provide consulting services in the areas of Strategy, Process Improvement, Change Management, Program and Project Management, Acquisition/Procurement, and Information Technology.

OCT currently has an opening for a/an Contract Specialist to work with our federal client. The selected candidate will be embedded with the client's contracting department, which plans, awards, and administers fixed-price and cost-type contracts for supplies, services, and information technology. The Contract Specialist will work alongside Government Contracting Officers and contract specialists to plan and execute procurement actions in compliance with the FAR, DFARS, and agency policies.

This position is contingent upon contract award.

Day to day responsibilities include:

• Support the full acquisition lifecycle (cradle-to-grave) for complex supplies, services, and information technology, including fixed-price and cost-type contracts, IDIQs, BOAs, BPAs, and task/delivery orders.
• Conduct market research and prepare market research memoranda, Justifications and Approvals (J&As), and related acquisition strategy documents; review requirements and sole-source justifications for accuracy.
• Prepare Requests for Quotes (RFQs), Requests for Proposals (RFPs), and combined synopsis/solicitations, ensuring all appropriate FAR/DFARS terms and conditions are included; verify funds availability and obtain legal concurrence as required.
• Support informal and formal source selections, including Source Selection Plans, evaluation worksheets, conflict-of-interest/non-disclosure documentation, and draft Source Selection Decision Memoranda.
• Perform cost and price analysis using advanced Excel (XLOOKUP/VLOOKUP/HLOOKUP, pivot tables, nested functions, conditional formatting) on large pricing datasets; assist program offices with Independent Government Estimates (IGEs).
• Develop pre-negotiation objectives and support the Contracting Officer during negotiations; prepare award documents, COR designation letters, and FPDS-NG reporting.
• Prepare SF-30 modifications and option exercises, support contract administration, and assist in resolving contractor performance issues, claims, and closeout.
• Work in contract writing and acquisition systems including ePS, SPS/PD2, FPDS-NG, SAM, GSA eBuy/eLibrary/Advantage, and PIEE (CLS, EDA, SPRS, GFP).
• Perform to local Procurement Action Lead Time (PALT) standards and complete contractor-to-contractor peer review of all documents prior to Contracting Officer review and signature.
• Share lessons learned and best practices with Government staff and provide on-the-job knowledge sharing when requested.

• Must be a U.S. Citizen
• Five (5) or more years of Government contracting experience, including commercial and non-commercial supplies and services, IDIQs, and task/delivery orders.
• Bachelors degree required (Business degree preferred). Education and experience may not be substituted for one another.
• DAWIA Contracting Professional certification or equivalent (e.g., DAWIA Level II, FAC-C (new criteria)/FAC-C-DoD, or FAC-C Level II (legacy)).
• Expert knowledge of Federal contracting law, regulations, policies, and precedents sufficient to plan, lead, review, or audit complex procurement functions.
• Skill in promoting e-commerce and using automated acquisition systems; proficiency in Microsoft 365 and Adobe Acrobat.
• Strong advanced Excel skills for price analysis on large datasets.
• Preferred: seven (7) or more years of Government contracting experience; experience supporting Department of Defense contracting activities; hands-on experience with ePS.
• Must hold an…